These are the 10 finalists in First Founders’ Podcast Pitch Competition

The first part of the First Founders’ Podcast Pitch Competition has finished, with a combined total of 21,521 listens for the 27 featured startups.

A Delaware-based startup accelerator, First Founders focuses on underrepresented founders, and its podcast “Innovation Included,” hosted by founder Garry Johnson III, was the platform. Through Feb. 5, each listen of a short pitch competition episode counted as a community vote for the startup being pitched in that episode, getting it closer to earning a cash prize.

A clear winner emerged through the community portion: University of Delaware-based Backyard Gig amassed over 6,000 listens, more than double the second place startup, GetPotluck, also from UD, which had just under 3,000 listens. (As it happens, both of the top two startups made the 2021 RealLIST Startups as young startups to watch.)

But that is just one part of the competition. On Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m., 10 finalists — that’s the top five startups by listens and five startups selected by preliminary judges — will compete virtually for $10,000 in prizes.

Here are the top five by total listens:

• Backyard Gig (6,002 listens)
• GetPotluck (2,934 listens)
• The Cubby (2,900 listens)
• Goalden Hour (2,415 listens)
• Wilminvest (2,252 listens)

And here are the five startups selected by preliminary round judges:

• Kiddie Kredit
• Wavlength
• femPAQ Inc.
• Cafecito
• Dendwell

The judges for the finals will include Ariel Gruswitz of Delaware Prosperity Partnership (the org behind another upcoming pitch competition for underrepresented founders, Startup 302), Saba Karim of Techstars and Liz Brown of Fawns Leap.

The finals are free to watch. Register here.