Eight startups compete for top honors at 2025 Riverside County Riverside Regional Fast Pitch, Glid wins 1st place
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (April 18, 2025) – The Riverside Regional Fast Pitch, hosted at ExCITE Riverside, brought together eight standout startups from across the region to compete for top honors as part of this year’s countywide pitch competition series.
Held on April 17, the event spotlighted entrepreneurs from diverse industries, each delivering a three-minute pitch to a panel of expert judges and live audience. The competition showcased groundbreaking solutions ranging from advanced mobility to fire safety to environmental preservation.
Glid emerged as the first-place winner, impressing the judges with its magnetic levitation rail system designed to offer a more efficient, sustainable alternative to traditional public transportation. Glid will now move forward to represent the Riverside region at the Riverside County Innovation Month Pitch Finale on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Event details and tickets are available here.
Additional winners included:
- 2nd Place: Super Foam – A fire safety startup developing a non-toxic, patent-pending fire suppressant that addresses chemical and fire hazards while protecting human health and the environment. Super Foam is part of ExCITE as well as UCR’s EPIC, which provides technical guidance and commercialization support to help early-stage founders bring their innovations to market.
- 3rd Place: Rare Flora – A bioengineering venture working to restore endangered plant species through synthetic biology and advanced genome editing. Rare Flora is also supported by UCR’s EPIC program.
The top three winners were awarded non-dilutive cash prizes made possible by local sponsors:
- 1st Place Sponsor: City of Riverside
- 2nd Place Sponsor: ExCITE Riverside
- 3rd Place Sponsor: Pacific Premier Bank
“We are incredibly proud to witness the innovation and passion of these talented entrepreneurs,” said Miranda Evans, Economic Development Manager of the City of Riverside. "Glid’s groundbreaking solution exemplifies the future of sustainable transportation, and we are excited to see them represent Riverside at the countywide finale. This competition underscores the strength of Riverside’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the important role we play in fostering innovation for a better tomorrow." Evans also presented the first-place prize on behalf of the City of Riverside.
Other finalists who delivered strong pitches included:
- 4th State Energies (4thstateenergies.com) – A UCR faculty spinout developing plasma-based systems that convert waste into renewable energy, with support from UCR’s Life Sciences Incubator and EPIC
- Intelligent Twins (intelligent-twins.ai) – A UCR faculty spinout using AI-driven digital twins to simulate and optimize complex systems, providing predictive insights for industries like energy, logistics, and infrastructure
- Indrio Technologies (indriotech.com) – A photonics startup supported by UCR’s Build to Scale program and EPIC, leveraging mid-infrared spectroscopy to deliver fast, accurate, and non-invasive diagnostics
- HexHomes (hexhomes.co) – A UCR undergraduate team rethinking affordable housing through modular, sustainable, and tech-enabled construction designed for rapid deployment and scalability
- Univue (univue.net) – A Corona-based startup helping small and mid-sized businesses integrate legacy systems and digital tools into one centralized platform to unlock the full value of their data
The finalists pitched to an esteemed panel of judges representing a range of entrepreneurial and investment expertise:
- James Lee, Senior Consultant, Miller Center for Entrepreneurship
- Marquise Jackson, Sr. Director of Business Development and Partnerships, Mission Driven Finance
- Sat Singh, Program Manager, AI Coachella Valley
- Nate Punla, Founder and CEO, Quarter Storm
Also in attendance was Humanbulb, the organizing partner behind the Startup World Cup, who is coordinating the collaboration between this year’s Riverside County Pitch Finale and the Startup World Cup global pitch competition.
The Riverside Regionals is part of the EPIC (Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept & Innovation Center) programming at UCR, which provides innovators with mentorship, training, startup support, and access to capital. EPIC is a central resource within UCR’s Office of Technology Partnerships, supporting the university’s broader mission to foster economic growth through entrepreneurship.
This competition is one of many events held during Riverside County’s Innovation Month, a countywide celebration of local entrepreneurship, innovation, and community partnerships. UC Riverside is proud to participate in Innovation Month through OTP’s work supporting early-stage startups and inclusive economic development across Inland Southern California. Learn more at the official Innovation Month website.
To learn more about EPIC and how UCR supports local entrepreneurs, visit UC Riverside’s Office of Technology Partnerships.
About UC Riverside’s Office of Technology Partnerships
The Office of Technology Partnerships catalyzes the translation of UCR’s world-class research into products and services that benefit society. UCR EPIC SBDC's mentors provide commercialization assistance to startups and emerging businesses, supporting their growth and development. By collaborating with the private sector, supporting entrepreneurial initiatives, and fostering innovation across the campus, the Office is committed to creating a thriving ecosystem that benefits students, faculty, and the community. To learn more about The Office of Tech Partnerships and the EPIC SBDC program, please visit here.
Contact Information
Aileen Luib
Assistant Director of Special Programs and Outreach
Office of Technology Partnerships, University of California, Riverside
Phone: 951-827-8516
Email: aileenl@ucr.edu