RALEIGH – The 10 startups in RIoT’s [Regional Internet of Things] inaugural accelerator cohort will finish out the three-month program with a pitch competition in Raleigh next month at the Lincoln Theatre.

This will be the fourth annual Pitch Night hosted by RIoT. Teams will pitch their products before a panel of investors and compete for the Championship Belt (pictured above). But what’s different about this year’s Pitch Night is that it is exclusively showcasing the teams in the RIoT Accelerator Program (RAP), a grant-funded business development program that RIoT kicked off this year.

The cohort is building a mix of Internet of Things products, spanning from reusable takeout containers to pet safety trackers to connected bracelets for emergency rooms. You can read about all 10 startups in TechWire’s coverage here.

“The RAP teams highlight a great diversity of sectors and exemplify the exciting range of IoT applications,” says RIoT Accelerator Program Director Rachael Meleney. “We hope the event sparks greater enthusiasm and support for the value IoT both creates in and attracts to our region.”

Tom Snyder, RIoT’s executive director, further adds that the competition effectively draws visibility to North Carolina’s IoT sector. “Each of the teams that won the event in previous years (and a few finalists that did not win) have gone on to successfully fundraise and create jobs,” Snyder said. “We expect this event will help more startups get well deserved recognition and the region to attract great talent and investment capital.”

Last year’s Pitch Night winner was Raleigh beverage data startup BruVue, which recently raised a $1 million seed round and won the Heineken Innovators Brewhouse Challenge. RIoT Pitch Night’s 2016 winner, Proaxion, went on to raise over $700,000 in funding from several investors, including Venture South and Triangle Angel Partners, last September.

Snyder says the judge panel will include investors and corporate leaders from across the Southeast. The names will be announced soon.

If you’re interested in attending, you can read more and register here.

https://wraltechwire.com/event/4th-riot-pitch-night-1st-riot-accelerator-program-rap-pitch-night/