WENATCHEE — Students who have a business or an innovation they’re trying to get off the ground can get a boost at NCW Tech Alliance’s first Student Pitch Competition. 

“We've noticed in some of our other work at the Tech Alliance, with high school students (and) college students, that so many of them are already creating apps and tools and businesses in their free time,” said NCW Tech Alliance Director of Entrepreneurship Becca Freimuth. “So, we know that these students are out there doing this work and we just want to be able to elevate what they're doing.” 

The Student Pitch Competition is an outgrowth of the NCW Tech Alliance’s annual Flywheel Conference, which provides opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from throughout North-Central Washington to connect. It’s designed for students who are already building and testing a startup or business model, according to NCW Tech Alliance’s announcement of the competition, to give them a chance to find an investor willing to back it financially. Students can work alone or form a team of up to five and fill out an application online. The application includes a one-line pitch, a short video, a pitch deck and written responses to questions about the startup’s solution to a problem, its intended market and how it can make money.  

Applications must be filled out by March 26, NCW Tech Alliance said in an announcement unveiling the competition. Six to eight teams will be selected from among those applications to bring their ideas to the Flywheel Conference on May 20 in Wenatchee. 

Besides the opportunity to gain funding for their idea, there are cash prizes available, Freimuth said. There’s a $2,500 Judges’ Choice award, and a People’s Choice prize of $500, voted on by conference participants. The other teams will receive a Student Innovator Honorarium of $250. 

The Student Pitch Competition is sponsored by the Salcido Group of Companies, which includes operating companies, real estate development and other investments in central Washington, according to its website. The Salcido Group has been a strong supporter of the Flywheel Conference for many years, Molly Nelson, executive assistant to the CEO, wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. 

“Supporting entrepreneurship and local economical efforts is in our DNA,” Nelson wrote. “We’re getting behind the Flywheel’s first annual Student Pitch because we remember exactly what it felt like to be the underdog with a big idea wanting to share our plans. After 25 years in business, supporting these young entrepreneurs isn't just about economics; it’s about making sure our local students know they don't have to leave home to build something world-class.” 

The Flywheel Conference is more than just a pitching contest, Freimuth said. It’s a chance to network and exchange ideas with professionals in all facets of business and technology. 

“So much of what happens is actually off the stage,” she said. “It's building those connections, meeting those potential mentors, potential business partners, maybe potential investors … They are in a room of hundreds of different people who love this kind of stuff.” 

For more information or to apply, visit www.flywheelconference.com/studentpitch. 

    Dopl Technologies co-founders Dr. Ryan James and Dr. Stephen Seslar compete live during the 2024 Flywheel Investment Conference. Flywheel investors invested $150,000 in the Bothell-based startup.