I am Dr. Brien Walton, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Maine Venture Fund, and it is my pleasure to invite you to our upcoming Maine Startup Challenge on Wednesday, October 26th, at Northeastern’s Roux Institute in Portland from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.  This is Maine Venture Fund’s first annual business plan competition and entrepreneurs young and old throughout the state will be competing for the opportunity to win up to $5,000 cash!   

Who: To encourage entrepreneurship across all ages, there are four tiers: Open for all adult business ideas, and College, High School, and K-8 are for students still in school. The winner in each tier will be awarded a cash prize to build their business!

What: The Maine Startup Challenge is a business plan competition for Maine’s startup ecosystem. The goal is to encourage participation and entrepreneurial thinking across all ages and business plans will be judged by a panel of professional Maine investors and seasoned entrepreneurs.  

When: Interested applicants must apply on or before Friday, September 30, 2022, and the live competition and pitches will be on Wednesday, October 26th, 4-5:30 PM

Where: The Roux Institute in Portland (100 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101)

Why: To boost Maine’s startup creativity across all ages. Whether you are a serial entrepreneur, a student preparing to launch your first venture, or an educator interested in bringing something new into your classroom this fall, the Maine Startup Challenge provides the opportunity to receive feedback from Maine Venture Fund, along with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors, and allows you a chance to win cash to help you launch or grow your business.  The College winner receives $1,500. For the High School tier, the prize is $1,000, and for the K-8 tier the prize is $500,  All adult businesses can apply to the Open tier, where the winner will receive up to $5,000 (first place), $2,500 (second place), and $1,500 (third place). 

How: Please find the rules, application, answers to any questions, and a sample business plan template at https://www.maineventurefund.com/maine-startup-business-challenge/

It would be wonderful to have you join us.  We also welcome your sharing this news within your network, and please feel free to reach out to our Investment Manager, Nina Scheepers, with any questions at nina@maineventurefund.com. 

All the best,

Dr. Brien Walton