Santa Cruz Accelerates 6th Cohort Demo Day 2024 Photos and Recap

Santa Cruz Accelerates Demo Day: Innovation Takes Center Stage

On November 6, Santa Cruz Works hosted an exhilarating Demo Day for the 6th cohort of Santa Cruz Accelerates. Seven innovative startups delivered compelling 5-minute pitches to a panel of judges and venture capitalists, vying for top honors and seed funding opportunities.

Treeswax, the petroleum-free surf wax designed for performance, took first place, winning $5,000 from Santa Cruz Ventures. They also captured the People’s Choice Award, earning an additional $1,000 in audience-voted cash. Ryze AI claimed second place and $2,500 from Hawktower for its software improving efficiency and accuracy in precision-critical industries. TerraNova Bio earned third place and $2,500 for their nature-driven recycling solutions.

All finalists were invited to pitch for seed funding at Santa Cruz Ventures and Hawktower. Additionally, the winners received complimentary 409A valuations from Eqvista, each valued at $5,000. The event highlighted Santa Cruz’s thriving ecosystem of groundbreaking startups shaping the future.

Treeswax

Disrupting the surf and other industries with reef-safe, petroleum-free wax designed for performance. Christian Shaw & Austin Neill.

Ryze AI

Software designed to reduce errors and boost efficiency in precision-critical industries by addressing inadequate documentation and ineffective training. Kyle Schrader

TerraNova Bio

Using nature’s mushrooms biodegrade plastics in only days to create sustainable recycling processes, one material at a time. Edward Somera, Jori Steinle, Alexie Barbee, Nishal Naicker

Peoples Choice

Treeswax had a roaring success both with first place and People’s Choice.