BETHLEHEM, Pa.— A Lehigh Valley competition that pits the greatest local entrepreneurial minds against one another for the chance at professional feedback and cash prizes is coming back.
Applications are now open for the annual "StartUp Lehigh Valley," set for Oct. 15 in Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center. It also will be live-streamed on 69 WFMZ-TV.
Holding the event is meaningful for the Lehigh community, one official said.
"We are excited to see the new ideas that will be presented during StartUp Lehigh Valley this year, and look forward to engaging with the contestants and the community."Lehigh University Provost Nathan Urban
“Lehigh University is looking forward to hosting this year’s StartUp Lehigh Valley pitch competition, with the goal of cultivating a startup-friendly environment in the Lehigh Valley,” Lehigh Provost Nathan Urban said.
"We are excited to see the new ideas that will be presented during StartUp Lehigh Valley this year, and look forward to engaging with the contestants and the community."
Last year's $20,000 first-place prize went to Jonathan Maderic's JMad Creations, whose website says is a "product design company that invents, designs, develops and prototypes innovations to bring them to the public through licensing and sales."
The prize for second place is $3,000, third place is $2,000, and the "audience choice" — a favorite voted on by both the in-person and virtual audiences — will get $1,000.
Applications for the competition are open until Sep. 10 andcan be found on the Lehigh University website.
Later in September, the StartUp Lehigh Valley committee will review all applications and invite seven startups to pitch.
