PILOT ‘Pitch Prize’ Finalists Firmed For NAB Show NY

0

PILOT, a NAB innovation initiative, has selected the five finalists of the first-ever PILOT Pitch Prize Competition. The finalists will compete in a live business-plan pitch event at NAB Show New York.


The PILOT Pitch Prize competition allows early-age startups to receive seed funding and support for their solutions that serve broadcast and digital media through operational efficiency, audience engagement, measurement, content distribution or enhanced user experience.

Finalists receive individual mentoring from angel investors at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business leading up to their pitch. Winners will receive a $50,000 Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) contract to assist with further business development, brand recognition and market awareness, as well as the opportunity to showcase their work at the 2019 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

NAB EVP/Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny says there was a “tremendous response” to the competition.

Three winners will be chosen by a collective of judges comprising:

  • Roger Keating – Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer for Hearst Television;
  • Michele Laven – President, Strategic Partnerships Group for iHeartMedia;
  • Mike Chapman – Managing Director of Accenture Strategy;
  • Lora Dennis – SVP/Digital Media for NBC Owned Television Stations
  • Tim Clarke – VP/Content and Audience for Cox Media Group

The PILOT Pitch Prize finalists are:

Airwavz.TV
Airwavz.tv designed the first digital TV antenna and receiver that enables smartphone users to receive live television broadcast programming directly from TV towers – even in areas without cell, internet, Wi-Fi or satellite service.

nedl
nedl allows radio listeners to search live audio with Speech-to-Text software and directs to a station’s live stream. nedl is live on Amazon Alexa.

Our.News
Our.News is a non-partisan fact-checking resource that provides validated background information on news publishers and determines the public’s view of the reliability of news articles, publishers, and journalists.

PolyPort
PolyPort offers complete digital asset management, tracking, and IP protection through security and encryption algorithms for content owners.

Teamium
Teamium is a cloud-based media production management platform that provides visual collaboration and business process tools that are designed with the latest digital technologies for video production teams.


Each finalist will have a total of 10 minutes to present their pitch, including questions from the judges, on October 17 at 3pm at the Javits Convention Center.

NAB Show New York will be held October 17-18 and expects to attract more than 14,000 attendees and some 300-plus exhibitors.