The latest season breaks records with $2.75M (USD) invested into startups around the world
Meet the Drapers, an international pitch competition reality television series for entrepreneurs, today announced the show’s Season 5 winners, It’s Skinny and CancerFree Biotech, Ltd. For the first time, the Draper family awarded two first-place winners, each receiving a one-million-dollar investment (USD).
Based in the US, It’s Skinny co-founders, Barb Axelson and Bryan Guadagno, created an entire line of low-calorie, carb- and gluten-free, vegan, and keto- and paleo-friendly pasta and rice made with konjac flour. The other first-place winner, CancerFree Biotech, Ltd., co-founded by Pohan Chen and Amber Shihpei Wu from Taiwan, uses precision medicine to provide real-time treatment plans based on personalized tumor cell analysis.
Season 5 has set a new record for selecting two startups to each receive the first-place prize of $1 million (USD) from Tim Draper, which is one of the single largest investments ever made on reality television. The entrepreneurs will also be inducted into the Draper Ecosystem, which provides important feedback, mentorship, and education to members.
Alongside the two first-place winners, Vishnu Teja, CEO, and founder of AssetVault won second place with an investment of $500,000 (USD) and Amol Karnick, CEO and founder of KA Imaging won third place and was awarded $250,000 (USD).
The latest season, produced and directed by Sarika Batra, highlighted 35 startups from regions across the globe including India, Taiwan, Portugal, Brazil, Singapore, Canada, and the United States. “It was really exciting to be a part of this groundbreaking season of Meet The Drapers and provide not only the winners but also the 30+ startups with the global stage to showcase their ideas,” said Sarika Batra, director, and producer of Meet the Drapers Season 5. “I believe this season was just the beginning and look forward to welcoming more incredible entrepreneurs that are looking to change the world.”
Meet the Drapers is now casting for Season 6, visit MeettheDrapers.com to apply.
Meet The Drapers is an international pitch competition reality television series where entrepreneurs from around the globe compete against one another for a 1 million dollar investment in their game-changing ideas from a billionaire venture capitalist, Tim Draper. Every episode features entrepreneurs from different regions of the globe pitching their business ideas to Mr. Draper, his family, and one VIP guest judge. Tim Draper is a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley known for investing in several “unicorns” such as Coinbase, Skype, Tesla, and Hotmail.
SOURCE: Meet the Drapers
