midVentures25 was a success, with over 500 entrepreneurs, investors, VCs and members of the Midwest tech community checking out the coolest new tech startups!
Congratulations to G2.fm, who won our prize pool of over $16,000 in cash, prizes and services. Also congratulations to the top five startups selected by our expert panel ofjudges: bln.kr, G2.fm, Genlighten, JoeMetric, and Watermelon Express.
But all 25 startups who showcased their investor-ready companies at the conference showed that the Midwest is a thriving region for entrepreneurship and innovation.
A big thank you to our judges: Groupon CEO Andrew Mason, OpenTable founder Chuck Templeton, Jason Heltzer of OCA Ventures, TradingBlock CEO and RedBox co-founder Biju Kulathakal, Adam Siegel, CEO of Inkling Markets, and Ted Souder, head of regional industry - travel at Google.
Thank you also to our volunteers who worked so hard to set up the event, and our sponsors and exhibitors who made the event possible.
Check out our updated photo gallery from the event!
@Excelerate Labs
Were excited to see the startups at Excelerate Labs this summer. As one of Excelerate's VC partners, midVentures is committed to fostering a community of Chicago-area startups. Chicago is an up-and-coming center of new tech innovation, and Excelerate Labs is helping to create an environment where startups can grow in a community of entrepreneurs.
@Moneythink
midVentures COO Brian Mayer will be teaching a seminar on social entrepreneurship on May 12th for Moneythink, a startup mentorship program started at the University of Chicago last year. Dedicated to teaching financial literacy and entrepreneurship to urban youth, Moneythink has expanded to 10 campuses in its first year, including the University of Florida and Washington University-St. Louis.
@Community
We look forward to seeing you at our next event! The next midVentures25 is tentatively scheduled for mid-October, but we'll keep you posted on developments!
