Start Up Maryland Tours Frederick

StartUp Road Show Brings Pitch Bus to Frederick for Entrepreneur Competition

The StartUp Road Show made its way through the City of Frederick on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 as part of a yearlong “Pitch Across Maryland” entrepreneurship celebration.

Two men stand smiling in front of a colorful Startup Maryland bus with bold text and logos. The scene conveys innovation and entrepreneurship.

Hosted in partnership with Startup Maryland, the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland (CAMI), Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) and the City of Frederick Department of Economic Development (DED), the tour day highlighted the life sciences and technology ecosystems in Frederick and provided innovative start-ups and second stage companies the opportunity to share their visions as part of the "Pitch Across Maryland" competition.

A man playfully poses in wooden stocks, smiling, while another man stands beside him laughing. Behind them are stacked barrels, conveying a lighthearted mood.

Dragon Distillery opened in 2015 as the City of Frederick's first distillery. The venture's success has since inspired two more distilleries to open in Frederick, complimenting the five craft-breweries already established within City limits. 

 

The tour kicked-off the day at a stop jointly hosted by Dragon Distillery and the Frederick Municipal Airport in  celebration of both Frederick's growing craft beverage industry, and exciting new infrastructure improvements.

A man in a black polo shirt stands by a fence near an airport runway, being filmed by another man wearing a yellow "Startup Maryland" shirt.

The City's FDK airport is currently undergoing a major capital project to extend the runway and create space for future private hangar construction opportunities. 

The STRT1UP bus traveled on to James M. Stockman Cancer Institute, where researchers shared their stories of innovative cancer treatment research and provided tours of the new facility, opened in July of this year. 

 

A group of six people stand talking near a large bus parked on a city street. The setting is casual, with a sunny day and a gas station in the background.

The final stop of the day was hosted by Yakabod and Frederick County Bank in downtown Frederick.

Cozy sunlit corner with two leather chairs and potted plants, set against large windows offering a warm view of red-brick buildings. Geometric carpet adds charm.

Yakabod, a successful information sharing tech company, was chosen to represent the flourishing local technology industry that is being attracted to the Downtown setting. 

A vibrant yellow truck with "Startup Maryland" branding is parked beside ornate, historic brick buildings under a soft evening sky, conveying innovation.

Frederick County Bank, in turn, exemplifies the underlying ecosystem in place facilitating business development in Frederick.  

The daylong tour and celebration culminated in a networking event hosted by CAMI at the newly-opened Serendipity market, gallery & meeting place in downtown Frederick.

Three people smiling and posing in front of a gallery wall filled with colorful paintings. The setting is casual and cheerful, with an artistic atmosphere.
A woman in a blue jacket holds a microphone and speaks to a group of four people standing to her left.

The StartUp Maryland Roadshow is the largest statewide celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Mid-Atlantic. Entrepreneurs and local innovators have the opportunity to create a video pitch for their business, with their words and their passion, on the Startup Maryland Bus. The pitch videos are edited and given to the entrepreneurs for free as well as entered into the annual Pitch Across Maryland Competition. The top pitch videos are given the opportunity to then present to investors and serial entrepreneurs at the 2018 StartUp Maryland Showcase.