Two startups were named winners at Pitch HearstLab U on July 12th.

NEW YORK, NY, USA, July 13, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Two startups were named winners at Pitch HearstLab U, HearstLab’s first virtual pitch competition aimed towards women-led startups coming out of university programs. Out of hundreds of applications from across the country, five companies were selected as finalists to present virtually for the chance to become an automatic finalist in the San Antonio Pitch HearstLab $100K pitch event in the fall.

The finalists represented industries ranging from financial planning to environmental sustainability. Each founder pitched to a panel of expert judges including Lisa Burton O’Toole (VP of HearstLab), Shashi Srikantan (Managing Director at HearstLab sister fund LevelUp Ventures), and Catherine Lane (General Counsel at Hearst and HearstLab Scout). The event was emceed by Eastin Rossell (HearstLab Venture Associate).

The event’s winners were as followers: Pulse Charter Connect, a healthcare logistics solution that resolves inefficiencies in organ and surgical team transportation; and Scope Zero, creators of the Carbon Savings Account™ that fosters employee financial wellness and corporate ESG.

“I am thrilled to be a winner at the Pitch HearstLab U event and cannot wait to participate as a finalist at Pitch HearstLab Texas,” said Laura Epstein, Co-Founder & CEO of Pulse Charter Connect. “If we win in the fall, we hope to leverage the Hearst portfolio and network in order to expand Pulse Charter Connect's mission to transplant more organs together!”

"We're excited and thankful for the opportunity to be finalists in the Pitch HearstLab San Antonio event,” said Lizzy Kolar, Co-Founder & CEO of Scope Zero. “A partnership with HearstLab could accelerate our success in saving $200B+ per year in residential utility bills and personal vehicle fuel spend with our Carbon Savings Account™."

Pitch Hearst Lab U is the fourth event in the investor’s pitch competition series, building on the success of past events in Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Amsterdam. With multiple winners at each event, HearstLab has invested over $1 million in in early-stage women-led startups through the pitch series alone. To date, HearstLab has invested in over 60 women-led startups, valued at over $2 billion collectively. Its mission is to help closing the funding gap in venture capital funding for women. Current data shows that women-led businesses still receive just 2.2% of all venture funding, despite the growing number of female entrepreneurs.

“It’s been incredible to meet so many female founders through the Pitch HearstLab series, and it’s even greater to expand that scope to include university students and recent graduates,” said Lisa Burton O’Toole. “Supporting these startups is our mission, but on top of that, it’s truly uplifting to be able to meet such brilliant founders and hear their stories.”

In addition to the women featured in the event’s pitch competition there was a discussion panel consisting of Dana Kim (Co-Founder & CEO of Highlight) and Jenny Spradling (Co-Founder & CEO of FreeWill). The panel will be moderated by HearstLab Senior Director Katie Bailey.

“Being a part of HearstLab's incredible community has been invaluable in Highlight's journey as a startup,” said Dana Kim. “Participating in the PHLU panel with Jenny, one of the first HearstLab people I met when starting Highlight and joining the Lab almost 3 years ago, was such a wonderful reminder of how long lasting and genuinely supportive the relationships are!”

“HearstLab was our first home and community,” noted Jenny Spradling. “We grew up there, and it is always gratifying to come home and remember how far we’ve come since. Getting to see so many up-and-coming rockstars is so inspiring — knowing that the next generation of female entrepreneurs is going to be even better.”

Pitch HearstLab U was HearstLab’s first event specifically catered towards university students. “Today’s event confirmed and exceeded our expectations: there are real, game-changing solutions being built at undergraduate and graduate programs now,” said Katie Bailey. “I’m thrilled that HearstLab can play a part in bringing visibility and funding to these innovative leaders.”

Next, Pitch HearstLab will head internationally to Madrid, Spain on October 4th, then return stateside for the second San Antonio pitch competition on October 18th. For US-based female founders, applications for Pitch HearstLab in San Antonio are open now through August 8th. For applications and event information, visit the Pitch HearstLab website. For updates, follow HearstLab on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Pulse Charter Connect
Pulse Charter Connect provides a digital SaaS solution for Critical Healthcare Logistics - being faster, less expensive, safer and improving transplant success rates for organ patients. The company automates antiquated and inefficient processes for organ transport logistics, taking on the beachhead market of logistics for transporting human organs both in the air and on the ground. Learn more at PulseCharterConnect.com.

About Scope Zero
Scope Zero are creators of the Carbon Savings Account™ (CSA) - think HSA, but for home tech and personal transportation purchases that lower utility bills and fuel spend. Scope Zero is an investment vehicle that scales residential energy efficiency and electrification upgrades. The company brings employees and employers together to reduce the impact of the residential sector while helping companies meet aggressive decarbonization goals.

About HearstLab
HearstLab provides cash investments and service to early-stage, women-led startups innovation across fintech, data analytics, health, transportation, enterprise technology and media. Its mission is to close the gap in VC funding for women by helping founders build sustainable and highly scalable businesses. With access to Hearst resources across 360+ businesses, Hearstlab’s breadth of services includes assistance with privacy and security, software development, legal services, financial analysis, and marketing design support. To learn more about HearstLab, visit HearstLab.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Michael Maerlender
HearstLab
hearstlab@hearst.com
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