Procter & Gamble Ventures Brings Innovation Challenge Online for CES 2021

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Oct 30, 2020, 14:00 ET

CINCINNATI, Oct. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the success of its first-ever Virtual Innovation Challenge in June, P&G Ventures, the early-stage startup studio within P&G (NYSE:PG), is now accepting submissions for its next virtual pitch competition.

P&G Ventures Senior Vice President Leigh Radford presents $10,000 check to Morari Medical founder and CEO Jeff Bennett for winning the first P&G Ventures Innovation Challenge.

Entrepreneurs, inventors, and startups are invited to submit their products to P&G Ventures for a chance to present on the virtual P&G Life Lab stage at CES. Three finalists will be selected to pitch their products on January 13, 2021 at 12:00 pm ET to a panel of expert judges including Leigh Radford, Senior Vice President and General Manager at P&G Ventures, Julie Setser, Senior Vice President of R&D at P&G Ventures, Kristina Rogers, Global Consumer Industries Leader at EY, and Courtney Reum, Co-Founder of M13. Pitches will be broadcast online as part of the P&G CES 2021 exhibit. The winner will receive:

A $10,000 prize
An opportunity to pitch to the M13 investment team, coupled with mentoring sessions
A complimentary invitation to the EY Strategic Growth Forum®
A chance to partner with P&G Ventures to continue developing their innovation

"Winning the P&G Ventures Innovation Challenge has been a game-changer for Healium, allowing us to develop new channel partners and research partnerships, while also informing our product roadmap. We're grateful for the opportunity to share the future of stress management and digital nutrition powered by the body's own biometric data," shared Sarah Hill, CEO of Healium and winner of the Virtual Innovation Challenge in June. "Since winning the Challenge, Healium has seen multiple wins, including the opportunity to help healthcare workers on the frontline of the pandemic."

Procter & Gamble is returning to CES 2021 virtually to showcase its combination of deep consumer understanding and cutting-edge technologies transforming everyday consumer experiences. Continuing to adapt to the changing circumstances caused by the novel coronavirus, P&G Ventures is bringing the CES Innovation Challenge online to provide entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their innovations. While the Challenge is part of P&G's CES exhibit, all interested parties can register via Eventbrite to watch the pitch competition as it's livestreamed, regardless of whether they are CES ticket holders.

"We launched the first Virtual Innovation Challenge to let entrepreneurs know that opportunities are still out there, even amid COVID-19, and the response has been tremendous," says Leigh Radford. "Every year, CES sets the stage for new innovations and, as a result, has always been a great place for P&G Ventures to find new potential partners. So, with CES going online, we're excited that we're able to bring the Virtual Innovation Challenge to this important event."

Established in 2015, P&G Ventures partners with entrepreneurs, inventors, and startups to discover and create consumer products, brands, and businesses that solve people's needs in categories new to P&G. Each P&G Ventures partnership is unique, providing funding and access to P&G's experts, resources, and capabilities to help partners prove their technology and create their brand.

P&G Ventures is looking for fast-moving, consumable technologies or early-stage products that will transform everyday consumer experiences. Categories of interest reflect P&G Ventures' focus areas: balanced protection from harmful bacteria, enhanced sleep, non-toxic insect solutions, women's wellness, personal performance, active aging, and other consumables that improve people's lives and aren't in one of P&G's current categories. Strong submissions solve a consumer pain point, deliver a competitive advantage over existing technologies or solutions, and have intellectual property protection.

P&G Ventures will be leveraging the KITE SRM platform and operating system to accept submissions at ventureschallenge.com until Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET from legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years or older at time of entry. For more information about how to enter, including contest rules and regulations, please visit: ventureschallenge.com. To stay up-to-date on the Innovation Challenge timing and news follow P&G Ventures on LinkedIn and Twitter (@PGVstudio).

About Procter and Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

Media Contact:
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Fiona Chau, [email protected]

SOURCE Procter & Gamble