2023 BLKtech Pitch Competition Finalists!  

Top 5 Finalists for BLKtech Pitch Competition 2023!

Our BLKtech Pitch Competition returns for its third year to highlight and support extraordinary Black tech founders with funding and resources to take their business to the next level. 

This year’s 3-round competition was packed with many amazing startups, including 50+ round 1 pitches and 20 extraordinary semi-finalists from across the globe. After much deliberation, we’re excited to announce the top 5 founders who will be moving forward to our final event on 06.22.23! 

Cash prizes and equity funding from our notable VC partners, totaling $30,000, will be distributed and awarded to the finalists, alongside Aloa credits, totalling a value of $20k and 6-months of free membership to 1871.

Our BLKtech Pitch Competition is made possible by our sponsors, State Farm, Aloa, and Weber Shandwick, as well as Food Foundry, William Blair, Verizon, EY, and Molson Coors. 

Special thanks to our VC and investment partners, OCA Ventures, Wintrust Ventures,  Dom Capital Group, and Tony Wilkins for your continuous support and contributions to this event. 

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for…. Here’s the top 5 startups taking center stage at our BLKtech Pitch Competition 2023 event! 

Top 5 Finalists 

LucidTrade, pitched by CEO, Zakariya Veasy 

Period, pitched by Founder & CEO, Michelle Mbekeani 

Reach Pathways, pitched by CEO, Jeffery Beckham 

Roomii, pitched by Founder & CEO, Dapo Kolawole 

SALUBATA, pitched by Co-Founder & COO, Yewande Akinse 

About BLKtech Pitch Competition 

BLKtech Pitch Competition is a part of our larger Black tech founder initiative, designed to support and amplify Black early-stage founders through tailored programming, mentorship, and community networking opportunities. 

We are so honored to bring together our community of early, growth, and late-stage members, along with corporate members and VC partners as we celebrate well deserving Black-led startups!  

Help us cheer on the finalists as they pitch their businesses to an innovative panel of VC investors by attending the event, either in-person or virtually, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM CST.