Four Utah startups pitched a combined $5 million in funding requests to investors at Silicon Slopes headquarters in Lehi on Thursday, July 16.

The pitches came during Third Thursday at Three, a monthly event where founders get three minutes to present followed by two minutes of audience Q&A. The series was founded in 2023 by venture advisor Ray Smithson and is powered by nonprofit accelerator Kinect Capital, according to TechBuzz News.

Vanessa Perez, president of MakeUtah, hosted the July event in Smithson's place. Smithson, who has been based in Taiwan, joined remotely from Silicon Valley, where he was running a separate event. He told attendees he plans to return to Utah in August.

Who pitched

Altruvia — Fritz-Carl Morlant, CEO and co-founder, presented a platform that helps donors track how nonprofit contributions translate into measurable outcomes. The tool includes a CRM, fundraising features, and an impact-measurement product, charging a 3% transaction fee on donations processed. Morlant told the audience paying customers include BYU and the Other Side Foundation. Altruvia is raising $200,000 to expand its development team ahead of contract deadlines in October 2026.

Definitive TNF — Chadwick Davis, CEO and founder, is developing an oral therapy for chronic inflammatory diseases linked to the TNF protein. Davis, a former early employee at Recursion Pharmaceuticals, told the audience the current TNF treatment market generates more than $44 billion annually but relies entirely on injectable or infused biologics. Definitive TNF is raising $2.2 million to complete preclinical development ahead of a Series A round.

Parlay — CEO James Biesinger pitched an AI-driven coaching tool for sales reps that combines software with a wearable device for real-time, in-field feedback. Biesinger said clients including Vivint and Aptiv have seen close rates increase 35% and revenue jump 40%. Parlay has $220,000 in annual recurring revenue and is raising $600,000 on a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) note, targeting $1 million ARR by the second quarter of 2027.

Pingora — CJ Whittaker, co-founder of Cotopaxi and a longtime designer for Black Diamond and Gregory, launched Pingora in 2018 with co-founder Mike May to build technical outdoor gear for backcountry athletes. The company manufactures in Vietnam and the Philippines and sells through Backcountry.com and specialty shops in Japan and Wyoming. Pingora is raising $2 million and plans to launch with a major Japanese distributor in 2027.

What's next

Smithson announced the 43rd annual Investors' Choice Conference is scheduled for the first week of September 2026. The invite-only event is run by Kinect Capital, which says it has helped Utah founders raise and exit more than $30 billion over 42 years.

Lindsey Ivie, VP of partnerships at Silicon Slopes, previewed the organization's Stacked conference, set for Thursday, September 10 and Friday, September 11, focused on AI, cybersecurity, and SaaS with hands-on workshops.

The next Third Thursday at Three is scheduled for August 20, per Smithson's LinkedIn post following the July event.