Two Maui Start-Ups Make the Cut for Pitch Competition

HonNewTech Pitch Off competitors (wearing purple lei) include representatives of Huedoku (wearing a Huedoku T-shirt) and the MorphOptic representative (back row, behind Meli James). The judges were Omar Sultan, Chenoa Farnsworth, Dawn Lippert, Peter Rowan and Meli James. Courtesy photo.

By Maui Now Staff

Two Maui start-up businesses have been selected from a field of 10 finalists for the Third Annual MaiTai Maui Tech Night pitch competition on Wednesday, May 13, from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapū.

HonNewTech Pitch Off emcee/judge Meli James. Courtesy photo.

A total of five start-ups were selected on Wednesday, May 6, from the 10 finalists (see “Hawaiʻi’s Top Entrepreneurs to Pitch Silicon Valley Investors“) who competed at the HonNewTech Pitch Off in Honolulu.

The two Maui semifinalists are Huedoku and MorphOptic.

Huedoku, a cohort member of Blue Startups pioneering the understanding and enhancement of perception and aesthetic, has developed a therapeutic and addictive color puzzle.

MorphOptic, a cohort member of XLR8UH, develops high-quality, low-mass and low-cost optical components for specialized applications.

The other three semi-finalists to compete on Maui next week are from Oʻahu.

FlyWire, a cohort member of XLR8UH on Oʻahu, manufactures line-of-sight HD cameras in modular systems with live capture capabilities and superior audio-video quality.

TerViva, a cohort member of Energy Excelerator on Oʻahu, develops and commercializes new crops that grow sustainably on under-productive agricultural land.

NaluTrip, a cohort member of Blue Startups on Oʻahu, is a travel activity B2B reservation system specializing in China’s FIT and online booking markets.

The winner of Maui Tech Night 2015 will receive free work space at Real Office Centers Honolulu; access to Product Hunt’s exclusive community of tech founders; and most importantly, the attention of Silicon Valley all-stars.

LINKS

• Prizes Announced for Annual Startup Weekend Maui Winners
• Startup Weekend Maui’ Offers Business Action for Entrepreneurs
• Limited Scholarships Available for ‘Startup Weekend Maui
• Startup Weekend Maui Kicks Off With Bootcamp & Pitch Workshop
• Hawaiʻi’s Top Entrepreneurs to Pitch Silicon Valley Investors
• Your County with Mayor Arakawa to Discuss Startup Weekend Maui
• Judges, Coaches, Mentors Announced for Startup Weekend Maui
• MaiTai Maui Tech Night to Kick Off Startup Weekend Maui