and a Chance to Get a Piece of the New $19 Million Venture Fund FreshTracks Wants to Invest in Vermont Start-up Businesses
SHELBURNE, Vt. – Feb. 11, 2024 – FreshTracks Capital announces the return of Peak Pitch, a start-up business pitch event on the slopes, scheduled for Tuesday, March 12th at Sugarbush. Now in its 18th year, Peak Pitch brings aspiring entrepreneurs and investors together for a unique version of the classic “elevator pitch.” At Peak Pitch, a shared chairlift ride gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business plans to venture capitalists, individual investors, commercial lenders and other entrepreneurial advisors during a day of skiing and snowboarding at Sugarbush. This is the longest running (and perhaps most fun) new business pitch competition in Vermont.
This year’s Peak Pitch event coincides with the launch of FreshTracks Capital’s Green Mountain Fund, a new $19 million venture fund designed to bolster Vermont’s economy by investing in Vermont-based business start-ups. This new fund was created in partnership with Vermont’s Department of Economic Development and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), where Federal funds from the U.S. Treasury Department’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) are matched with private investment from FreshTracks Capital.
Cairn Cross, FreshTracks Capital’s Founding Partner, said, “With this new fund, we will be looking to invest in another 20 or so new local businesses, and we hope to identify some of them at this year’s Peak Pitch event.” FreshTracks Capital Partner and Managing Director, Lee Bouyea, added “the new Green Mountain Fund is a great example of how a public/private partnership can effectively spur economic development in this region. We certainly couldn’t have gotten this new fund off the ground as quickly as we did without the Vermont Department of Economic Development and VEDA partnerships. This new SSBCI program effectively doubles the amount of capital we have available to invest in new Vermont start-ups.”
T.J. Whalen, FreshTracks Capital Partner and Managing Director, commented further, “We’re pleased to have seen so many businesses get funded at Peak Pitch. It’s a terrific way for investors to meet with a bunch of entrepreneurs in a single day, and great exposure for all those start-ups. We have found quite a few of our investments at Peak Pitch over the years, and we’re looking forward to meeting some more on the slopes this year.”
This year’s Peak Pitch event is presented by FreshTracks Capital, and generously hosted by Sugarbush Resort. The event’s Premier Sponsor is Gallagher Flynn & Company. Founding Peak Pitch sponsors Merritt & Merritt and the VT Department of Economic Development are joined this year with additional support from Moulton Law Group, Gravel & Shea, Dinse, Mascoma Bank, M&T Bank, New England Federal Credit Union, North Country Angels, University of Vermont Office of the Vice President for Research, Vermont Community Loan Fund, UVM Health Network Ventures, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, NFP Insurance, Vermont Community Foundation, Moody Advisors, Bellmark Partners, and VEDA.
Please register early for Peak Pitch. Space is limited. To register as an investor or entrepreneur for the event, please visit: Peak Pitch Vermont 2024 @ Sugarbush. (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peak-pitch-2024-sugarbush-ti…)