Meet the 5 startups that just pitched at Founders Live in Seattle

Founders Live hosted an event in Seattle on Feb. 24 at The Collective. (Photo by Steve Case)

Founders Live hosted its first in-person gathering of 2022 on Feb. 24 in Seattle. For many who hadn’t attended a live event in two years, it was a welcome event.

“When it comes to startups, such a big part of our job is actually trying to connect with different mentors and investors,” said Miloshi Mehta, founder of 221B Analytics. “And that’s so difficult to do over a Zoom call, and half of the videos are off, and you don’t know who’s paying attention.”

Entrepreneur Nick Hughes helped launch Founders Live in Seattle eight years ago as a pitch event for entrepreneurs. Originally called Feature Friday, it has since expanded to nearly 90 cities across 25 countries.

Hughes stepped down from his role as Seattle city leader in 2020 to focus on expansion efforts for Founders Live. Amelia Marckworth, director of community at the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center at Seattle University, now oversees the Seattle arm of Founders Live.

Read more about the five startups who pitched last month in Seattle below. Dooeys, a sustainable shoe maker, won the audience vote and received $10,000 in AWS credits as well as the opportunity to continue on to compete in a future Founders Live Prime Time global event.

221B Analytics

What they do: Educational analytics for individual students

Founder: Miloshi Mehta

Quote: “We are both B2B and B2C.” (consumers are parents and businesses are schools that use its dashboard and edtech analytics platform)

Dooeys

What they do: Sustainable shoes

Founder: Jordan Clark

Quote: “The fashion industry … is responsible for up to 10% of annual global carbon emissions.”

Its Trendi

What they do: Sustainable fashion shopping

Founder: Amber W

Quote: “68% of Gen Z want to shop sustainable fashion only”