Marquette company produces TCNewTech win

Mark Urban, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 12—TRAVERSE CITY — An Upper Peninsula agricultural startup produced a victory at TCNewTech's monthly Pitch Night competition.

Peninsula Produce Co. in Marquette took home the top prize of $500 after a vote of the in-person and online audience at the April 4 event.

Peninsula Produce "is working to become the first commercial hydroponics farm in the Upper Peninsula, supplying fresh produce year-round," according to a release from TCNewTech. "By expanding access to local, nutritious food, they hope to address food insecurity in the region."

TCNewTech Event Director Chris Nesbit said the start-up and co-founders Tyler Watson and Ricky Rietjens resonated with the audience.

"It had a lot to do with need," Nesbit said. "Food deserts are a real problem, not just in rural areas but across the United States.

"People have been actively looking for a solution for a while and when people come up with a solution, you're going to get attention."

Peninsula Produce was won of four startup presentations at the April 4 event. Nesbit said each brought a lot to their presentation.

"The energy in the room was electric," Nesbit said in the release. "It's inspiring to see the level of innovation and creativity in our local tech community."

Other pitches included:

Greatlakes Biologics "for their patented enzyme production process, positioning them to become a leading supplier of many downstream medical products," according to a release from TCNewTech.

LOIS, a personal safety software as a service (SAAS) "that provides automation, tools and mechanisms to help keep users safe ... .with the ability to reach out to 911 and other emergency services directly, based on the automation in the app," according to a release.

RentrEasy and its real estate management app that "allows for everything from rent collection to work order management and beyond," according to the release.

"Each of these startups has tremendous potential, and we're proud to have given them a platform to showcase their ideas," Nesbit said in the release, "We look forward to seeing how they grow and evolve in the future."

TCNewTech also had a Quick Tip segment from certified life coach Shea Petaja about connecting to an audience in less than 5 minutes using improvisational skills.

"The Quick Tip segment was a highlight of the event," Nesbit said in the release. "Shea's advice was practical, and the audience really responded to her message."

TCNewTech won't have its traditional Pitch Night presentation next month. Normally held the first Tuesday of the month, TCNewTech will return in June because of the University Pitch Showdown scheduled for May 9 at the City Opera House as part of the 2023 Northern Michigan StartUp Week.

For more information on future TCNewTech events, visit TCNewTech.org. To apply for a future Pitch Night, send an email to chris@tcnewtech.org.