York County company wins $100,000 from AOL co-founder
Steve Case, second from left, throws a ball into the crowd after students demonstrated their robot’s ability to dunk the ball into a basket. Case, along with J.D. Vance, second from right, visited the Fortress Academy in York on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, during the Rise of the Rest tour. The purpose of the tour is to bring attention to startups in areas of the country that don’t get a lot of attention from venture capitalists. (Photo: Jason Plotkin, York Daily Record)
(York) — A York County company won a $100,000 investment from venture capitalist and AOL co-founder Steve Case on Tuesday during the Rise of the Rest tour.
Madris Tomes, CEO and founder of Device Events in Spring Garden Township, was one of nine entrepreneurs to make a pitch about why Case should invest in her firm. The other eight companies were from outside of the county.
Tomes won the pitch competition in Harrisburg on Tuesday afternoon, York County Economic Alliance CEO Kevin Schreiber said.
“It was a moment of pride for all of us from York,” Schreiber said.
Device Events develops software that helps hospitals, insurance companies and other spot problems that have been reported with medical devices, according to a company news release.
Schreiber said Tomes plans to hire a developer with the $100,000 winnings to help grow her business.
Tomes could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Case visited a robotics academy in York as part of the Rise of the Rest tour on Tuesday. The tour is intended to bring attention and investment to startups in parts of the country that don’t typically see a lot of venture capital investment.
Schreiber said 71 other companies from Central Pennsylvania applied but were not selected for the pitch competition. Economic leaders will be looking at what can be done to strengthen the ecosystem so that they can continue to rebuild and retool the economy through small businesses and innovation.
Staff writer Gary Haber contributed to this report.
This story is part of a partnership between WITF and York Daily Record.
Mosaic is WITF’s home for all things arts, culture and lifestyle.
We spotlight and uplift the creators around us, featuring amazing artists, musicians, authors, chefs, dancers, designers, photographers, and more.
