- PulManage and Querri selected as finalists for Sloss.Tech pitch contest
- $75K in prizes to be awarded during June 25–27 conference in Birmingham
- PulManage competes in healthtech; Querri in emerging tech category
- Finalists receive coaching, travel stipends, and product showcase access
Two South Carolina companies were selected to compete as finalists in a $75,000 pitch competition among Southeastern startups at the end of the month.
TechBirmingham named 16 finalists selected to compete in the inaugural Sloss.Tech/Ideas Pitch Competition funded by a grant from the Regions Foundation.
PulManage of Columbia is a finalist in the “healthtech and biotech” category. Querri of Mount Pleasant is a finalist in the “emerging tech” category, according to a news release from TechBirmingham.
The selected startups represent promising emerging companies across four key technology sectors in the Southeast region — the other categories are “agtech and foodtech” and “mobility and transportation technology” — and will compete for a total of $75,000 in prizes during the three-day Sloss Tech conference, June 25-27.
The competition will award multiple prizes, including a $50,000 grand prize for best overall, a $10,000 People’s Choice Award prize and three $5,000 category winner prizes, according to the news release. Each of the 16 presenting companies will receive comprehensive support, including two complimentary general admission badges for Sloss Tech 2025, a $250 travel stipend, pre-event and on-site coaching and the opportunity to showcase their products and services during Sloss Tech’s Startup Showcase.
Each company launched their product or service no earlier than January 2020 and has raised no more than $5 million in combined funding.
PulManage was founded by Amanda Clark. The company delivers remote, high-quality pulmonary diagnostics for academic researchers, biopharma clinical trials, and real-world use, with guided, scalable, compliant solutions in a $1.3 billion-plus market, the release said.
Querri was founded by Dave Ingram. The AI startup helps non-technical teams turn messy data into actionable insights using natural language — empowering smarter, faster decision-making, the release stated.
“The caliber of applications we received demonstrates the incredible innovation happening across the Southeast,” TechBirmingham President and CEO Deon Gordon said in the release. “These 16 finalists represent the future of technology in our region, from breakthrough solutions in agriculture and health care to transformative advances in mobility and emerging tech.”
“These finalists represent the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that drives economic growth throughout our region,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation, in the release. “We’re excited to see how these companies will use this platform to accelerate their growth and create jobs in their communities.”
The Sloss.Tech/Ideas Pitch Competition is made possible through financial support from the Regions Foundation, a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank, that supports programs focused on economic and community development, education and workforce readiness, and financial wellness.
TechBirmingham is a community of tech and tech-adjacent organizations, groups and individuals invested in a common mission of establishing Birmingham, Ala., as the most innovative and inclusive technology ecosystem in the South.
The 16 finalists were selected from applications across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
l
link