The City of Elk Grove successfully hosted its fourth annual Pitch Elk Grove competition on September 4th, bringing together the brightest minds and most innovative startups from across the Sacramento region. This year set a new record for Pitch Elk Grove with 70 applications from startups across the region, the most in the event’s history, and a record 240 attendees filling the room, making it the most attended event to date. Held at Elk Grove’s Community Center, District56, the event awarded $20,000 in prizes to standout ventures while celebrating the collaborative spirit that powers the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
EnlitenAI (Himanshu Misra) of Tracy won second place and received $5,000 for its artificial intelligence–driven clinical decision support tool for neurology care. Third place went to Sacramento-based Rely (Heather Rankow), which was awarded $2,500 for its one-click renter data sharing platform. The $2,500 award for Best Elk Grove Startup went to Soar Optics.
City Manager Jason Behrmann presented the $2,500 Best Elk Grove Startup Award to Soar Optics, an Elk Grove-based company developing cutting-edge technology to detect microplastics quickly and cost-effectively, addressing a critical environmental challenge and showcasing the ingenuity emerging from our local startup community.
Pitch Elk Grove is more than just a startup competition; it is a testament to the power of collaboration across the Greater Sacramento area. Produced by the City of Elk Grove’s Office of Economic Development, Invest Elk Grove, in partnership with StartupSac, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurial success in the region, and Explore Elk Grove, the official tourism marketing organization for the City of Elk Grove, the event brought together regional leaders, venture capitalists, and industry experts, all united in their commitment to supporting the next generation of innovators. With the backing of supportive sponsors like Wilton Rancheria, Kaiser Permanente, Republic Services, and the Sacramento Business Journal, Pitch Elk Grove highlighted the collective effort to foster a thriving startup ecosystem in the region.
“We are proud to have partnered with such incredible sponsors and partners this year,” said Jason Behrmann, Elk Grove City Manager. “Their support is proof that Pitch Elk Grove has become a true regional celebration of entrepreneurship. The strong participation we’ve seen from across the Sacramento region highlights the power of our collaborative ecosystem and the unique benefits it offers to startups choosing to grow here.”