2024 Pitch Company Finalists

We are so excited to showcase these Christian-led companies across sectors such as AI, SaaS, Ag.Tech., and Health solving the biggest problems in our world. Join us in person April 11, 2024, to see these companies pitch!

2024 Finalists

Hans Rempel
  • Diode has a revolutionary approach to cybersecurity using blockchain technology to create a superior communications platform similar to WhatsApp for medium to large enterprise companies. Notably this platform is designed to bypass the two major vulnerabilities of the worldwide internet which are at the core of the internet’s architecture. At the same time Diode’s platform will provide a “super VPN” that cannot be blocked by governments that heavily censor their networks (e.g. China, Iran, Russia).  Over 7,000 “subscribers” (non-paid) have been testing Diode’s software for the last 12 months, many of whom are IT professionals, and have fully endorsed the platform based on early results.
  • Hans Rempel is a seasoned technology entrepreneur with deep B2B SaaS experience and previous exits.  He is an electrical engineer by training, and previously founded and operated a top-10 Gatrner-ranked IIoT analytics company called Exosite (exosite.com) until late 2022 before launching Diode. 

Dr. Chris Apfel
  • SageMedic is a healthcare company which has patented technology and systems that could significantly improve the effectiveness of existing chemo and radiation treatments for cancer by pre-testing tumors against all available treatments. A large number of tumors are actually resistant to many of the existing therapies – but up until now oncologists had no way of knowing which treatments would fail and which would show success for a particular patient. With SageMedic – they can know within a week – significantly improving the odds that the treatments will be effective – ideally extending the lives of tens of thousands of cancer patients.
  • Dr. Chris Apfel, the founder and visionary behind SageMedic (“SAGE”), has forged an illustrious career spanning academia, healthcare, and industry. Given the limitations of genomic testing to personalize cancer therapy, SAGE has developed a novel functional profiling cancer diagnostic platform to take precision medicine to the next level. Before founding SAGE Dr. Apfel was the former Executive Director at Cadence Pharm, where he led real-world evidence health economic analysis, demonstrating over $500 per-patient cost savings for hospitals that led to Cadence Pharm's remarkable $1.3 billion acquisition by Mallinckrodt. Dr. Apfel was internationally recognized as a leading authority in designing, conducting, and publishing high-impact clinical trials and his work, comprising thousands of patients and over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Apfel developed the renowned "Apfel Score," now a widely accepted standard tool in clinical practice globally. Dr. Apfel is a licensed California physician with over two decades of experience in anesthesiology, critical care medicine, and emergency medicine. He earned his medical degree (MD) and a doctoral degree (PhD equivalent) from Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany. Complementing his medical expertise and before starting SAGE, he earned his MBA from the Wharton School of Business, Univ. of Pennsylvania, PA.

Noel Thomas
  • Dark Watch has a powerful software application and network to mitigate and eliminate human trafficking proactively detecting and tracking sophisticated criminal organizations who exploit victims for profit through force, fraud, and coercion. They have already mapped 200 crime rings running 32,000 brothels in the USA. The company generates revenues by aiding hotels, banks, social media companies, and the government in their efforts to root human trafficking out of their operations, and out of our communities. 
  • Noel Thomas stands as a visionary leader, driven by an unwavering dedication to eradicating the scourge of human trafficking through pioneering technological solutions. His journey commenced amidst the mission fields of Operation Mobilization and Youth With A Mission (YWAM), where he bore witness to the harrowing impact of human trafficking on vulnerable communities worldwide, igniting within him a fervent desire for meaningful change. This propelled him on a mission to combat the injustice at its core, a mission that would lead him to serve as the former Statewide Counter Trafficking Coordinator for Florida where he orchestrated collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and governmental bodies, spearheading initiatives to disrupt trafficking networks and provide vital support to survivors. Fueled by a desire to harness technology for social good, Thomas founded Dark Watch, an innovative platform aimed at disrupting the human slave trade and safeguarding vulnerable populations. As a Whitaker-published author, Thomas extends the reach of his mission through his book, "Dark Traffic," offering profound insights into the clandestine world of organized crime and advocating for tangible solutions and hope. Central to Thomas's mission is a vision for a world where every individual is valued, protected, and liberated from exploitation—a vision rooted in his deep faith in Christ and his steadfast commitment to setting the captives free.

Bruce Hamilton and Scott Friesen
  • Verdant Orchards is raising expansion capital for large scale farming projects in Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa where avocados, macadamia nuts, and citrus crops will be grown.  The management team has been successfully running large scale agricultural operations in Africa for over 30 years and is forecasting high internal rates of return for investors in this round.  Thousands of jobs will be created in these expansion programs.
  • CEO Bruce Hamilton's Verdant Orchards is driving agricultural expansion, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth across multiple African countries. With a proven track record and ambitious plans, the company is poised to make a significant impact on food security and prosperity in the region.
    ​    ​Scott Friesen is a serial entrepreneur with a twenty year track record of venture growth & profitability including three successful exits of his US tech and media ventures.  After his last exit, rather than retiring, he felt called to start Verdant Frontiers in 2013 and plans to spend the “second half” of his life building ventures to create compelling investor returns and life-changing jobs in Africa.  To date, he and his team have launched 14 ventures with a combined value of over $180M in the agricultural, real estate, fintech, consulting, hospitality and medical sectors.  Verdant’s goal is to create $2B of assets and 100,000 life changing jobs this decade in Africa.  The best thing about him is that he is a child of God, beloved, saved by grace and created to do good works...everything else is icing on the cake!  He and his wife, Karen, are raising three children in Austin, Texas.
    Bruce Hamilton has over 30 years of agribusiness leadership in Africa. He has successfully managed operations across 8 countries, orchestrated the efforts of 10,000 employees spanning 4 nations, and masterfully facilitated the export of perishable products to over 20 countries. His impressive track record includes the founding of 3 agri startups, executing 3 strategic acquisitions, and demonstrating expertise in diverse agricultural domains such as floriculture, horticulture, livestock, grains, fresh produce, and orchards.

Vahid Behzadi
  • There are over 64 million people in the U.S. (one out of four) with disabilities, and 14 million adults in the U.S. have disabilities severe enough to require daily support and intervention through case management employees paid by local, state and federal agencies. Every day that an adult with severe disabilities is aided by a particular agency representative, a case management report must be prepared for state and federal reporting purposes.  Thus approximately 14 million case management reports are prepared daily with more than half still being prepared manually, and the others prepared on antiquated software and apps with a high dissatisfaction rate. 

    Pocket Case Manager provides AI-powered mobile apps for disability service providers that includes all required reports already formatted which can be easily populated through AI directed voice recognition (in 80 different languages) and also includes all clinical case history and recommendations specifically for each patient. The Pocket Case Manager app will convert an arduous process requiring 30 minutes to 1 hour per day depending upon activity, into less than 5 minutes per day, significantly reducing time and energy spent on mandatory reporting requirements, reducing costs and allowing more time for improved clinical outcomes.
  • Vahid Behzadi, founder and CEO of Pocket, has built his career on practical experiences and a straightforward commitment to improving disability services. With a family history in the sector spanning over 25 years, he has firsthand understanding of its challenges. Vahid's professional journey began in front-line roles, providing him with a solid foundation and insight into the needs of those he aims to serve with Pocket. Outside of work, Vahid values his time with his wife and two daughters in Frisco, TX, attending Gateway Church. In the tech world, Vahid has contributed to companies like Appfolio (IPO 2015) and Zapier (YC S12), gaining valuable experience in software development, team building, and leadership. His engagement with artificial intelligence in recent years aims to bring efficiency and modern solutions to traditional problems. At Ouicruit, Inc., a successful CFO and HR advisory consultancy, Vahid has shown his ability to navigate the complexities of starting, managing, and growing a successful business. At Pocket, his approach is to combine this technical company experience with his grounded understanding of disability services, striving through grace, to make meaningful improvements in a practical and scalable way.

Lesley Mbogo
  • ​Using a network of 6 mini-warehouses, the company has put together an efficient distribution network for last mile delivery of two bulky but vital commodities in Kenya – propane gas for cooking and bottled drinking water.  Orders are taken digitally over the internet, through WhatsApp, or through the company’s call center.  Much of the competing delivery systems are inefficient and unreliable – and often guilty of delivering compromised or fraudulent products causing major safety and health issues.  GoBEBA obtains its products straight from the branded manufacturers to ensure quality, and trains its delivery teams in safety and installation providing vastly superior service.  After increasing penetration of major markets in Kenya, adjacent countries including Uganda and Tanzania over strong opportunities for expansion.
  • Lesley Mbogo has extensive experience in engineering and product management of high-scale technology products and services, earning 4 technology patents during her time at IBM Research Labs. Lesley led the development and global launches of Amazon products and headed the mobile platforms for Mkopa Solar in Kenya. Lesley has an MBA from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and an MS in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

    GoBEBA is building trust and efficiency in Africa’s utilities supply chain. African urban cities face critical infrastructure deficits in essential utilities like piped water and cooking energy, making the distribution of such utilities inefficient, unsafe, and inconvenient. GoBEBA provides a superior direct-to-customer distribution model for essential utilities using digitized micro distribution networks, reducing losses for manufacturers/brands and providing consumers and businesses with hassle-free access to genuine and safe utilities. GoBEBA is empowering Africa through innovative utility access. Their mission is to help utility brands distribute profitably while making it safe and affordable for families and businesses in Africa to access essential utilities conveniently.

Dr. Joshua Kibera