Jay S. Walker, Founder of Priceline, One of the Most Influential Business Leaders in the Digital Age to Deliver Keynote at VentureClash Finals
Renowned entrepreneur and Curator of TEDMED, Chairman and CEO of ApiJect to speak at October 17 finals event where early-stage companies will compete for a share of $5 million in venture capital
Rocky Hill, Conn., May 16, 2019 – Connecticut Innovations (CI), Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm and the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut’s innovative, growing companies, today announced that Jay S. Walker, Founder of Priceline.com and one of America’s best known entrepreneurs, will be the keynote speaker at the VentureClash finals event, to be held on Thursday, October 17, at the Yale School of Management. VentureClash is Connecticut’s $5 million global venture challenge for high-potential and high-growth companies in digital health, financial technology, insurance technology and industry 4.0.
“We are thrilled and honored to welcome Jay Walker to the VentureClash stage in October,” said Matt McCooe, CEO of Connecticut Innovations. “Jay’s enormously successful career as an entrepreneur, inventor and business innovator will serve as inspiration for the founders and leaders of the promising VentureClash companies participating in this year’s event.”
Walker is best known as the Founder of Priceline.com, a highly profitable, multi-billion dollar company with tens of millions of active customers that brought a new level of value to the travel industry. Walker has invented hundreds of solutions for a wide variety of business problems, specializing in creating innovative applications that work with large-scale networks such as cell phones and the internet.
Walker is the named inventor on more than 750 issued and pending U.S. and international patents, making him one of the most prolific individual living inventors. He also serves on the Presidents’ Circle for the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and is a regular speaker on college campuses and a guest on televised U.S. business shows.
Walker will speak during the VentureClash finals event, which will include final presentations from 10 of the most promising early-stage companies, with founders pitching their businesses in front of experts, investors, customers and academics engaged in their industries.
For more information, please visit www.ventureclash.com.
About VentureClash
Managed by Connecticut Innovations, VentureClash is Connecticut’s global venture challenge focused on early-stage companies. The challenge, launched in 2016, identifies high-potential and high-growth companies in digital health, fintech, insurtech and industry 4.0 that will compete for investments from a $5 million award pool. For more information, visit www.ventureclash.com.
About Connecticut Innovations
Connecticut Innovations (CI) is Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm and is the leading source of financing and ongoing support for innovative, growing companies. CI provides venture capital and strategic guidance for early-stage technology companies, and connections to its well-established network of partners and professionals. For more information, please visit www.ctinnovations.com.
Media Contact
Lauren Carmody
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Connecticut Innovations/VentureClash
860-258-7829
lauren.carmody@ctinnovations.com