Denver Startup Wins $100K in Women-Led Pitch Competition | Cognizant Opens Boulder Accelerator

Plus, Local Field Hockey Digital Platform Opens South Africa Branch.

Friday, February 8, 2019 View this email in your browser Powered by Colorado Inno Share This Post This Tweet This Forward The Beat Become a Sponsor First Up Nick: TGIF everyone! Today is the last day for Tech Madness nominations, so get those in here.  With plenty to get to and little time to spare, let's jump right in... The Big One A breakdown on the day's biggest Inno story. Geospiza wins $100K As the company prepares to pitch at SXSW next month, Denver software startup Geospiza just took home gold in a competition aimed at showcasing women-led startups. On Feb. 7, the startup won Chloe Capital's Denver Women Investors Forum Pitch Competition, earning $100K in the process. Geospiza is a software platform that aids emergency managers, elected officials and corporate leaders in making data-driven solutions to reduce risk. The platform pulls from datasets like U.S. census, weather, traffic, building code, Medicaid and others to develop an emergency management plan. Before disaster strikes, Geospiza will identify which people, homes and neighborhoods are most at risk. The startup has worked with municipalities across Colorado as the state looks to address and prepare for wildfires. Geospiza was recently named one of four Colorado startups to qualify for the SXSW Pitch event in March. Only 50 companies from around the world were chosen for the event, split into categories to showcase advancements in various sectors of emerging technology. Founded by three women tech entrepreneurs, Chloe Capital launched in October 2017 with a focus on innovative companies with macro potential, a validated prototype and at least one female in the C-Suite.   [To see the other four finalists at the Chloe Capital pitch event, check out our story here.] Making Moves Inside the people, companies and organizations making moves today. Cognizant Opens in Boulder Cognizant announced the official opening of its Cognizant Accelerator global technology center and innovation hub in Boulder today.  Cognizant Accelerator is the company's incubator and venture investing division that develops new product concepts and oversees their development and market introduction. "We are thrilled to welcome the Cognizant Accelerator global technology hub to Boulder and I thank Cognizant for their investment in Colorado's technology community and the people of our state," said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. "We are proud of how Colorado has become a home for top technology companies and startups alike." Field Hockey in South Africa Denver-based Uru Sports, a connection and recruitment platform for field hockey, announced the launch of its South Africa branch this week. Led by former Olympian Rassie Pieterse and field hockey World Cup coach Garreth Ewing, Uru Africa is aimed at connecting athletes with opportunities worldwide. Uru Sports is one of four Colorado startups invited to SXSW Pitch next month. In The Know The CO tech stories you need to read today. Denver Cannabis Tech Company Makes Fourth Acquisition Since 2016 Meet the 4 Startups Selected for This Outdoor Recreation Accelerator's Inaugural Class Denver Startup Creates DNA Test for Cannabis Recommendations One of Colorado's pioneer cybersecurity firms was just acquired for $618M - Denver Biz Journal Elsewhere in Inno Stories from around the Inno network we think you'll dig. Mailchimp Acquires Techstars Atlanta Startup Sawa - Atlanta Inno How USF Students Are Using "The Force" to Race Drones - Tampa Bay Inno Texas' CBD Industry is Growing with Willie Nelson and Adult Ice Cream - Austin Inno In The Community The events and happenings to know about tonight and this week. Coming Up Tuesday, 2/12: Confronting Imposter Syndrome Wednesday, 2/13: Colorado Inno's Startups to Watch 2019 Friday, 2/15: ETHDenver BUIDLATHON & Community Gathering Tuesday, 2/19: Tech Startup Pitch Practice Random, Rants & Ramblings The fun stuff. Fireball in Colorado No, I'm not talking about the ever-popular alcoholic beverage, nor am I talking about the never-popular Pitbull song. According to a Denver Channel story, several people along I-70 called the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office early Thursday evening to report a "fireball in the sky." Scientists are saying it was a meteorite, but we at Colorado Inno aren't ready to rule out UFO's. Have a great weekend! Beat Gotta Eat Hiring? Get your open positions in front of the largest collection of innovation talent in Colorado by featuring your job in our Careers Directory. Featured Jobs Featured startup and tech jobs on Colorado Inno's new Careers Directory. ClinOne - Software Developer, Full Stack (Denver, CO) Left Hand Robotics - Robotics Engineer (Software) Ascent360 - Senior Database Architect Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. Interested in sponsoring this email? Please contact kroberts@americaninno.com for more information and sponsorship opportunities. Have a tip or scoop? Feel free to submit it anonymously. Staff Writer: Nick Greenhalgh ngreenhalgh@americaninno.com Events: Robyn Garmon rgarmon@americaninno.com Product: Will Flanagan wflanagan@americaninno.com  Thanks to our Founding Sponsor Comcast Copyright © 2019 AmericanInno, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you signed up for The Beat on ColoradoInno.com, attended one of our events and/or expressed interest in the state's innovation economy. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe.