CNMI will be hosting the 8th Ski Lift Pitch on Feb. 23 where founders of New Mexico startups ride the chairlift at Taos Ski Valley alongside investors and pitch their business ideas as part of a $10,000 winner-take-all competition 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. , Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Having a strong pitch is essential for a startup. But where and how do you deliver that pitch in order to reach the right kind of investors who can fund your business?

CNM Ingenuity and the Outdoor Recreation Division of the New Mexico Economic Development Department think the chairlift at the world-class Taos Ski Valley is the perfect spot. On Feb. 23, 12 pre-seed and seed-stage startups headquartered in or with a presence in New Mexico will be participating in the 8th Ski Lift Pitch. The event pairs a founder of each startup with world-class venture capitalists who’ve gathered in Taos, and the duos jump on the lift for quick pitch sessions. 

CNM Ingenuity, which operates a Venture Fund and is part of Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, was established under the New Mexico University Research Park and Economic Development Act in 2014. The mission of CNM Ingenuity is to promote the public welfare, the prosperity of individuals, and to foster economic development within both the private and public sectors in New Mexico.

Each startup founder at the Ski Lift Pitch gets to meet with four different venture capital representatives (four chairlift rides), and those VC reps judge each startup’s ideas. The top four startups then get to present their pitches to a larger group of VC reps down at the base area, and the winning startup walks away with $10,000.

But even more importantly, both the winning startup and all the startup participants get to forge important relationships with the attending VC companies. Those relationships then pay off over time as the startups mature and continue to look for funding opportunities. 

“This year, we have an amazing group of New Mexico…