DIA is an association of seasoned entrepreneurs, professionals, and community volunteers, aimed at furthering entrepreneurial growth in the Dalton-Whitfield County area. The Accelerator was formed in 2017 with an initial goal of establishing an annual startup competition called PitchDIA.  Learn more about the Accelerator by clicking here!    

    The primary goal of the PitchDIA competition is to further entrepreneurial growth in the north Georgia area. Not only will the winners of the competition enjoy significant startup funding, free office space, and other prizes, participants will also benefit from significant exposure to seasoned businesspersons and professionals with deep connections in our community. Whether you’re an individual pitching an idea written on a back of a napkin, an experienced business with an R&D offshoot looking to launch, or a company already in the second round of fundraising … we believe your ideas have a place in this competition. Any startup in need of guidance, funding, or an “in” would definitely benefit from participating in PitchDIA, but many investors are planning to be in attendance regardless of your need for prizes.  

    Start by filling out an application!    

    The advisory panel will take several factors into consideration including the market opportunity for the idea, the overall business model of the idea, the capabilities of the management team, and the strength of product/service offering.  

    In your initial application, we want to know what your idea is about. Members of the DIA team will be available to meet with Semifinalists to discuss your pitch and presentation before the 2019 PitchDIA event.    

  Winners of PitchDIA 2019 will receive prizes valued at over $30,000 and prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.  Details on each prize package are listed above in the Awarded Prizes section.      

      Investors will be in attendance, some investors are involved in the establishment of the competition itself and others investors (and their firms) will be in attendance for the competition itself. If you are an accredited investor and would like to attend, please RSVP using the form below. Accredited investors who RSVP will have additional materials made available to them on the portfolio of pitches during and after the event.

      We do encourage people from the community to attend. Selected applicants and their stakeholders, members of the Dalton Innovation Accelerator advisory board, judges, invited guests, invited investors, and guests who RSVP may be given priority over the general public if space becomes a concern. But, we don’t expect that to become an issue.    

    The best way to get involved in the pitch competition, whether as a mentor or investor, is through the Dalton Innovation Accelerator. There will be more information about DIA in the near future and that information will be published here as it becomes available.