CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The winners of the annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night have been formally announced.

The Tom Tom Foundation, in partnership with the Community Investment Collaborative, held the 11th annual contest during the Tom Tom Festival.

According to a release, this year’s event spotlighted 11 local entrepreneurs, who had three minutes or less to pitch their ideas to a live audience.

Each finalist got to share their story and their vision of how their business could impact the local community.

Members of the audience could show support for a specific contestant by buying $10 tokens for their favorites at the event. 

Donations were also accepted online prior to the big day during the multi-day Tom Tom Festival.

The total of online donations and in-person votes combined were what each finalist received as crowdfunded awards.

Angel Detection Solutions, developed by Bennett Slosman, is a type of disposable cup that can detect when a date rape drug has been added to a person’s drink. This company was selected as the audience favorite, winning $2,000.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to share my dream with our community so that we can take the correct steps to right a huge problem in our society,” said Slosman. “Tom Tom’s Crowdfunded Pitch Night brought together so many amazing people. Taking part in this event showed how much Charlottesville truly cares about their local startup community, as the entire crowd welcomed all of the groups presenting with open arms. We’re grateful for an opportunity to experience something incredible and meet so many inspiring individuals.”

And a panel of judges, including Culinary Concepts AB’s Antwon Brinson, Fair by Victoria’s Victoria Maxey, and Mahogany and Friends’ Janasha Bradford, selected the 2024 grand prize winner: Beza Bisrat.

Bisrat’s Ethiopian Delights company deals in consumer goods, specifically ready-to-eat Ethiopian food.

“I'm proud of my pitch because my business is deeply personal to me, and I think I presented my vision well.” Bisrat said. “The pitch night was electric, every seat was filled. Thank you to everyone who attended, and thank you to the CIC and Tom Tom for selecting me as a finalist! I met entrepreneurs who are deeply passionate about their businesses, and they had amazing pitches. I'm excited to make the most of it all."

Ethiopian Delights received $5,750 in funding.

The release says each organization that was selected as a finalist got at least $350 from their pitches and business promotion efforts.

They also got opportunities for business development and partnerships and to grow their community of supporters.

For more information on all of this year’s finalists, click here.