Maine’s Version of Shark Tank Could Get You $25k
David Shaw is one of Maine's most well-known businessmen. He cofounded Idexx and Covetrus, and is now offering a prize of $25,000 to a local entrepreneur, according to the Press Herald.
Shaw's prize will be awarded to one entrepreneur at the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs’ annual Top Gun competition. The program combines mentoring with educational sessions to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their startups. More than 200 entrepreneurs have used the Top Gun program since its creation in 2009.
“I am grateful for the wonderfully fulfilling life that business and social entrepreneurship have created for me and the teams I have worked with around the world,” said Shaw. “This new award is established in the time frame of our recent public offering for Covetrus and on the 35th anniversary of the founding of my first business, Idexx Laboratories.”
To vie for the $25k prize, entrepreneurs are required to deliver a five-minute pitch followed by questions from a panel of judges at the Top Gun Showcase, a pitch competition among invited entrepreneurs scheduled for May 23. Maine Technology Institute is also providing a $25,000 prize, so entrepreneurs unite! There is work to be done and money to be won!