HighByte, a fast-growing Portland industrial software startup aiming to win what one of its founders calls a war for tech talent, won the $50,000 grand prize in Gorham Savings Bank s 2021 LaunchPad competition on Tuesday. I m actually at a loss for words, for once, Torey Penrod-Cambra, HighByte s co-founder and chief marketing officer, said from the stage when her company was announced as the winner.
This year s edition, live-streamed from AV Technik studios in Scarborough, was the first virtual version of the annual pitch contest in a relaunch after last year s cancellation during the pandemic.
Besides HighByte, finalists were: Brave Foods, of Portland; Erin Flett/Studio e Flett, of Gorham, whose founder was honored as a 2020 Mainebiz Woman to Watch; Huga Heat, of Southport, a maker of battery-powered seat cushions; and Freeport-based potato-chip maker Vintage Maine Kitchen, a returning LaunchPad finalist from 2019.
Five Maine businesses will compete live for a $50,000 grant in June pressherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Out of nearly 150 applicants for Gorham Savings Bank s relaunched LaunchPad competition in 2021, five finalists have been selected to vie for $50,000 in prize money at the June event.
The pitch competition is back this year after last year s cancellation because of the pandemic, and will take place via live stream on Tuesday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m. The finalists will compete for a $50,000 grant from Gorham Savings.
The 2021 finalists are: Brave Foods, of Portland; Erin Flett/Studio e Flett, of Gorham, whose founder was honored as a 2020 Mainebiz Woman to Watch; HighByte, of Portland; Huga Heat, of Southport; and Vintage Maine Kitchen, of Freeport, a returning finalist from 2019.
Paul Bergwall stands next to some of his work at the Mendon Library. Photo courtesy of the Mendon Public Library
What started in March 2020 as a way to stay strong and healthy during the pandemic, getting out for a walk each day and capturing images along the way, has expanded beyond Paul Bergwall’s initial imaginings. Over 305 Facebook and Instagram posts later, with more posted each day according to location and sequence number, Paul Bergwall’s walks and the sights he encountered while wandering are captured in a photography collection he’s titled, “Staying close to home, Honeoye Falls (the coronavirus days).” A sampling of that collection is now on display at the Mendon Public Library through March 20, 2021.