Greenlight Maine, the weekly TV show loosely modeled on ABC’s popular reality TV show, “Shark Tank,” has released the names of the startups and their founders who have passed the first hurdle and been named a quarterfinalist.
Portland Media Group announced the show earlier this month, then began accepting short video pitches from entrepreneurs who wanted to compete on the TV show, which is set to air its first episode on Sept. 12 on WCSH 6 in Portland and WLBZ 2 in Bangor. Greenlight Maine received 86 submissions, according to Jess Knox, statewide hub coordinator for Blackstone Accelerates Growth.
Knox and the Greenlight Maine team narrowed the field to 44 quarterfinalists, which are listed below and come from Kittery to Madawaska. Knox said he was impressed by the number and diversity of the submissions.
“There were a ton of interesting folks,” he said. “It’s good to see submissions from so many companies that don’t get a lot of attention. This is an example of how these events can bring new people into the ecosystem.”
The quarterfinalists will now compete to be one of the 26 semifinalists that will compete in the weekly TV show. Greenlight Maine will culminate in June 2016, when the entrepreneurs left standing will compete in a live pitch event for a $100,000 grand prize.
The 44 companies that made the quarterfinals are:
- Beltane Solar, founded by Steve Musica from Brunswick
- Bevyapp, founded by Greg Thayer from Portland
- Bixby & Co., founded by Kate McAleer from Rockland
- Blue Ox Malthouse, founded by Joel Alex from Lisbon Falls
- Casco Bay Butter, founded by Alicia Menard and Jennell Carter from Scarborough
- Cerahelix, founded by Susan MacKay from Orono
- Chimani, founded by Kerry Gallivan from Portland
- Composimold, founded by Stan Farrell from Manchester
- Course Storm, founded by Matt James from Orono
- Cupie, founded by Bill Ernst from Camden
- DemerBox, founded by James Demer and Jayson Lobozzo from Portland
- Double Blue Sports Analytics, founded by Dan Kerluke from Brunswick
- Downeast Dayboat, founded by Togue Brawn from Portland
- Eager Games, founded by Chuck Carter from Orono
- Easy Buckle. ME, founded by Michael Doyle from Falmouth
- Finestkind Tea, founded by Jay Lombard from Portland
- Flow Fold, founded by Charley Friedman from Portland
- Fluid Farms, founded by Tyler Gaudet and Jackson McLeod from Portland
- Garbage to Garden, founded by Kendall Hinkley from Portland
- Gimme Shelter, founded by Rosie Curtis from Camden
- Good – 2 – GO, founded by Jennifer Scism from Kittery
- Hot-Tubes, founded by Bill Zelman from South Portland
- KindHarvest, founded by Michael Duffy from South Portland
- Lakonia, founded by Melissa Rioux from Saco
- Mad Gabs, founded by Gabrielle Melchionda from Westbrook
- Maine Makers Crate, founded by Nicole Crandall from Portland
- MedRhythms, founded by Owen McCarthy from Cape Elizabeth
- Memory Lane, founded by Alban Maino from Portland
- Mingle Analytics, founded by Daniel Mingle from Paris
- North Maine Distilling, founded by Scott Galbiati from Brewer
- PakPod, founded by Steve Underwood from Orono
- Pemaquid Mussel Farm, founded by Carter Newell from Damariscotta
- Rapport IO, founded by John Rooks from Portland
- Revolution Research, founded by Alexander Chasse from Orono
- Rockstep Solutions, founded by Chuck Donnelly from Bar Harbor
- Saco River Dye House, founded by Claudia Raessler from Biddeford
- Sensible Smiles, founded by Joann Moulton from Hanover
- Sephone, founded by Kelly Cotiaux from Bangor
- STARC Systems, founded by Chris MacKenzie from Brunswick
- Team AR, founded by Chuck Benton from Brunswick
- Tip Whip, founded by Spencer Wood from Old Town
- Wanu, founded by Jordan Nathan
- Wicked Water Graphics, founded by Dave Kelso from Madawaska
- Zeomatrix, founded by Emma Wilson from Orono.
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