Wayfinder Co-Op is collecting pitches for the next best outdoor industry startup
Finalists will get to share their products with big-time investors for a chance at winning a cash prize and support from marketing experts.
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The days of starting small businesses in dingy garages or cluttered home offices are dwindling. Nowadays, entrepreneurs are bouncing around ideas in sleek spaces with string lights, succulents, coffee bars, and clusters of brainstormers. And one in Denver housing more than 25 outdoor companies wants to help raise the next best startup.
Wayfinder Co-Op, a member-owned co-working and community space that opened in Denver, Colorado, this January, is accepting applications from businesses now through June 20 for The Pitch @ Wayfinder.
“For us, this is a celebration of innovation and hustle in the outdoor industry,” said Chris Baker, Wayfinder co-founder. “The Wayfinder community is here and ready to help support emerging product-based companies, and help connect them with the right people to help make their dreams, vision and innovation a reality.”
Read more: why collaborative, shared work spaces are all the rage in the outdoor industry.
To qualify for The Pitch, you must be able to share a prototyped product that’s completely original and ready to be shared with the public. Once selected, candidates will present their product or products to a panel of experts during a public event 6 to 8 p.m. July 24—Night 2 of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market—at Wayfinder, 525 Santa Fe Dr., Denver.
The panel includes a number of venture capital and angel investors working in the outdoor space, including Telluride Venture Accelerator, Rockies Venture Club, Startup Colorado, Four Points Capital, and Stockbauer & Associates.
Winners will be awarded a cash prize, a two-month membership to Wayfinder, and more than $7,500 in marketing, PR, and consulting services provided by sponsors Big Fish Collective, GearJunkie.com, OneSeed Expeditions, and Startup Colorado.
“At the core of outdoor gear innovation is the need to solve problems encountered on adventures large and small,” said Sean McCoy, editor-in-chief of GearJunkie.com. “We look forward to discovering exciting new products, and helping inventors bring their creations into the world.”
To apply to be considered for The Pitch, click here.
To inquire about becoming a sponsor of The Pitch, email info@wayfinder-coop.com.
