Charleston’s Catalyst pitch competition returns Nov. 12, putting local founders and students on stage

After a sold-out 2025 that put more than $2 million to work, Catalyst opens its doors to the public, with ticket proceeds supporting Meeting Street Schools

Catalyst by Beemok, an investment initiative supporting early-stage Charleston-area founders, is excited to announce the return of its Pitch Competition on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 196 Concord Street, giving local founders and students the chance to pitch for a share of up to $2 million in investment. Open to entrepreneurs in every industry, Catalyst connects founders with capital, mentors, and the business community behind them. Last year’s inaugural event sold out with more than 400 attendees in the room and put meaningful investment to work across participating companies.

“Charleston has no shortage of people with great ideas. Many of them just need someone to take a real chance on them,” said Ford Perry, COO of Beemok Capital. “Catalyst is our way of putting meaningful capital and real connections behind local founders and students. When investors, business leaders and neighbors show up for entrepreneurs, the whole community benefits, and we want everyone in that room.”

Catalyst’s 2025 finalists are already turning their moment on last year’s stage into real momentum for their companies, from new funding to new recognition. Torpedo Bio, a Charleston life sciences company working on a cancer treatment, brought in its first venture capital funding after pitching at Catalyst. The company has since tripled its team and earned a spot in the 2026 Innosphere Accelerator.

“Catalyst catapulted my company into the next level, leading to crucial new funding, awards and public recognition,” said Leonardo Ferreira, founder of Torpedo Bio. “What has surprised me the most about my entrepreneurial journey over the past year is how much talent and enthusiasm there is in Charleston to help build the treatments of the future.”

Catalyst is open to early-stage founders in every industry who live and work in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester County, and its goal is simple: help local entrepreneurs turn ideas into companies, with the community behind them.

This year’s judges are:

• Ben Navarro, Co-Founder, Beemok. A Charleston resident for more than 20 years, Navarro founded Sherman Financial Group, where he still serves as CEO, and launched Catalyst to identify, connect and fund promising Charleston entrepreneurs.
• Tim Spence, Chairman, CEO and President, Fifth Third Bancorp. Spence has led Fifth Third’s digital transformation and growth since joining in 2015, after earlier roles at two growth-stage technology companies and as a senior partner advising global financial institutions at Oliver Wyman.
• Claudius “Bud” Watts IV, Founder, Meeting Street Capital. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Watts established and led the Technology Buyout Group at The Carlyle Group before founding Meeting Street Capital to invest in early-stage companies.
• Austin McCombs, Co-Founder and CEO, Gnosis Freight. A Charleston-based founder, McCombs launched logistics technology company Gnosis Freight in 2017 and led it through a 2024 investment from Vista Equity Partners.
• Kevin Eichelberger, Director, SC Launch. A Charleston-based entrepreneur and investor, Eichelberger founded Blue Acorn, a successful eCommerce consultancy, and now leads SC Launch at the South Carolina Research Authority, supporting and investing in high-growth technology companies across the state.

The event will be emceed by Sarah Castle, a leadership coach, consultant and former Amazon executive who teaches entrepreneurship and leadership at Cornell University and the College of Charleston.

The 2026 professional finalists are:

• CompanAIn, founded by Michelle Wiltse and Sam Sheppard. CompanAIn gives dogs, cats and horses a connected health record, bringing clinic, lab and owner information into one place.
• DealerCopilot, founded by Michael Bor, Evan Berney, Todd Caputo, and Boone Neligan. DealerCopilot uses AI to help dealerships prepare personalized vehicle maintenance recommendations before customers arrive.
• Dino Bars, founded by Jessie Saultz and Gray Anderson. Dino Bars is a USDA-organic fruit and veggie bar for kids that comes in an edible wafer wrapper, designed to keep snack time mess-free.
• GoodUnited, founded by Nick Black and Jeremy Berman. GoodUnited helps nonprofits turn anonymous social media followers into known supporters, then guides them toward making a donation.
• Healthy Cell, founded by Douglas Giampapa. Healthy Cell makes a patented gel supplement that puts what would normally take a handful of pills into a single pack.
• Juiced Fuel, founded by Korey McDavid and Caroline McDavid. Juiced Fuel delivers fuel on demand to fleets, job sites, cars and boats, all ordered with the tap of a button.
• OncoBLAZE, founded by Dieter Haemmerich. OncoBLAZE delivers chemotherapy cancer cells remaining after surgery, using imaging to confirm precise treatment delivery.
• Q-Density, founded by Daniel Dorneanu. Q-Density is an automated tool that checks the quality of spray foam insulation and confirms R-values right on the job site.
• RIGWA LIFE, founded by Zac Jordan and Jericha Jordan. RIGWA LIFE makes sleek, sustainable stainless steel food storage for active lifestyles, designed to keep food fresher longer.

The 2026 student finalists are:

• Advocate, founded by Alexander Leporati. Advocate lets families caring for a loved one with serious mental illness share their observations directly with the clinician.
• Cuffway, founded by Shrihan Ganesh Babu. CuffWay is developing a device that automatically monitors and adjusts breathing tube cuff pressure, helping prevent complications and reducing the need for manual checks by healthcare teams.
• P.S., founded by Ian Haddad and Halle Keefer. P.S. is an AI-powered greeting card brand that turns photos and inside jokes into personalized cards, handling both the creation and the printing and mailing of each card in a matter of minutes.

The Catalyst Pitch Competition is open to the public. Tickets are $25 and include lunch, with 100% of ticket proceeds going to support Meeting Street Schools, a network of schools founded by the Navarro family that serves more than 1,500 under-resourced students in South Carolina. Tickets and event details are available at catalystbybeemok.com. Business owners, founders, students and anyone curious about Charleston’s next generation of companies are welcome to attend.

About Catalyst by Beemok

Catalyst by Beemok is dedicated to fueling entrepreneurship and innovation in the Charleston region. More than a pitch competition, Catalyst connects entrepreneurs with investment capital, experienced business leaders and investors who can help accelerate growth. Through its annual live pitch competition and ongoing support for local entrepreneurs, Catalyst supports businesses at various stages of development while strengthening the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating lasting economic opportunity in the Lowcountry. Learn more at catalystbybeemok.com.