Four early-stage companies pitched a room of investors and mentors at Silicon Slopes headquarters in Lehi on Thursday, July 16, seeking a combined $5 million to grow products ranging from nonprofit fundraising software to technical outdoor gear.

The event was the latest installment of Third Thursday at Three, a monthly pitch series founded in 2023 by venture advisor Ray Smithson and organized with Kinect Capital. The format gives each founder three minutes to present followed by two minutes of audience questions.

Vanessa Perez, president of MakeUtah, hosted the July gathering in Smithson's absence. Smithson, who has been living in Taiwan for several months, joined remotely from Silicon Valley, where he was hosting a separate event.

The four pitches

Altruvia — Fritz-Carl Morlant pitched his nonprofit fundraising and impact-measurement platform, which charges a 3% transaction fee on donations it processes. Morlant, a former BYU Student Body President who grew up helping his parents run an orphanage near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, said the company already counts Brigham Young University and the Other Side Foundation as paying customers. Altruvia is raising $200,000 to expand its development team ahead of contract deadlines in October 2026.

Definitive TNF — Chadwick Davis, a former early employee at Salt Lake City-based Recursion Pharmaceuticals, is developing an oral therapy for chronic inflammatory diseases linked to the TNF protein. Davis told the audience that current treatments rely on injectable or infused biologic drugs in a market he valued at more than $44 billion annually. The company is raising $2.2 million to complete preclinical development ahead of a Series A round.

Parlay — Co-founders James Biesinger and Brooke Roney presented their AI-driven coaching tool for field sales representatives. The product combines software and a wearable device to deliver real-time feedback drawn from industry best practices and company-specific training materials. Biesinger said clients including Vivint and Aptiv have seen close rates rise 35% and revenue climb 40%. Parlay has reached $220,000 in annual recurring revenue and is raising $600,000 on a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) note.

Pingora — Co-founders CJ Whittaker and Mike May are building gear for backcountry skiers, alpinists, and trail runners. Whittaker, a longtime designer for brands including Black Diamond and Gregory and a co-founder of Cotopaxi, launched Pingora in 2018. The company manufactures in Vietnam and the Philippines and is preparing to launch with a major Japanese distributor in 2027. Pingora is raising $2 million to expand its team and grow international brand awareness.

What's next

Smithson told attendees he plans to return to Utah in August and remain through the fall. The 43rd annual Investors' Choice Conference, hosted by Kinect Capital, is scheduled for the first week of September 2026. That event will be invite-only or sponsor-based, according to Smithson.

Silicon Slopes also previewed its Stacked conference, set for September 10 and 11, 2026, focused on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and SaaS with an emphasis on hands-on workshops, according to Lindsey Ivie, VP of Partnerships at Silicon Slopes.