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By Greg Bordonaro

Eight startups pitched their business models during the 2018 Venture Showcase hosted by Hartford-based reSET, Social Enterprise Trust.

Three Connecticut startups in media, skincare and food proved big hits at Dunkin’ Donuts Park May 10, with judges selecting them from eight startups to share $20,000 in unrestricted funding in the 2018 Venture Showcase put on by Hartford-based reSET, Social Enterprise Trust.

Winners were: Loki, $10,000; Florapothecarie, $6,000; and Bare Life, $4,000.

The annual event recognizes talented entrepreneurs and innovative businesses that recently graduated from reSET’s accelerator program. Eighteen early stage enterprises graduated from the cohort and eight finalists competed for funding. More than 110 applicants applied for the program, according to reSET, which aims to advance the social enterprise sector and other entrepreneurs and is based in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood.

Entrepreneurs pitched their business models to an audience of founders, investors, and community and corporate stakeholders.

Loki calls itself a new kind of media company, with its website saying it’s a place where one can watch events through collections of many perspectives, live-streamed through the eyes of people actually there, rather than one perspective driving one’s experience of an event. Florapothecarie makes 100 percent natural and vegan skincare products. Bare Life’s mission is to make allergen- and irritant-free foods and recipes convenient for everyone, especially the chronically ill.

An award for “Most Improved Pitch” went to FieldOwler, which says its mission is to serve businesses, organizations, and agencies that utilize independent contractors in order to enable them to make informed worker classification decisions and reduce exposure to costly misclassification.

Other finalists were CNG Fit, LLC / Fit Party Me, Lioness Magazine, Noteworthy Chocolates, RecordME and SKYWIREme.Since 2013, reSET has graduated 105 companies from its accelerator program and has awarded more than $250,000 to scaling ventures.