They’ve dreamed. Worked hard. And brought their startups to life. Now five teams of Western alumni entrepreneurs are set to make their pitch.
This Friday, Dec. 4, the budding business founders will present their products and ideas to experienced investors and entrepreneurs as part of Western Angels’ Demo Day.
The virtual event will celebrate all stages and aspects of the entrepreneurial journey as nurtured at the Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Ivey Business School. It also aims to connect hopeful entrepreneurs with potential partners to propel their business forward.
The five finalists were selected from among 16 alumni teams who pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges last month at Ivey’s Amplify event.
The teams are “investor-ready,” and set to showcase their ventures through 13-minute pitches, including five minutes of due diligence questions from investors. Each company seeks to raise its first or second investment round, with asks up to $6 million.
Finalists
Apricotton
Presenting founders: Jessica Miao, HBA’20, Chloe Beaudoin, HBA’20
The pitch: Apricotton makes tween girls feel confident in their bodies by providing a comfortable and exciting first bra shopping experience. The bras grow through multiple stages of puberty. The company aims to cover the market with an innovative e- commerce model.
AssetDirect
Presenting founder: Adam Rice, BA’08
The pitch: AssetDirect is Canada’s search engine for personal loans. Their LoanConnect lender network allows customers to find a competitive loan offer best suit to their individual needs. This safe and secure system puts allows consumers to search multiple lenders in order to get the best financial help.
Kabo
Presenting founder: Vino Jeyapalan, BSc’17
The pitch: Kabo delivers fresh dog food to their customers’ doorsteps monthly, offering contactless delivery throughout Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, Winnipeg and Halifax.
Marlow
Presenting founder: Simone Godbout, HBA’20
The pitch: Marlow believes menstrual products should be thoughtfully designed to meet everyone’s unspoken needs, starting with the first-ever lubricated tampon.
Resili
Presenting founder: Morgan Rosenberg, HBA’15
The pitch: Resili is on a mission to democratize access to the mental health knowledge and skills everyone needs. Resili is a free app that leverages cutting edge modalities of Mental Flourishing and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and pairs it with industry-leading design and UX.
Western Angels’ Demo Day runs from 10 a.m. – noon and is open to the public, who are invited to register in advance.
