Local Startups Win Over $216,000 in Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition

Three local startups made a big splash at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Small Business Development Center’s seventh annual AngelCon pitch competition, walking away with a total of more than $216,000 in prize money.

Nexstera Tech, Mense, and Little Feet Packaging Inc. were the standout winners among the six companies that competed for the prize pool in front of a panel of 21 investors and 250 online attendees.

Taking the top spot was Nexstera Tech, led by CEO and Cal Poly alumna Penny Lane Case, which secured $165,000 for their innovative radar detection system called the Pyrotrack. The Pyrotrack is designed to be mounted on trash trucks to detect lithium-ion batteries in the trash, aiming to prevent fires caused by these highly flammable batteries that result in billions of dollars in damages annually in the United States and Canada.

In second place was Mense, a biomedical-tech company founded by Cal Poly biomedical engineering graduate student McCall Brinskele, which won $50,000 for their line of period cups as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional menstrual products.

Lastly, Little Feet Packaging took home the Audience Choice Award and a $1,560 prize for their recycled bubble-wrap made from recycled paper. CEO and Founder Nicholas De Luca’s environmentally conscious packaging solution captured the hearts of the audience.

Center director Judy Mahan praised all the finalists for their compelling pitches and mission-driven approach to entrepreneurship, highlighting the exciting innovation coming out of the Central California business community. With these three startups leading the way, the future looks bright for innovation and sustainability in the local startup scene.