Six Finalists Announced for 2023 Adventure Pitch Startup Funding Event
“ORD is proud to offer the Adventure Pitch to outdoor startups as an innovative way to bolster New Mexico’s outdoor recreation industry,” said AJ Jones, ORD Marketing Coordinator. "Adventure Pitch continues to bring out the best in outdoor ingenuity in the region, supporting an increase in job opportunities and outdoor recreation income. These businesses have a positive impact on both the environment and the economy.”
Adventure Pitch is the culminating event during the Outdoor Economics Conference and the participating startups will get to make a five-minute pitch to a panel of judges made up of investors, economic developers, outdoor professionals, and successful entrepreneurs. Judges will then question each start up for an equal amount of time. The first-place startup will take home a $10,000 cash prize, second place will take home $3,000, and third place will receive $2,000.
“The cash prize is a huge enabler for those who win it, but the biggest prize is feedback and relationships from the investors and fellow founders they meet,” says T.J. Cook, one of the principal event organizers and the Fund Manager for CNM Ingenuity’s Venture Fund.
The six finalists were chosen on a series of criteria including high growth potential, a core offering that touches outdoor recreation, the environment, or health and wellness, and a headquarters in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Texas, or Oklahoma.
During the event, judging criteria will include:
- Team—What are your team’s unique skills, key relationships, prior success and/or failures, and what industry knowledge does your team bring?
- Market and high-growth potential—Do you have a clearly defined target market? How will you scale and grow your markets over the next few years?
- Product—What is it? What is its unique value proposition?
- Traction—Do you have at least a Minimum Viable Product? How well are you gaining customers and revenue and by what metrics? If you are pre-revenue, why will your customers buy and how have you validated your market?
- Competitive Advantage / Differentiation—Why will you succeed? How is your product/company different and better? What is your unfair or sustainable advantage?
- Impact to New Mexico—If your company is not from New Mexico, how will you grow in or positively impact New Mexico?
The public is welcome to attend the event and can register here. The winner of Adventure Pitch will be publicly announced immediately following the event.
About New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division and CNM Ingenuity:
The Outdoor Recreation Division aims to increase the overall mental and physical well-being of New Mexicans through the power of outdoor recreation, enabling residents throughout the state to hold jobs that afford them dignity, joy, and stability. We strive to commit all residents to protecting their state's natural heritage - its lands and waters, its flora and fauna - and find a future on that path. We aim to parlay this commitment into long-term, sustainable economic investment, both in infrastructure and education.
CNM Ingenuity supports economic development in New Mexico by providing educational and training programs, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and creating partnerships between Central New Mexico Community College and local businesses and industries.