Maine Community Bank

This year’s grand prize has been raised to $75,000, while the Emerging Business Award grant will be $15,000, Maine Community Bank announced at Startup Maine Week.

Matt Early, senior vice president and director of commercial banking, has been named as chief commercial officer.

The annual event, held Thursday in Portland, offers insights into a range of sectors from construction to hospitality as well as on legislation that affects the real estate industry.

Think of legacy as maximizing the value of the business and keeping your future options open, our guest columnist writes. It comes from the decisions you make now, the structure you build and the clarity you bring to what you want the next chapter to look like.

For Norridgewock-based Maine Laboratories, the $50,000 prize will fund automated equipment, freeing the team to focus on research, white papers and advanced testing methods.

Finalists in the 12th edition of the annual LaunchPad contest include mainelove, a Westbrook-based brand of canned water sourced from Sebago Lake, and CarHop, a Portland-based restaurant delivery service.

A New Hampshire retailer that specializes in spa, swim and sauna equipment will take over the 10,030-square-foot former restaurant space.