Lexi Palmer, CEO, EquiSeq Inc.
EquiSeq, an Albuquerque startup incubating in STC’s Cecchi VentureLab, recently took top honors at the Tech.Co ABQ 2016 Albuquerque Startup of the Year Pitch Night. The company, developing a genetic test for equine polysaccharide storage myopathy, a disease that damages the muscle tissue in horses, is led by CEO Lexi Palmer. “I feel humbled to act as a voice for our amazing EquiSeq team and honored to have the support of the horse community. Without their cooperation, our achievements would not be possible. Together we will be able to give horse owners a lifetime with their best friend,” Palmer said.
Nine teams pitched for a grand prize of $500 and a one-day booth at the trade show section of South by Southwest, an annual consortium of conferences and festivals dedicated to what’s new in film, interactive media, music, and technology businesses. The Austin-based event will take place in mid-March.
Judges for pitch night included Fran Maier, CEO of Babierge Board Director of G.E. Capital Bank, Founder of TRUSTe, and Co-Founder of Match.com. Second, third and fourth-place winners were BuckleDown Systems, Pressure Analysis Company (PAC), and DermaTec. The event, held on August 22nd at Duel Brewing ABQ in downtown Albuquerque, also included a talk by Paul Singh, an investor and early-stage tech startup adviser formerly with 500 Startups, an early-stage investment company where he raised a $50 million early-stage investment fund.
Tech.Co is a media company and events organization for startups, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts, covering news and hosting events in cities across the country. The 2016 Albuquerque Startup of the Year Pitch Night was the kick-off event for Albuquerque Tech Tour, a week-long series of events and activities for entrepreneurs and investors.