A Bridgewater-area business is heading to Italy after winning a local startup pitch competition.
Petite Rivière Farms of Conquerall Mills was named the winner of the International Network of Michelin Cities (INMC) Bridgewater Pitch Competition, earning a spot at an international event this fall in Cuneo, Italy.
Owner Gregg Curwin will represent Bridgewater as one of 15 international finalists at the INMC Conference.
Winning company focused on health-based products
Curwin’s company grows and processes micro broccoli containing sulforaphane, a compound linked to anti-inflammatory properties and potential cancer-related health benefits.
“We’ve been very fortunate… we’ve managed to get traction, and we’re now scaling across the country,” Curwin said.
The company’s product, marketed as “Broccoli Bounty,” is already being sold online across Canada.
Curwin says the opportunity to pitch internationally is a major step forward.
“I’m going to Italy… and it’s definitely going to help us look at the European market,” he said.
Part of international Michelin cities network
The competition is tied to the International Network of Michelin Cities, which connects communities around the world that host Michelin tire plants.
Bridgewater is a founding member of the network and part of a group coordinating the international pitch competition.
Ignite Atlantic COO Wes Surrett says the initiative is designed to help rural startups reach a global stage.
“It’s all about startups… that are able to scale internationally,” he said. “We’re taking a winner from each location to Italy for an international pitch competition.”
Competition highlights startup ecosystem
Seven companies pitched at the Bridgewater event, representing industries ranging from health care apps to cybersecurity and soil technology.
Mayor David Mitchell, who served as a judge, says the event showed the strength of the local business community.
“This event clearly demonstrates that we have a diverse and vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurs here in our community,” he said.
Surrett says the competition is about more than just one winner, pointing to the exposure and support available to all participants.
He says partnerships tied to the initiative help businesses prepare for international markets, including legal, marketing and export support.
Petite Rivière Farms will now join winners from Kings County and Pictou County as Nova Scotia’s representatives at the international competition in October.
