Missed this fintech event from NYC-based entrepreneur network Entre in June (2020). The competition pitted six fintech companies against each other to win a bag of in-kind services (design, legal, etc). It was divided into two categories: 3 very early stage companies (pre-seed) and 3 early-stage companies (seed stage). The audience and judges ranked all six (which you can see at the end of the post).
Pre-seed Startups
Product: Helps travelers get reimbursed for travel cancellations and delays.
Target customer: Primarily focused on enterprise
HQ: Newark, Delaware
Launched: 2019
Raised: No announced funding
Founders: Jeremy Sutton, Yann Barbarroux
Product: Helps retirees stay in their home by buying it, renting it back free of charge, along with providing a guaranteed income for the seller’s lifetime
Business model: Direct to consumer
HQ: NYC
Launched: 2020
Raised: No announced funding
Founders: Tamas Rolek
Synkbooks (aka Tax Labs Inc.)
Product: Small business bookkeeping which forces owners to keep their books in the same categories as IRS tax categories to simplify tax returns
Business model: Direct to small businesses
HQ: LA
Launched: July 2018
Raised: No announced funding
Founders: Isai Cortez
Seed-Stage Startup
Product: Crypto management/wallet
Business model: Direct to consumer
HQ: Distributed (incorporated in USA)
Launched: July 2018
Raised: No announced funding
Founders: Mark Anstead, Jason Garland, Marco Paez, Timothy Allard
Product: Due diligence scorecard for M&A
Business model: Direct to private company investors
HQ: Annapolis, Maryland
Launched: April 2014
Raised: No announced funding
Founder: Neil Kleinberg
Raising: $1M on $8M pre
Product: DIY (No code) product launch system for insurance companies (currently) as well as other areas of financial services (future)
Business model: Enterprise
HQ: NYC
Launched: Dec 2017
Raised: No announced funding
Founder: Urijah Kaplan
Raising: $2M to $3M on $8M pre
Results of pitch competition (WARNING: SPOILERS!)
The event was streamed live to a panel of 4 investors/judges as well as to a 100+ attendees. Each group ranked the pre-seed companies and the seed companies.
| Startup | Judges | Attendees |
| Pre-Seed Stage | ||
| Mainsail | #1 | #2 |
| Synkbooks | #2 | #1 |
| Flyion | #3 | #3 |
| Seed Stage | ||
| Protosure | #1 | #3 |
| Diliver | #2 | #1 |
| Numio | #3 | #2 |
