The Mach37 family was busy last Thursday. We announced our Fall 2016 Cohort and a new Mach37 platinum sponsor, SAP National Security Services. On the same day, spring 2016 cohort alumnus Hill Top Security won the Virginia Velocity Tour Northern Virginia Region pitch competition and the $25,000 top prize. Hill Top CEO and Founder Tom Gilmore accepted the award at the Fall Cohort Introduction dinner Thursday evening in front of a crowd of more than 250 Mach37 supporters. We recently interviewed Tom on our Mach37 blog and it is clear that the company is already making an impact.
Mach37 Alumnae Represented Two-thirds of the NoVA Finalists
However, Hill Top wasn’t the only Mach37 standout in the pitch competition. Four of the six finalists in the cybersecurity and government technology category were Mach37 alumnae. Eunomic, SheVirah and Tensor Wrench all pitched alongside Hill Top. Two other companies focused on government technology SpotMyBus and J&F Alliance Group also competed. The competition judges came from the University of Virginia, Revolution Ventures, Amplifier Ventures and TandemNSI. It was great to see so many Mach37 alumnae getting recognition for their technology and business growth.
Virginia Velocity Tour Background
The Virginia Velocity Tour is overseen by the Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade and planned in partnership with our friends at Village Capital. We appreciate that Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore and Village Capital’s Ross Baird are so supportive of the start-up community across the state. Twenty-nine finalists competed for top honors in five regions.At Mach37, we work with entrepreneurs from all over the world. Two of the five companies in our current cohort are from Europe and we also have entrepreneurs joining us from Nevada and North Carolina. We maintain a global outlook regarding cybersecurity, but we also appreciate introducing these companies to the business-friendly climate in Virginia. The Virginia Velocity Tour is another example of the start-up support that founders receive from the state and can access as part of the Mach37 family. Congratulations again to Tom and the entire Hill Top team.