Seven very different problems. Seven innovative solutions. Seven passionate founders. All on one stage, competing for thousands in prizes.
StartUp Lehigh Valley, presented by Lehigh University, returns for its eighth year, continuing its high-energy residency at the region’s most iconic summer festival. This Shark Tank-style pitch competition will take place on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Musikfest Café in South Bethlehem, offering a premier showcase of entrepreneurship and economic impact during Musikfest. The event will also be shown live on WFMZ-TV and live-streamed on wfmz.com.
As a cornerstone of Lehigh University’s commitment to being a thoughtful community partner, the event serves as a platform to market the Lehigh Valley as a destination where high-growth, innovative companies can launch and thrive.
Live Pitch Competition:
The main event kicks off promptly at 6:30 PM as the top five finalists take the stage to present their companies to a live audience and a panel of expert judges. Each team will have three minutes to pitch, followed by a high-stakes five-minute Q&A with the judges.
At stake is more than $26,000 in prize money, including a $20,000 grand prize. In addition to the judged awards, viewers on-site and watching the live broadcast on WFMZ Channel 69 will have the opportunity to vote in real-time to determine the winner of the Audience Choice Award.
The 2026 StartUp Lehigh Valley contestants are a mix of innovations, products and solutions. Yet they are are all, each in their own way, in the business of connecting people.
The 2026 finalists are:
- Acute Baby Co. | Royersford, PA
Acute Baby Co. is redefining breastfeeding support with The Wedge, the first patented, adjustable-angle breastfeeding pillow designed to improve positioning and latch for babies and reduce physical strain for mothers in a category long dominated by one-size-fits-all products. - Coul Street, Inc. | Bethhelehm, PA
Coul St. enables people to charge their EVs in places they otherwise couldn’t. Our charger is designed to blend into its surroundings wherever it is installed, while dramatically reducing maintenance costs for operators — making charging more affordable and accessible to drivers. - JAERIMY, Inc. | Reading, PA
ERIC (Emergent Reply Imminent Crisis) is a time-based safety check-in app for people who live alone. You confirm you're okay on your own schedule; if you don't respond, ERIC alerts your emergency contacts with your GPS location. No button, no wearables, it works when you can't. - LegalPocket.ai | Easton, Pa
LegalPocket.ai is an AI legal intake specialist that ends the frustration of calling law firm after law firm. Describe your situation once, any time of day, and LegalPocket.ai grades your case and connects you with an attorney who actually handles claims like yours. - NextPick.io | Philadelphia, PA
NextPick is the marketplace for college recruiting expertise — connecting high school athletes, vetted recruiting experts (former coaches and insiders) and college programs. Live in tennis with 500+ universities, 160+ agents, and $200k+ in transaction volume. - Racklify, Inc. | Narberth, PA (Incorporated in Delaware)
Racklify is the marketplace and advertising platform for fulfillment and logistics. We help brands discover, evaluate, and connect with the right 3PLs, warehouses, and logistics providers through searchable profiles, AI-powered matching, advertising, and lead generation tools. - SkyPreme Resolve | Allentown, PA
SkyPreme Resolve is the only platform that scores compliance in both directions, flagging audit-readiness gaps before an inspection and drafting a validated response in minutes after an FDA 483 (a formal violation notice) lands, powered by a patent-pending regulatory intelligence engine modeling the observation-response-decision chain.
Judges for the 2026 competition:
- Olivia (Abrams) Bleiweiss
Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and CEO and co-founder of TiCK MiTT, Olivia is a Gen Z entrepreneur on a mission to make bug protection as universal as sunscreen. Her company's chemical-free tick removal glove — named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions of 2025 and featured on ABC's Shark Tank — was born from personal experience: a Lyme disease diagnosis at age 7 that changed her life and her outlook. Today, she's building the bug protection brand she wished had existed, designed for every family, every pet, and every outdoor moment. - Sandy Denton
A retired technology executive, Lehigh Trustee, and startup advisor, Sandy specializes in the "0 to 1" journey — helping founders turn ideas into successful businesses. Over her career, she held leadership roles across global enterprises and six software startups, four of which were acquired. Her expertise spans enterprise technology, operational strategy, and business process automation. Today, Sandy advises founders and university leaders on innovation, leadership, and scaling new ventures, with a particular passion for helping entrepreneurs sharpen their narratives and build lasting strategic partnerships. - Mike Gausling
Mike is a serial entrepreneur and venture capital investor with a track record spanning company-building, fundraising, and early-stage investment. As co-founder and former CEO of OraSure Technologies, he helped grow the company from startup to more than $50 million in annual sales and a $500 million market cap, raising over $100 million along the way. He later co-founded Originate Ventures, an early-stage VC fund that deployed more than $44 million across 17 startups since 2007. Today, Mike invests his time and capital selectively through his family office, One Putt Ventures.
The event will once again be hosted by Bo Koltnow (WFMZ) who will be joined this year by Karin Mallet (WFMZ).
StartUp Lehigh Valley is presented by Lehigh University and made possible by the generous support of community sponsors, including Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh Ventures Lab, PSECU, WFMZ, Service Electric, and United Way of the Lehigh Valley.
Admission is free and open to the public. Whether you are a Musikfest attendee, a local investor, or a resident curious about the future of our local economy, we invite you to experience the energy of the Lehigh Valley startup ecosystem.
Event Details:
- Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
- Location: Musikfest Café, SteelStacks, Bethlehem, PA
- Doors Open: 6:00 PM
- Pitch Competition: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- Or watch live on WFMZ-TV or live-streamed on wfmz.com.
For more information visit sulv.lehigh.edu.