ITHACA, N.Y. — EMPEQ was named the winner of the $100,000 Veteran Pitch Competition hosted by The Veteran Fund, chosen from a pool of more than 200 veteran-led startups, the company announced.
EMPEQ was one of three finalists that presented their ventures live to Jason Calacanis, host of This Week in Startups, Mike Sherbakov, and Brendan Aronson. Along with winning the $100,000 investment, the win also provides an opportunity for EMPEQ CEO Herbert Dwyer to showcase the company’s technology on an upcoming episode of This Week in Startups, a popular tech podcast.
“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition and investment,” Dwyer said in a press release. “As a service-disabled Marine veteran, I have dedicated my career to identifying and solving hidden threats, from being a cryptanalyst in the Marines to addressing counterfeits and inefficiencies in critical infrastructure with EMPEQ. This award validates our mission and the hard work of our team. We are excited to continue driving innovation in support of our customers and partners.”
EMPEQ’s technology helps organizations mitigate risks associated with counterfeit and outdated equipment and components. The company’s field analysts can quickly and accurately identify equipment and parts using deep-tech cloud and mobile technology.
“We founded EMPEQ to solve critical challenges in equipment management and supply-chain security,” COO Derek LaClair said in the release. “Winning this competition is a huge milestone that will help us scale our technology to serve even more customers who depend on our tools to make faster, safer decisions.”
EMPEQ’s win in the competition also gives the company an opportunity to be reviewed for additional investment by Calacanis and the team at Silicon Valley’s LAUNCH.