We’re in the home stretch of GeekWire’s Elevator Pitch, a fun new startup pitch competition that started earlier this year and will conclude with one winner who’ll be chosen live on stage at the GeekWire Summit on Oct. 2. Here’s the gist of this fun new show: Entrepreneurs pitch their cutting-edge ideas in the 48 seconds it takes to rise to the top of Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower.

In the latest episode, sponsored by Smartsheet, we hear from three startup entrepreneurs building innovative products in areas as diverse as online advertising; e-commerce marketplaces; and new way to solve the homelessness crisis. Watch the eighth episode above to see who’ll make it to the top.

This week’s presenters are: Deep Katyal, the founder of Advangelists, a new platform for automating digital advertising; Laura Clise, the founder of Intentionalist, a new startup that’s helping people find and support diverse local businesses; and Jonathan Kumar, the founder of Samaritan, which is bringing an innovative approach to solving the homelessness crisis.

Deep Katyal of Advangelists (GeekWire photo / Dan DeLong)
Laura Clise of Intentionalist (GeekWire photo / Dan DeLong)
Jonathan Kumar of Samaritan (GeekWire photo / Dan DeLong)

After the ride to the top of the Smith Tower, the entrepreneurs face tough questions from our judges: Flying Fish Partners co-founder Heather Redman; Smartsheet executive and entrepreneur Stephen Branstetter; and Starbucks executive and entrepreneur Richard Tait.

Elevator Pitch judges Richard Tait of Starbucks; Heather Redman of Flying Fish Venture Partners; and Stephen Branstetter of Smartsheet inside the Smith Tower. (GeekWire Photo / Dan DeLong)

Vote for your favorite pitch in the poll below:

Twenty-seven entrepreneurs are competing in this unique startup pitch competition. But only one will truly make it to the top. Go here to watch past episodes.

We’ve got just one more episode in this season, and we’ll be back to showcase entrepreneurs as they rise to the top of the Smith Tower. In early October, winning entrepreneurs from this season will present live onstage in front of more than 900 business and tech leaders at the 2018 GeekWire Summit.

A big thanks to Smartsheet for making The Elevator Pitch possible. Also, thanks to Smith Tower, Stefan Scherperel and his video production team at Fueled Creative and GeekWire’s Cara Kuhlman and Stefania Hajnosz, who have assisted in the coordination of this series.

Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe to GeekWire’s YouTube channel to catch every episode, as well as our latest reports on what’s shaking in tech.

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