On December 3, Kanarys, Inc., Zirtue, and three other startups will compete in Revolution’s 2020 Rise of the Rest pitch competition. The competition is for Black-founded companies, with $2,000,000 on the line.

Almost 500 Black startup founders nationwide applied for the competition, according to a statement, which also includes the opportunity to join Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab’s 5-month accelerator program and receive pitch meetings with over 100 venture capital firms.

The competition’s winner will receive $500,000 and two runners-up will receive $250,000 through investments from Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund and Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab. They will also receive an additional co-investment from OHUB’s affiliate 100 Black Angels & Allies Fund.

Kanarys, a technology platform that fosters collaboration between companies and employees on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and Zirtue, a fintech startup, will be competing alongside Chicago-based Abode and Rheaply, as well as Atlanta-based Lillii RNB Inc.

Steve Case’s Revolution will host the competition along with Opportunity Hub, 100 Black Angels & Allies, and Morgan Stanley’s Multicultural Innovation Lab. There will also be two town hall sessions on building inclusive startup ecosystems and on entrepreneurship and HBCUs during the three-day event, with the $2M pitch competition rounding it out. Find more information on the event here.

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