Human Resource Executive: start-ups compete in Pitchfest.

Pitchfest is always a highlight at the HR Technology Conference & Exposition and this year did not disappoint. 

The 2021 Pitchfest Theater, sponsored by Randstad, was abuzz with possibility as 33 new technologies competed for the grand prize. The 11 start-ups that made it past the initial selection were further whittled down during additional rounds of judging. 

Round two judges — including Cas Turbak, vice president of Technology at Randstad Sourceright — chose LearnIn, an upskilling solution, and Onwards HR, an employee exit experience. Round three judges included Mike Smith, CEO of Randstad Sourceright. His group picked Sciolytix (a sales performance predictor) and WorqDrive, an internal mobility platform. 

These four companies joined two other finalists ICC, executive career solutions, and Compa, a compensation analytics tool, from round one as finalists.

It was standing room only in the Pitchfest Theater for the final round, where judges Mike Smith and JoAnne Estrada, SVP digital innovation at Randstad, deliberated along with their peers. In the end, Onwards HR, a woman-owned company, walked away the winner with a $25,000 check from the Randstad Innovation Fund (RIF). Second-place contender, Sciolytix, won a $5,000 Talent Experience Prize.

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