Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Five of our region's most innovative entrepreneurs will fight to capture the attention of potential investors at the University of North Carolina Wilmington Entrepreneurship Center's Rocket Pitch event, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 20. The event will take place in the New Hanover County Executive Development Center on Military Cutoff Rd.

Six companies, including Wolf Beer, Drycase, Mungi Bands, payOptix, The Real Tooth Fairies and ODEX, will deliver five minute "rocket pitches" about their businesses, with the hope of gaining funding and support. Entrepreneurs will demonstrate their products, including a new children's toy that is positioned to replace silly bands as the big rage for children; a product that provides water proof protection for phones, camera's, iPad's and other handheld devices; a children's website developed by former executives of Hasbro and Disney; and a beer company whose microbrew was featured on HBO's hit TV show "True Blood."

Previous Rocket Pitch events have resulted in individual companies receiving as much as $4 million in equity funding and more than $100,000 in customer/client contracts. The purpose of the event is to highlight cutting-edge technologies and local high-growth companies by bringing together area entrepreneurs, business leaders and key support providers.

The mission of the UNC Wilmington Entrepreneurship Center is to be a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth in Southeastern North Carolina by linking together emerging and high-growth ventures, entrepreneurs, and relevant support organizations to create business growth, jobs, and innovation. For more information, visit the EC website at http://uncwec.org.

Media are invited to take advantage of multiple visual and interview opportunities at this invitation-only event.

Media contact:
Joy Davis, Marketing and Communications, 910.632.3903 or davisjc@uncw.edu