TEDCO Announces 2026 Concept Capital Pitch Competition Winner

Concept Capital Pitch Competition took place at the Entrepreneur Expo on October 27

COLUMBIA, Md., (November 3, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announced the winner for the Concept Capital Pitch Competition, Stemora. The pitch competition gave these founders the chance to obtain an additional $25,000 at the 2026 Entrepreneur Expo.

“Not every entrepreneur has access to friends-and-family funding, and that gap can keep promising ideas from moving forward,” said TEDCO CEO, Troy LeMaile-Stovall. “Concept Capital helps address that early-stage funding need. By hosting this competition for additional funding, we are proud to offer pitching experience, real-time expert feedback and access to a broader network of entrepreneurial support.”

A recent recipient of Concept Capital funding, Stemora’s founder, Srujana Cherukuri, competed against eight others who previously applied to either TEDCO’s Rural Pre-Seed Fund or the Social Impact Funds and received $25,000 from the program. Stemora received funding earlier this year for its work in regenerative therapy as it aims to develop a combination therapy that stimulates stem cells within the body to regenerate cartilage at the injury site in patients with cartilage defects and early to moderate osteoarthritis.

Other competitors in the 2026 Concept Capital Pitch Competition included:

1. Dira
2. Flixmate
3. Cframe
4. Vews
5. SyndexAI
6. Acorn Family Services
7. Sirius Biotech Ventures
8. Nanost

“The entrepreneurial journey is not easy, and we are proud to be able to support those who commit to it,” said Graham Dodge, TEDCO’s vice president of Venture Development. “Congratulations to Stemora on your win, and to all competitors for sticking with the entrepreneurial journey. We hope to see everyone’s continued growth.”

TEDCO’s Concept Capital program was created to provide critical early-stage funding for tech companies in need of assistance to further launch and grow their business, allowing Maryland to become a hub for entrepreneurial success. For more information about the Concept Capital program, please visit tedcomd.com/funding/concept-capital.