EDGE 2.0 Finalists and Pitch Competition Dates Announced

DOVER, Del. - The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) is excited to announce the finalists and dates, for the EDGE 2.0 Grant Pitch Competition. The pitch competition will be held on Oct. 28 and 29 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at The Tower Audion & Atrium at STAR Campus, University of Delaware, 100 Discovery Blvd., Newark, 19713. The public is invited to watch the competition in-person. Registration is required: bit.ly/3IVaAYG.

There are nine Entrepreneur category finalists and 5 STEM category finalists.

The Entrepreneur finalists are: Atomic (Milton), Focus Pharmacy (Smyrna), Insight Ag Scouting LLC (Wyoming), Kiyamel (Dagsboro), NFN Brain Connections Inc (Dover), Rooted Properties Group (Lewes), Stay Jung LLC DBA Holding Hands (Newark), Still Water (Townsend), TAM IV (Rehoboth Beach).

The STEM Finalists are: BVP Coffee Co. (Newark), CarbonForm Inc. (Wilmington), FR888T LLC (Dover), Grad Village LLC (Wilmington), KiposTech (Newark).

In addition, three more companies will compete in a bonus round for $1M in funding through the Small State Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) under the Delaware Accelerator and Seed Capital Program. Those businesses are: Crystron (Wilmington), Wunderwood Corporation DBA Prismm (Newark), Lectrolyst (Wilmington). These finalists will be judged on STEM Day and are also eligible for the same post award supports as all recipients.

"As Delaware's business community continues to evolve, it's critical that our support evolves with it." said DSB Division Director CJ Bell. "EDGE 2.0 is not just funding - it's a statement that Delaware backs its boldest entrepreneurs and invest in businesses that will shape our future." They are visionaries and innovators who with help to back their plans will make an impact on Delaware's economy." Applicants undergo several rounds of internal review by DSB Business Finance Unit staff and leadership. They will be judged by an independent panel of expert judges.

Entrerpeneur judges: Mike Bowman (Delaware SBDC), Ayanna Khan (Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, Linda Parkowski (Kent Economic Partnership), James Williams (City of Wilmington), Laura Wisler (Del-One Federal Credit Union).

STEM judges: Ken Briscoe (A6 Media), Dora Cheatham (Aternium) Noah Olson (Delaware Prosperity Partnership), Bill Provine (Innovation Space), Troy Wilford (University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship)

EDGE 2.0 is a supercharged version of the original program launched in 2019. Among the upgrades for this round are a total amount of $1.15M in funding - double that of previous rounds, no pre-determined number of winners and no fixed award amounts. The Entrepreneur finalists are eligible for a portion of a $400-thousand-dollar pot, and the STEM finalists, will compete for a piece of the $750-thousand-dollar pot.

All finalists and awardees will also receive additional post-pitch in-kind services and/or award supports to help them grow. These supports will include memberships to networking organizations and expedited pathways to DSB funding programs and more.

EDGE stands for Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion. It is the Delaware Division of Small Business' (DSB) flagship funding program, which has distributed nearly $8.0M to 120 small businesses in the last six years. Businesses eligible for the program are those in existence for less than 7 years, including startups not yet in the marketplace, having 15 or fewer employees, and fewer than $700-thousand dollars in assets. Additionally, businesses must be majority located (51% or more) in Delaware.

To learn more about EDGE visit de.gov/edge.

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The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) is a service-focused state agency, within the Delaware Department of State, that is committed to helping businesses start and grow in Delaware. Our Regional Business Managers can help you navigate government processes, connect with partner organizations that offer resources to small businesses and identify opportunities to access capital. DSB also oversees the Delaware Tourism Office and Office of Supplier Diversity.