Startup Founders Pitch Their Businesses to Investors During Competition on Ski Lifts in Taos
The 10th Annual Ski Lift Pitch competition has taken the traditional elevator pitch to exhilarating new levels – to the powdery peaks of the world-renowned Taos Ski Valley where promising startups get a coveted opportunity with venture capital investors.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CNM Ingenuity, the New Mexico Office of Strategy, Science, and Technology, and the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division are excited to announce the finalists for the 10th annual Ski Lift Pitch set for February 3-4 at the renowned Taos Ski Valley. Nine startups were selected through the rigorous application process and are now preparing to pitch their businesses to world-class venture capital investors on their way up the slopes.
"We are so thrilled with this year's lineup of finalists," says Lindsay Humphries, Interim Program Director for CNM Ingenuity, an economic development arm of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). "We will be showcasing a wide variety of industry sectors ranging from groundbreaking medical treatments and therapies, game-changing software, and innovative solutions to ongoing conservation problems. We're so proud of this year's finalists and are excited for them to present their technology and services at our 10th Ski Lift Pitch."
This event was created to take the traditional elevator pitch to a new and exhilarating level – as in the 10,000-foot powdery peaks of Taos – with nine business founders pitching to potential investors while riding the ski lifts. All the founders will take three chairlift rides and three ski runs at the spectacular Taos Ski Valley, each getting to pitch their business to a different investor each time. At the end of the day, the investors select the top three businesses for a final pitch on the main stage in the ski lodge, with the winner taking home a $10,000 cash prize.
"Ski Lift Pitch is an incredible event that goes beyond just offering a cash prize to the winning founder. The real magic lies in the connections and conversations that unfold during the day-and-a-half we spend together sharing meals, laughing, and fostering genuine relationships and connections," Humphries says. "This event is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and creating a strong foundation to support your entrepreneurial journey. It's not just a pitch competition—it's an experience designed to propel founders toward success."
The startups chosen to participate are:
Bee Wild Outside: No more plastic waste, no more bulky bottles. Clean, compact, and refillable sunscreen for all your outdoor adventures.
Bender: Creators of environmentally conscious and sustainable air conditioning pads.
Equility: Software that automates financial review to streamline account reconciliations, depreciation and amortization, undeposited funds, and more.
Evress: A software platform that helps monitor program implementation specifically for public school systems.
Firescape: Combines cutting-edge science with the latest in AI and satellite technology to offer unparalleled wildfire risk solutions.
Osazda Energy: Develops cutting-edge solutions to enhance solar cell performance through advanced solar paste metallization. Their goal is to drive efficiency and sustainability in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector.
NeuroGeneces: Innovative neurological assessments that can detect atypical brain decline up to two decades before symptoms emerge.
Sentire Medical Systems: A revolutionary monitoring system that will alert surgeons to the presence of bowel perforations during laparoscopic surgical procedures.
Shearit: Creators of the first non-pharmacologic to help treat cerebrovascular disease, one of the leading causes of strokes in the United States.
About New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division
The mission of the Outdoor Recreation Division, a division of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, is to increase equitable access to the outdoors for all New Mexicans, ensuring healthy outcomes, environmental stewardship, and economic prosperity. For more information, visit nmoutside.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at @NMOutdoorRec.
About the New Mexico Office of Strategy, Science, and Technology
The Office of Strategy, Science and Technology (OSST) was created to connect New Mexico's innovation infrastructure to the commercial market. OSST strives to lead and execute programs that encourage and enable the startup, growth, and relocation of technology-based industries in and to New Mexico by focusing on growing and diversifying existing technology companies, rapidly commercializing technologies, and promoting research and development in emerging technologies.
About CNM Ingenuity
The mission of CNM Ingenuity Inc., a non-profit economic development arm of Central New Mexico Community College, is to promote the public welfare and prosperity of individuals and to foster economic development within both the private and public sectors. CNM Ingenuity Inc. accomplishes this purpose by forging links between educational institutions, businesses, industries, and government.
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SOURCE Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)