Pitch Competition

$200K Pitch competition

Five founders. One stage. A live investment decision. Selected finalists will pitch on the afternoon of October 7, 2025 during StartupCincy Week. The winner will be announced on the spot.

Apply via Wendal Register
Applications close
Sept 22, 2025 | 11:59 PM ET
Minimum grand prize
$200,000 equity investment
finalists
5
pitch
Oct 7, 2025 | Afternoon | Union Hall, Cincinnati, OH
Eligibility
  • Company based in Indiana, Ohio, or Kentucky
  • Tech or tech-enabled business with early traction preferred
  • Founders must be available to pitch in Cincinnati on Oct 7, 2025
application & evaluation

Applications run through Wendal, Connetic Ventures’ platform that evaluates founder traits, team dynamics, and company data using behavioral science, AI, and machine learning

  • Complete the chatbot-driven Wendal application and assessments
  • Tech or tech-enabled business with early traction preferred All applicants receive a Wendal Teamprint™ PDF summary
  • Finalist selection uses a hybrid of Wendal scoring plus qualitative review
what judges consider
  • Problem clarity & insight
  • Founder–market fit
  • Business model & unit economics
  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Solution & tech differentiation
  • Early traction & adoption
  • Market size & timing
  • Use of funds & roadmap
Key dates

Aug 8 – Sept 22, 2025: Applications open

By Sept 26: Finalists notified (private first, then public)

Sept 30: Final pitch deck due to judges

Oct 7, 3:00–5:00pm: Live pitches & winner announced on stage

Judges:

Kirsten moorefield
Co-Founder, Cloverleaf

Co-founder of Cloverleaf, the Automated Coaching™ platform serving thousands of teams at global brands. A frequent speaker and author on team performance, psychological safety, and product strategy.

somesh saxena
Founder & President, Pantomath

Founder of Pantomath, a next-generation data observability and traceability platform used by enterprises to automate data operations and improve reliability. Former Head of Data & Analytics at GE Aerospace.

raf garcia
Co-Founder, Kernel (YC s25)

Cincinnati-based founder building Kernel (YC S25). Previously co-founded Clever (acq. by Kahoot), serving as CTO, and invests as an angel in early-stage startups.

Frequently Asked Questions


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Connetic Ventures will invest a minimum grand prize of $200,000 via a Post-Money SAFE or by joining an open round (final structure at Connetic’s discretion). All investments remain subject to Connetic’s standard diligence and mutually agreed valuation/terms.
Tech or tech-enabled companies (with early traction preferred) that are based in Indiana, Ohio, or Kentucky.
Wendal uses behavioral science, Al, and structured assessments to evaluate founder traits, team dynamics, and company data. Connetic shares key application data with organizers to streamline selection. All applicants receive a Teamprint™M PDF summary.
Connetic typically invests via a Post-Money SAFE or by joining an open round on negotiated terms. All offers are subject to Connetic's standard diligence and mutual agreement with the winner.
Finalists are notified privately first to confirm attendance, then announced publicly.

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