Mainers pitch business ideas to win prizes in Maine Startup Challenge

PORTLAND (WGME) – Students across Maine pitched their ideas for a business in Portland Wednesday and some took home cash prizes.

The third annual “Maine Startup Challenge” took place Wednesday in Portland.

Students as young as kindergarten, to adult Mainers, took part and pitched their ideas.

A panel of judges looked at the problem each pitch is solving, the value to the customer, the scalability and feasibility of each idea and their impacts on the community.

“Our hope is that if these young kids solve silly problems today that they’ll apply those same skills when they’re in college and they’re adults and they’ll start businesses that become big businesses and that drive Maine’s economy into the future,” Maine Venture Fund Principle Nina Scheepers said.

There were 156 applicants, whittled down to 12 finalists.

Prizes ranged from $500 to $8,000.