• Herelancer, an online community that connects entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations with creative talent in their local market
• Lifebit, winner of Startup Weekend Louisville and developer of a fire alarm alert system for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Meta Construction Technologies, a construction-tech firm that gives control to the asphalt industry with an innovative fleet management and dispatch software solution, BlackTop
• Toggle Health, manufacturer of a patented device that connects surgeons to their pre-operative and mobile data from the sterile field of the operating room

Presenters will be allowed a few minutes to describe their idea to the judges, who then will fire off questions to the presenters in the style of the popular television show, “Shark Tank.” One lucky survivor will receive $37,000 in cash and prizes to help them take their idea to market. The Venture Sharks winner will be selected based on the viability of their idea, the ability of the final award to positively impact the business and the quality of their presentation. The winner must agree to use both the cash award and the in-kind services to directly pursue the business opportunity presented in the competition.Sponsors for this year’s Venture Sharks include: Commonwealth Seed Capital, University of Louisville College of Business and KiZAN Technologies, gold sponsors; Sterling G. Thompson Co., silver sponsor; and Mightily, ARGI Financial, Intellectual Property Insurance Services Corp., Stoll Keenon Ogden, Guthrie Mayes Public Relations, Nucleusand Goodson Clothing & Supply, in-kind sponsors.

Judges for the 2017 Venture Sharks final round are: Bob Saunders, general partner, OCAVentures; Elizabeth Rounsavall, growth capital consultant, Rounsavall Investments LLC; Lou Kelmanson, president, Kelmanson Holdings LLC; and Vik Chadha, managing director, GlowTouch Technologies.

This year’s prize is up from $23,000 last year, thanks to our generous sponsors. In addition to the main prize, two special cash awards will also be presented on May 3. The total (minus any fees) raised through a new Audience Participation Crowdfunding Campaign will go to a company chosen by the audience via a text message vote during the finals event. The minimum suggested donation is $5 and can be made in person during the finals or atwww.paypal.me/vsharks.

For the second cash award , six past winners have pooled their resources and will give $300 to the finalist of their choosing. Switcher Studio, Logjustrips, Revio, Wicked Sheets,U.S. Chia and Surgical Serenity Solutions may award their special prize to a competitor other than the winner named by the judges.

This year, Venture Connectors received nearly 40 applications from entrepreneurs across the region. The Venture Sharks committee chose the top ideas for the first round of the competition, held April 12. During that event, the field was narrowed to four finalists.

The final round will be held on May 3 during the monthly Venture Connectors’ luncheon meeting at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. Sixth St. RSVPs are required. The event is free to full members, $30 for associate members and $40 for guests. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the meeting runs from noon-1:15 p.m. You don’t have to be a member or guest of a member to attend. Click here to register.

We hope you’ll come swim with the sharks on May 3!