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June 29, 2015

Greenlight Maine picks 26 semifinalists to vie for $100,000 prize in entrepreneur contest

“Greenlight Maine,” an upcoming weekly TV show in which Maine entrepreneurs can vie to win a minimum prize of $100,000, said it has selected the 26 semifinalists to compete in the Greenlight Maine weekly TV show that will air statewide this fall.

The semifinalists were pared down from a field of 44 this past Saturday at the end of Maine Startup & Create Week. Mainebiz wrote about the 44 quarterfinalists in a June 22 storyThose 44 were culled from an initial field of 84 entrants.

The TV show, which will be in a format similar to ABC's "Shark Tank," will launch on WCSH6 and WLBZ2 on Sept. 12 and end in June 2016. It will air after Bill Green’s Maine.

Among the semifinalists  is Portland-based Rapport IO, a sustainability software company that recently won the Top Gun Showcase $10,000 prize and was a semifinalist in a regional cleantech business competition.

The entries came via initial registration on GreenlightMaine.com and subsequent online and live casting call events.

The competition last Saturday was held at Portland’s new Press Hotel.  Quarterfinalists were scored on scalability, viability, feasibility, innovation and presentation.

The semifinalists will compete for a minimum purse of $100,000 and more through crowdfunding.

“Greenlight Maine” is the brainchild of Portland Media Group, a custom content and production company founded by Brian Corcoran, who also is president of Shamrock Sports & Entertainment; Nat Thompson, former president of Maine Radio and Television Co. and former owner/producer at WCSH6; and Con Fullam, an executive TV producer and music composer.

PMG partnered with Jess Knox, founder of Maine Startup & Create Week and statewide innovation hub coordinator for Blackstone Accelerates Growth, to lead the selection process for the companies.

“There are no losers here,” Knox said in a statement. “All of these innovative and bold Greenlight Maine entrepreneurs have validated that our state is on the fast track to growing our next economy.”

Here is Greenlight Maine's list of the 26 semifinalists:

Beltane Solar, founded by Steve Musica, Brunswick

Bixby & Co., founded by Kate McAleer, Rockland

Blue Ox Malthouse, founded by Joel Alex, Lisbon Falls

Casco Bay Butter, founded by Alicia Menard and Jennell Carter, Scarborough

Cerahelix, founded by Susan MacKay, Orono

Chimani, founded by Kerry Gallivan, Portland

Composimold, founded by Stan Farrell, Manchester

Course Storm, founded by Matt James, Orono

Double Blue Sports Analytics, founded by Dan Kerluke, Orono

Eagre Games, founded by Chuck Carter, Orono

Finest Kind Tea, founded by Jay Lombard, Portland

Flow Fold, founded by Charley Friedman, Portland

Garbage to Garden, founded by Kendall Hinkley, Portland

Gimme Shelter, founded by Rosie Curtis, Camden

Good To-Go, co-founded by Jennifer Scism and David Koorits, Kittery

Hot-Tubes, founded by Bill Zelman, South Portland

Mad Gabs, founded by Gabrielle Melchionda, Westbrook

MedRhythms, founded by Owen McCarthy, from Cape Elizabeth

Mingle Analytics, founded by Daniel Mingle, Paris

Northern Maine Distilling Co., founded by Scott Galbiati, Brewer

Rapport IO, founded by John Rooks, Portland

Revolution Research, founded by Alexander Chasse, Orono

RockStep Solutions, founded by Chuck Donnelly, Bar Harbor

STARC Systems, founded by Chris MacKenzie, Brunswick

Team AR, founded by Chuck Benton, Brunswick

Zeomatrix, led by Emma Wilson, Orono

Read more

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