TC Early Stage Startups: Meet the Pitching Companies

TechCrunch Early Stage Bootcamp and Pitch-Off

This Thursday and Friday, TechCrunch is hosting Early Stage, a virtual bootcamp designed for founders in the early stages of development. Building on the success of the spring iteration, Friday will showcase ten promising early-stage startups on a virtual platform.

Founders representing companies from across the United States and internationally will present their ventures live. Each pitch will be allotted five minutes, followed by a rigorous question-and-answer session with a panel of expert judges.

Pitch-Off Judges

The judging panel for this event comprises Ben Sun of Primary Venture Partners, Doug Landis from Emergence Capital, Leah Solivan of Fuel Capital, and Shardul Shah representing Index Ventures.

A notable change from the previous event is the elimination of a final round. Each participating company will have a single opportunity to make a lasting impression on both the judges and the viewing audience.

The second TC Early Stage Pitch-Off is scheduled for Friday, July 9th. Details regarding the participating startups are outlined below.

Session 1: 9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. PDT

Mi Terro (City of Industry, CA, USA) – This company is pioneering advanced materials by collaborating with food companies and farmers. They create home compostable packaging alternatives to single-use plastics, utilizing plant-based agricultural waste.
Press Sports App (Atlanta, GA, USA) – A dedicated social network for athletes of all skill levels and across various sports. The platform aims to establish a comprehensive record system beginning at the amateur level.
Snowball Wealth (San Francisco, CA, USA) – Snowball Wealth offers personalized financial guidance to the over 30 million women in America burdened with student loan debt. Users receive a free student loan plan, potentially saving an average of $6,000.
My Expat Taxes (Vienna, Austria) – This is a leading U.S. expat tax software solution. It streamlines the tax filing process, offering a more affordable alternative to competitors.
Speeko (Chicago, Illinois, USA) – Speeko provides AI-powered feedback on vocal delivery, focusing on aspects like pace, filler words, inclusivity, conciseness, and enunciation.

Session 2: 10:10 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. PDT

Universal Prequal (Marlboro, NJ, USA) – This company assists construction firms in managing risk. It enables them to identify and verify qualified project teams.
T2D2.ai (New York City, NY, USA) – T2D2.ai delivers continuous monitoring of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure using AI and computer vision.
Boomerang (Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil) – Boomerang operates a marketplace for consumer goods rentals. It connects retailers, brands, and rental stores with customers who prefer usage over ownership.
Stash Global (Wilmington, DE, USA) – Stash Global has developed a solution to mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks. Their "No Ransom Ransomware Solution" restores files and prevents attacker access without ransom payment.
Vyrill (San Francisco, CA, USA) – Vyrill is a fan video discovery and content marketing platform powered by AI-driven, in-video search.

Winner Announcement: 11:30 a.m. PDT