Piranha Pond Blue Pitch Session Comes to Newport

What is the Piranha Pond?

It is a “pitch party” where a select group of entrepreneurs has up to 5 minutes to convince a panel of investors to meet with them to further discuss their ventures.

Using a format similar to the popular television show Shark Tank, our investors provide feedback to the entrepreneurs about their presentations and companies, and information to all about why they decide to be “In” or “Out.” If they are “In” they will meet with the Entrepreneur at a later time to discuss their company. If they are “Out” there is no interest at this time. Again, the investor lets us know why s/he will not move forward with the presenter.

“We are both impressed with the quality and quantity of the competitor registrations that we have already received. It will be amazing to see any of these companies pitch at the event”, commented Peter Karlson of UMass Dartmouth. Applications from companies beyond the idea stage who are developing a “blue” technology product or service have been streaming in. The ideal company will have raised funds from friends, family, and/or grants such as SBIR’s. If the company’s product is a software or SAAS product, it should be in beta testing or later.

For more information about the Piranha Pond Event or to register, visit https://blueventureforum.org/events/

This event is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) a program of The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates an array of programs in 200 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. GEW is locally organized by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for the Southeast region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

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Blue Venture Forum is a first-of-its kind forum that assists blue technology companies to grow and scale by connecting them to investors, corporate partners and resource providers. The forum develops and delivers customized programming, including panel discussions, workshops, pitch competitions as well as one on one mentoring through its extensive network of experienced industry professionals. The forum also organizes the largest Blue Economy conference in New England, Blue Innovation Symposium.

The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce is one of the state’s largest business advocacy organizations, whose mission is to connect, innovate, enhance and advocate for the businesses of Greater Newport. As a trusted and reliable institution for nearly 100 years, the Greater Newport Chamber is a vibrant collective body of the greater Newport business community with nearly 1,100 members representing over 50,000 employees. The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce work to create valuable strategic partnerships, promote strong economic growth, diversity and prosperity to serve its members and the Greater Newport region.

UMASS Dartmouth is a national research university that opens a world of exploration and discovery. Students work with world-class faculty researchers and journey into real-world innovation and experiences.