Thursday, October 1, 2026
WENATCHEE — By the final day of the 2026 Flywheel Investment Conference, the conversation had expanded far beyond startup pitches and venture capital.
Speakers talked about artificial intelligence, robotics, healthcare technology, advanced manufacturing and the future of entrepreneurship in rural communities. Founders pitched software platforms, automation systems and AI-driven tools designed to solve real-world operational problems. Investors and business leaders repeatedly emphasized that innovation no longer depends on proximity to Seattle or Silicon Valley.
Instead, the message throughout Thursday’s sessions at the Wenatchee Convention Center was that regions like North Central Washington intend to help shape what comes next.
“This is for young, this is for young at heart. This is for rural, this is for urban,” NCW Tech Alliance CEO Sue Kane said in opening remarks. “Innovation is really important. Innovation is also, for this region, essential.”
The conference, organized by NCW Tech Alliance, brought together entrepreneurs, investors, students, utilities, public agencies and technology leaders from across Washington for three days of programming focused on entrepreneurship and emerging industries. Thursday’s schedule centered on the Flywheel Early-Stage Investment Competition, where six finalists pitched companies for a chance at a $150,000 investment from the Flywheel Angel Network.
Walter Thorn, board president of NCW Tech Alliance, described the conference as part of a broader effort to create opportunities within North Central Washington rather than exporting talent elsewhere.
“It’s more than just a pitch competition,” Thorn said during Thursday evening’s awards ceremony. “It’s about building the kind of region where ideas can grow, where entrepreneurs can find support, where students can see what’s possible, and where innovation is not something that only happens somewhere else.”
The six finalists reflected the increasingly wide range of industries now intersecting with artificial intelligence, automation and advanced analytics.
Spokane-based BOVI.TECH opened the competition with a presentation focused on remote-operated robotics systems designed for rugged environments such as wildfire response, vegetation management and search-and-rescue operations. CEO and co-founder Lucas Buckland described the company’s approach as combining human oversight with AI-assisted systems rather than relying entirely on autonomy in dangerous terrain.
Precision Quantomics pitched technology focused on advanced biological and molecular analysis intended to improve precision diagnostics and healthcare research applications.
Seattle-based Optimly presented an AI-powered verification platform designed to help organizations evaluate information and decision-making more efficiently — a theme that resonated strongly throughout a conference heavily focused on practical AI applications.
The afternoon session featured additional finalists including Remmie Health, which develops connected healthcare technology and diagnostic tools intended to improve at-home care and early detection.
Reclaim Metals presented systems focused on recovering and processing valuable industrial metals and materials, positioning recycling and reuse as both an economic and supply-chain issue.
Wenatchee-based founder Michelle Schubert pitched Subi, a company focused on simplifying operational and workflow systems for real estate businesses, giving the local audience a hometown finalist among the statewide field of competitors.
Throughout the day, speakers repeatedly returned to the idea that advances in AI are dramatically reducing the time required to build and test new companies.
Amit Rikhi, founder and CEO of Treehouse Studios, told attendees that generative AI tools are compressing the gap between concept and execution in ways that would have been nearly impossible only a few years ago.
“The amount of time that it took to go from idea to execution was really, really long back in the day,” Rikhi said. “And I’m here to tell you that that has shrunk considerably.”
Rikhi described using AI tools to rapidly evaluate markets, test ideas and build prototypes, while also warning founders that faster development cycles make strong business models and defensible niches increasingly important.
“If you can build a company really quickly, what does that mean?” he said. “Other people can too.”
Later in the day, Amperon co-founder and CEO Sean Kelly discussed how artificial intelligence and energy forecasting are becoming increasingly tied together as utilities, electrification and data infrastructure place new demands on the power grid.
“The main character is energy,” Kelly said while discussing the future of AI infrastructure.
Student entrepreneurship and workforce development also remained central themes throughout the conference following Wednesday’s student pitch competitions and STEM programming.
NCW Tech Alliance leaders repeatedly framed Flywheel as part of a larger regional strategy connecting education, entrepreneurship and economic development.
“We work across technology access, STEM education and workforce development and entrepreneurship,” Thorn said. “Each of those areas strengthens the others.”
By Thursday evening, Optimly emerged as the dominant winner of the conference, receiving the Fan Favorite Award, the conference relocation package and the Flywheel Angel Network’s $150,000 investment award.
Flywheel Angel Network fund manager Brian Eastman said judges faced difficult decisions because of the overall quality of the finalists.
“We had a difficult time this afternoon,” Eastman said. “It was a lot of good companies we saw.”
As the conference concluded Thursday night, organizers emphasized that Flywheel’s long-term goal is not simply hosting an annual startup competition, but helping establish a lasting innovation culture across North Central Washington.
“We’ve had hundreds of people show up to connect, to encourage and to invest,” Thorn said. “That’s what makes Flywheel so powerful.”
Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media
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