We’re excited to reveal the Brewbound Pitch Slam 11 semi-finalists and judges. We received an unprecedented number of applicants this year and narrowed down the semi-final pool to 15 companies. The chosen semi-finalists produce a wide range of alcoholic beverages. The competition is a microcosm of the overall beer industry, as companies turn to malternatives, hard seltzers, canned cocktails, and other offerings to diversify their portfolios and find growth.
The Brewbound Live Pitch Slam, presented by Craft Brew Alliance, returns to Santa Monica, CA, during the Brewbound Live Winter 2019 business conference on December 4th and 5th. The business pitch competition is designed to encourage entrepreneurship and build awareness for startups making beer, cider, hard seltzer, canned cocktails, kombucha and other alcoholic beverages.
This winter’s competing brands:
- Braveheart Brewing
- Annapurna Mead
- Metazoa Brewing Co.
- TUYA SuperBrew
- Aurochs Brewing Company
- Pink Ocean Rosé Spritz
- Morabeza
- Author Mead Co.
- O LIGHT® – Organic Light Beer
- Orchid Island Brewery
- Little Fancy
- Kandula Brewing Company
- Halyard Brewing Company
- Urban Artifact
- Crowns & Hops Brewing Co
Beyond national industry exposure, the above companies are competing for a paid trip to Craft Brew Alliance’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon, to engage in strategy sessions, as well as free registration to Brewbound Live Winter 2020 and a Brewbound industry awareness advertising package valued at $10,000.
Past winners of the Pitch Slam, originally called Startup Brewery Challenge, include Willie’s Superbrew, Novo Brazil Brewing, Armada Brewing, Border X Brewing, Hopewell Brewing, Wynwood Brewing Company, Braxton Brewing Company, CODA Brewing, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, and 5 Stones Brewing.
Choosing the winner will be a panel of respected industry experts, including executives, brand owners and consultants. Throughout the semi-final and final rounds, the judges will also provide valuable feedback that could impact the trajectory of these young brands and help accelerate growth.
The judges include:
- Ryan Lake, Principal, Arlington Capital Advisors
- Nico Enriquez, CEO, Willie’s Superbrew
- Marty Ochs, President, Sales, Brew Pipeline
- Karmen Olson, co-founder, pH Experiment
- Tom Bleigh, co-founder, pH Experiment
For those who can’t make the trip to Santa Monica, portions of the Pitch Slam competition and Brewbound Live event will be available via a free live stream on Thursday, December 5th.
Joining these semi-finalists will be founders and leaders from Societe, Rhinegeist, Allagash, Stone, The Lost Abbey, and Deschutes, among others. View the full list of registered companies.
If you plan on having business discussions with your peers in Santa Monica, you only have seven days to register. Don’t miss your chance to discuss the future of the beer industry with peers and partners who can provide actionable business advice.
Supplier and service companies interested in sponsoring Brewbound Live should contact Bryce McDonald about opportunities. Please visit brewboundlive.com for additional information.
About Brewbound
Published by BevNET.com Inc., Brewbound is a leading industry trade publication providing comprehensive information about the beer space, analysis of industry trends and in-depth interviews with industry leaders. In addition to providing daily news, Brewbound also gathers entrepreneurs and executives to exchange ideas, discuss the state of the industry and hear strategies for succeeding in the alcohol beverage segment via a series of nationwide meetups and multi-day business conferences.
About Brewbound Live
Brewbound Live is a multi-day conference for serious brewing professionals who are interested in engaging in high-level business discussion while networking with emerging and established players alike. The program features a hand-selected roster of industry experts and innovators who, through presentations and panel discussions, address trends, challenges and the future of the brewing industry.