Cox Business Announces Finalists for Get Started Orange County Business Pitch Competition

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – Cox Business has announced the five finalists of Get Started Orange County. More than 40 local businesses applied to the pitch competition that will take place on April 20, 2016, at the [AV] in Irvine. The winner will take home a prize package worth up to $10,000.

The following five businesses were selected as finalists and will pitch their ideas or business plans to a panel of experts in front of a live audience:

Pop Up Parcel (Costa Mesa)

Pop Up Parcel plans and delivers date night for couples. The catch (and fun) is that they are not given the plan. Partnering with local businesses and brands, Pop Up Parcel creates scalable “scavenger hunts” that arrive at the front door in the form of a physical package. The package contains clues to food, activities and surprises from local businesses. With the digital world being so pervasive, Pop Up Parcel aims to deliver something special, unique, memorable and fun for both persons in the relationship.

ElectraJet Performance Kayaks (Newport Beach)

ElectraJet Performance will be the state-of-the-art electric, high performance kayak. Capitalizing on the recent growth of the electric industry, watercraft/kayak/canoe veterans will be able to use the electric paddle assist kayak to go farther and see more. In addition, it opens the sport of kayaking to a broader audience.

Modern AlkaMe (Irvine)

The overarching goal of Modern AlkaMe is to provide a platform where health, wellness, and medical data can be integrated into a single place, providing consumers and researchers alike with a single tool to analyze and discover new connections between the dietary and environmental variables in our day-to-day lives that impact our health and psychological well-being.

Au Solutions (Irvine)

Au Solutions is developing the Pulmonary Assist Device (PAD), a patent-pending device that will improve the current standard of care for major penetrating chest trauma. The PAD is a disposable, portable, precise and affordable device that will give emergency medical personnel the ability to stabilize a patient immediately after injury in the field. The Pulmonary Assist Device has been designed with the battlefield and ambulance in mind.

SuiteSplit (Irvine)

SuiteSplit is revolutionizing the way people enjoy sporting events. SuiteSplit makes it extremely easy and affordable for people to attend events in luxury suites. SuiteSplit does this by creating a simple platform for anyone to be able to split the cost of a suite effortlessly. It connects suite owners with people looking to attend events, and provide them a simple way to split the cost of the suite. This allows every fan an opportunity to experience a game in luxury.

The five finalists will receive two coaching sessions prior to the competition. Each organization will then deliver a two-and-a-half minute pitch to a panel of successful entrepreneurs and business experts and in front of an audience of more than 300 of their peers. The judges are Lindsay Blakely, Los Angeles bureau chief for Inc., Richard Sudek, executive director of UC Irvine Applied Innovation, Michael Sawitz, founder and CEO of FastStart Studio, and David Glickman, founder and CEO of Ultra Mobile and Primo Connect. Get Started OC will be moderated by Ken Kraft, vice president of Marketing for Cox Business.

In addition, five companies will compete for a “Wild Card” entry into the main competition. Every Good Cause, Inc., Koder, HIIT Bottles, ENVi and Synova Life Sciences will have a chance to make their pitch to “disrupt” the event.

Last year, local entrepreneur Torrey Tayenaka and his business partners won the Cox Business’ Get Started Orange County contest with the EvaDrop Smart Shower. Tayenaka won over judges with his environmental angle and a well thought out business plan to expand his product internationally.

“Get Started provided a real turning point for EvaDrop Smart Shower. The event’s panel of experts believed in our mission and gave us the advice and encouragement we needed to take our solution to the next level,” said Tayenaka. “Having Cox Business’ support is incredibly valuable as we continue to innovate and grow.”

Get Started is a national small business series provided by Cox Business and in partnership with Inc. magazine. In 2015, Cox Business awarded more than $250,000 in cash and prizes to entrepreneurs through the Get Started series.

*Location must be serviceable in the Orange County market.