University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate Greg Cangialosi is helping current students follow in his footsteps as a technology entrepreneur.
Cangialosi is a co-founder of Betamore, a startup resource center in Baltimore, and most recently was named CEO of online ticket sales company MissionTix.
Now, a university business competition bearing his name has selected its first group of finalists.
The Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition is designed to give teams of student entrepreneurs a taste of what it’s like to plan and launch a startup. Nine finalists in the competition have been paired up with business mentors, who will help them refine their ideas for an April 24 pitch session. First prize is $5,000 in startup funding.
Cangialosi said the goal of the tech-focused business competition is to help young entrepreneurs connect to resources and learn about the area’s technology community before they graduate. Hopefully, this will help students see the value of the Baltimore-area’s tech scene and encourage them to grow their business locally.
The companies still in the running are at various stages of development, but all are intended to bring their product or service to market.
Here are the finalists:
VastCare LLC, which is designing technology to help older adults monitor and manage chronic health conditions
EduPal, which is working on a time management skills tool for students
Vintage Ten, a website and online marketplace for wine tasting
Parkat, which is developing a college campus parking application
Compared Care, which is developing a program that allows users to compare the medical procedure costs at various locations
Textbook Swapper, a platform for students to buy and sell school materials from one another
RetTech, which is developing a product called VICI, a Voice Interactive Computer Interface
InSource, a web-based recruiting tool for students and faculty