Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce: Announces Pressure Chamber finalists

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

Five top emerging companies to compete Aug. 27; winner will pitch Silicon Valley investors in San Francisco this fall

MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced the five finalists competing in this year’s Pressure Chamber startup initiative, which returns Aug. 27 during Forward Festival, an eight-day celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation in Madison.

At Pressure Chamber, emerging companies pitch in front of a panel of regional investors, business executives and a live audience. The winning company is decided based on a combination of judges’ scoring and audience votes.

The 2019 Pressure Chamber finalists are:

American Provenance (Mount Horeb) – Manufacturer of handcrafted, natural personal-care and wellness products founded by a former middle school science teacher and launched on his fourth-generation family farm.
Goods Unite Us (Madison) – Makes it easy for consumers to align their purchases with their politics, with a free app allowing customers to instantly see the politics of more than 4,000 brands and companies and to search by politician to see which companies are donating to them.
NovoMoto (Madison) – For-profit social enterprise that provides clean electricity, with rent-to-own solar-powered systems, to off-grid communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
OnLume (Madison) – Medical device company developing an intuitive platform for precise fluorescence image-guided surgery, providing surgeons with critical information on tissue types, features and function in real time during surgery.
The Virtual Foundry (Stoughton) – Materials company that makes and sells metal 3D printing filaments that work in printers made for plastics.

“Once again this year, Greater Madison’s apex live pitch contest will feature a diverse array of top emerging companies ready to showcase their innovation,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “With all the success enjoyed by past winners and competitors, Pressure Chamber continues to send a strong message to the world that Greater Madison is a place of economic acceleration.”

The winning company receives the coveted “golden suitcase,” a trip to San Francisco this fall as part of the Chamber’s exclusive Madison-area startup delegation for meetings with top Silicon Valley investment firms. Past Pressure Chamber winners have credited the initiative for helping their company close successful funding rounds. Additionally, Pressure Chamber has been recognized by both the International Economic Development Council and Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Summit as an entrepreneurship and economic development best practice.

Pressure Chamber returns this year as part of neXXpo, a showcase of Greater Madison’s most exciting companies that includes attendee voting for the fourth annual Most Innovative Company (MIC) Award. To register for these events, visit madisonbiz.com/nexxpo.

Pressure Chamber is presented by Michael Best & Friedrich, with support from the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, American Family Ventures, Baird Capital, 4490 Ventures, HealthX Ventures, LSB and Rock River Capital Partners.

Pressure Chamber finalists are available for interviews upon request.

For more information about Forward Fest, please visit http://www.forwardfest.org/

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at madisonbiz.com.