Summerfest TechAI Announces 16 Global Pitch Competition Finalists and Entrepreneur Alley Programming

MILWAUKEE, WI (May 27, 2025)– Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) is excited to reveal the finalists for the Pitch Competition at the eighth annual Summerfest Tech – Milwaukee’s premier tech event. Taking place June 23-26, 2025, the conference themed Summerfest TechAI, will spotlight the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This year’s Pitch Competition, sponsored by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), selected 16 finalists from across the globe. NEW for 2025 – the competition includes four track-focused speed-pitch sessions, each showcasing four finalists/per category.

The 2025 Summerfest TechAI finalists are as follows:

Healthcare/Biohealth – Sponsored by Inflect Health

• Coda (Tel Aviv, Israel): Bridging communication gaps for the deaf community through multilingual AI captioning, currently piloting with major broadcasters and U.S. healthcare providers.
• EpiWatch (Medfield, MA): Transforming epilepsy care with continuous seizure monitoring technology.
• UP Oncolytics, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI): Developing a virus therapy that targets and kills brain cancer cells, improving outcomes.
• Vocadian (Cambridge, MA): A voice AI-powered SaaS platform that uses biomarkers and machine learning to detect fatigue and sleepiness via speech analysis.

Energy & Sustainability – Sponsored by Generac Power Systems

• Areytech AI (Ankara, Turkey): An AI + LoRaWAN smart lighting system achieving up to 80% energy savings and predictive maintenance.
• CubeNexus, Inc. (Chicago, IL): Transforms messy sensor data into an intuitive 4D format for users to instantly analyze, visualize, and query real-world data.
• Skyline Nav AI, Inc. (Cambridge, MA): powers navigation for drones, vehicles, and more, offering unmatched accuracy without GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular connectivity anywhere on Earth.
• Sotira (Menlo Park, CA): An AI-driven marketplace that sustainably offloads and monetizes unsold inventory to a network of overstock buyers across the United States.

Advanced Manufacturing – Sponsored by Molson Coors

• IMPRESSORA (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain): unique in its kind, portable, flexible, lightweight, printer can be mounted in two hours and can be transported in a conventional van.
• Lotza (Menomonee Falls, WI): represents the next generation of clean, functional beverage manufacturing, aligning with consumer wellness trends.
• SixLine Semiconductor, Inc. (Middleton, WI): breakthrough carbon nanotube processing unlocking commercialization potential after decades of stalled progress.
• Workscore AI Solutions Inc. (Ajax, Ontario, Canada): next-generation AI algorithm that analyzes raw video content and transforms ordinary footage into deep, actionable intelligence.

Fin & InsurTech

• Bakstage.AI (Livingston, NJ): combines Agentic AI and live video to enhance customer engagement and sales in fintech and insurance.
• Counter Fin (Leander, TX): simplifies disability claims, improving accuracy and accelerating payouts by up to 21 days through predictive algorithms and healthcare data integration.
• Gale (Latana, TX): enables eCommerce stores to accept HSA and FSA payments, boosting revenue without added cost.
• Polygraf AI (Austin, TX): offers advanced AI protocols for Information Neutralization and deepfake threat detection for high stakes communications

The 16 Summerfest TechAI finalists will be competing for a $5,000 cash prize for each pitch track, along with other prizes on June 25, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Potawatomi Casino Hotel. To view judges, review committee, and coaches for the competition, click HERE.

Also, NEW for this year’s conference is Entrepreneur Alley, with twelve exclusive sessions designed for founders, by founders. These sessions, both keynotes and breakouts, offer a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to leverage Summerfest Tech as an educational platform and a launchpad for building meaningful connections. Topics covered include coding, branded content, product management, data privacy, and more, all tailored to provide valuable insights and resources for entrepreneurs.

Two keynotes will kick off the Entrepreneur Alley programming each day:

• June 24 – Paul Campbell from Brown Venture Group will lead a discussion exploring the Federal Mashup Labs program, which brings venture capital, industry, federal government, and entrepreneurship together for success.
• June 25 – BMO will lead a session titled “Bridging the Gap for Growth,” an exclusive panel and meetup where founders, investors, and commercial banks will share actionable strategies, tools, and insights to drive growth, collaboration, and innovation across industries.

Additional Entrepreneur Alley sessions include the following:

• Your Story Is the Strategy: Building a Brand that Builds Your Startup
• AI-Driven Product Management: Tools & Tactics for High-Impact Products
• Healthcare Innovation Pitch Kickoff
• The Decentralized Finance Revolution
• Disrupting the Rhythm: How Music Tech Founders Are Reimagining Access, Equity & Innovation In the Global Music Economy
• TECH UNLEASHED: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures for Women in Business & Careers
• She Means Business: Smashing Barriers & Finding Your People.

More information and additional programming can be found HERE.

As an added benefit, all 2025 Summerfest TechAI attendees will receive FREE access to the following during the conference:

• A networking luncheon at Henry Maier Festival Park during Summerfest on
  June 26
• FREE admission to the second weekend of Summerfest, June 26-28, 2025.

Summerfest TechAI is supported by 7Rivers, 8×8, AE Business Solutions*, Allere Group, American Digital, BMO*, Capital Data, Carroll University, CDW*, Comcast Business, Customertimes*, Dell Technologies, Dynatrace, Everstream, Generac Power Systems*, Glean, Husco, i.c.stars*, Insight Enterprises, Insight Global, Inflect Health, Koantek, KPMG, Light the Hoan, Linker Finance, MARS Solutions Group, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership, MKE Tech Hub Coalition*, Molson Coors Beverage Company*, Netskope*, Okta, Potawatomi Ventures*, Regal Rexnord*, Salesforce*, Sitecore, Slalom, Sprocket Security*, Step CG*, TCS, The Pink Hustle, TSMGI, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County*University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee*, UScellular Business*, Waukesha County Technical College*, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation*, Women’s Entrepreneurship Week, and Xcentium. Media support provided by Experience Milwaukee*. *Indicates a returning partner.

Visit Summerfest Tech for the latest information.

About Summerfest Tech

Summerfest Tech began in 2018 with the goal of leveraging the Summerfest brand to showcase technology and provide a forum for attendees from the tech and business community to network, educate, and celebrate the evolution of technology.

Summerfest Tech continues to champion the regional business community, while shining the spotlight on Wisconsin’s growing reputation as a tech hub, highlighting the growth and opportunity in the region. Programming from local, regional, and national speakers, as well as a cash-prize pitch competition, connects the tech community around relevant topics. Summerfest Tech will be held June 23-26, 2025, For more details, visit Summerfest-Tech.com.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.