Gorham Savings Bank has announced the five finalists who will compete for a $50,000 grand prize at its ninth annual LaunchPad small business pitch competition.

The five founders will compete for the non-dilutive grant on June 7 at the final LaunchPad pitch event, being held at the University of New England’s Innovation Hall, which is part of the school’s Portland campus (RSVP here). Each will be given a few minutes to pitch their business and field questions from a panel of judges before the winner is selected.

The finalists are:

  • Bookclubs, a Camden-based company that’s developed software to make organizing a book club simple with tools to build community, choose books, schedule meetings, and discover what to read next.
  • TrueFin, a Portland-based “net-to-table” provider of high-quality seafood from the Gulf of Maine to professional chefs and home chefs nationally.
  • Maine Food Group, a Brunswick-based specialty food manufacturer that focuses on shelf-stable and frozen food.
  • Erin Flett/Studio e Flett, a Gorham-based textile designer and lifestyle brand with big ambitions. (Flett was also a finalist in last year’s LaunchPad competition.)
  • Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, a North Yarmouth-based company that’s developed sustainable, compostable packaging.

Last year’s winner was HighByte, an industrial software company in Portland.

Five additional finalists have been named for the Emerging Business Award, the winner of which will receive a $10,000 grant from the bank plus $10,000 worth of in-kind business and marketing services from sponsors. Attendees of the event will see video pitches from each of these finalists.

The five finalists for the Emerging Business Award are:

  • Eskuad, a mobile-first data platform that helps field workers be more productive by providing a friendly interface and seamless online-offline operability
  • FibrWorks, which has developed hemp-based composites that deliver high-strength, low-weight sustainable solutions that meet environmental goals and the bottom line.
  • NKENNE, developer of a mobile app to help people learn African language.
  • Ocean Farm Supply, which sells a 100% compostable plastic-free shellfish harvest bag that breaks down in home compost in 8-12 weeks.
  • pumpspotting, which partners with businesses to support breastfeeding parents at work, at home, and on the go.

This is the ninth year Gorham Savings Bank has held LaunchPad. To date, the bank has provided more than $300,000 in non-dilutive grant money to winners of the pitch contest.