The Pitch

This week, The Pitch is live from The Wharton School at the University of Philadelphia. Three of Philly’s most promising young startups take the stage in front of Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus and a packed house for a live pitch competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in 2016, Sudden Coffee founders Joshua Zloof and Kalle Freese tried to sell the investors on their premium instant coffee. Two years later, we checked back in with Joshua and found that Sudden Coffee is still working out some kinks in the business: trying to find the right customers and nailing the flavor.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susan Sierota wants to help dog owners keep their furry friends healthy with her pet-tech startup, Waggit. Can she convince the four investors that her smart collar will win best in show?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder Paul Kesserwani says we’re all losing way too much money to fees — credit card fees, bank fees, ATM fees. And he thinks his company, Cushion, has the answer: A friendly bot that will battle those fees for you. Can he convince investors that there’s major money to be made in the fee-fighting business?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why should you care about blockchain if you’re not a huge cryptocurrency nerd? Bandwagon founder Harold Hughes says it can help you score better seats to see your favorite team — and avoid the risk of walking up to the gate with a fake ticket. Can he convince investors his startup isn’t just a part of the blockchain bubble?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blake Sorensen has a deathly nut allergy — one that's led to some harrowing trips to the ER. But then he decided that enough was enough. So he started a company, Blake’s Seed Based, to make snacks safe for people like him. Will the investors get on board with his mission?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Atomos co-founders Vanessa Clark and William Kowalski want to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft for moving satellites around in orbit. Can they capitalize on all the new money flowing into the final frontier — or will their sci-fi ambitions be too much for investors to stomach?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The college dropout rate is high, and schools are paying the price... to the tune of billions of dollars every year. Marquett Burton says his education startup can help solve the problem. Will the investors agree?  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Somewear founder James Kubik thinks going off the grid shouldn’t have to mean going out of cell phone range. That’s why he created a device that turns smartphones into satellite communication hubs. Can he convince investors to join him on the trail?  Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sophia Dominguez is on the show pitching SVRF, an augmented reality/virtual reality startup. But it can be tough to get investors excited about VR, which has attracted tons of hype—without much payoff. Can Sophia convince investors that VR’s time has finally come?  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finnish entrepreneur Topias Soininen says his startup, Playven, will revolutionize the way people book tennis courts. But first, the investors have to figure out exactly what it is he’s pitching.  Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrepreneur Julie Roth Novack says her party planning platform is exactly what event professionals have been missing. And it all hinges on a secret ingredient—something Julie calls "marketing gold". Now she just needs investors to fork over some gold of their own.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cody Candee believes his company, Bounce, is the key to freeing us from the stuff we lug around all day. But can he convince investors that his temporary storage solution isn’t a liability disaster waiting to happen?  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amazon is on track to grab nearly HALF of all online retail sales this year. But not if Chelsie Lee’s startup Shipsi has a say in the matter. She wants to give online retailers the ability to compete, by helping them offer super speedy shipping. But it might not be easy with the retail Goliath breathing down her neck.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At The Pitch’s first-ever live show, three startups face off: Honeyfi, a budgeting app for couples; CBlocks, a cryptocurrency starter kit; and OpenBottle, an app to help people try high-end wines. But can the investors agree on which company should take home the prize? Today's investors are Jillian Manus and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stefan Loble wows the room with his near perfect pitch for Bluffworks, a company that makes travel-business attire. But is his compelling story enough to get investors to sign on? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tina Hedges believes the future of beauty is all-natural, organic products. But the investors aren’t sure what to make of her food-grade products for your face.  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder David Sarabia’s experience with drug addiction inspired him to build an app, called inRecovery. It’s meant to help people who are in rehab. But can he get the rehab centers on board?  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margot Schmorak says half of all vacation rentals aren’t listed online—and she sees that as a big opportunity for her startup. But things get messy in the pitch room when Margot reveals that Hostfully comes with a little extra baggage. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Nicole Verkindt. You'll find Margot's AMA hosted on the /r/Entrepreneur subreddit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max Pouvreau has built gourmet pudding company Petit Pot with his Michelin star background and scrappy customer acquisition. Now he wants VC backing to take it to the next level—and potentially a big acquisition.  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices