Maine start-ups pitch to investors at Techstars ‘Demo Day’

PORTLAND, Maine — 13 weeks of laborious work for 10 entrepreneurs got here all the way down to five-minute displays Thursday afternoon. 

The Techstars Accelerator program held its second demo day in Maine after launching in Portland final 12 months. 

Tech firms from around the globe, together with two already primarily based in Maine, pitched their concepts to potential buyers.

 “I am simply actually excited. I really feel so supported by my crew,” Hey Freya founder Helkin Berg mentioned earlier than her pitch.

Held on the Portland Ocean Gateway terminal, one theme of the occasion was how these revolutionary firms can assist our state and the world sooner or later.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills opened the occasion with some remarks that centered on the expansion of the state’s start-up trade.

Techstars Managing Director Lars Perkins mentioned the pitch occasion is “inspiring. It by no means will get outdated.”

In its second 12 months at Northeastern’s Roux Institute in Portland, Perkins mentioned this system ran just a little extra easily than its rollout final fall.

The beginning-ups met for the primary time this fall and adopted this system for greater than three months as they met with mentors, potential buyers, and trade consultants tailor-made to fulfill their wants.

A purpose of this system is to assist these firms develop at their particular person tempo.

Vinko Buble has been working to construct his firm, Torque, in Maine for a decade. He mentioned he is able to shut on some new financing within the new 12 months and Torque will proceed to be headquartered within the state.

For the second 12 months in a row, a founder from Chile participated in this system. Rogers Escalub got here to Vacationland together with his firm, Cicla. 

His enterprise works with bigger firms to assist recycle outdated printers, laptops, and computer systems, and provides them again new gadgets created from 100% recycled materials.

“This system is only a life changer for us,” Escalub added.

After spending the previous couple of weeks in Portland, Escalub introduced at this time he’s shifting his firm to Maine.

“We predict it’s the best place for us,” he added.

Just like the 9 different founders, Escalub mentioned it is powerful to explain how the Tech Stars program helped his firm.

“This course of is actually, actually laborious so to have all the best folks round you, serving to you, to make your life simpler is priceless,” he added.