Monday, September 28, 2009

FundingUniverse Responds To TechStars' Cohen, Drops Fee

South Jordan, Utah-based FundingUniverse, which operates a web service and in-person events geared towards helping entrepreneurs find investors, has dropped its fee for its upcoming CrowdPitch event Wednesday in Denver. According to FundingUniverse CEO Brock Blake, the five companies who are selected to pitch at the event will not pay anything for the event. The firm said will still charge fees for its other services, which including helping companies write business plans, coaching those firms, and helping them with their financing efforts, but will not charge for CrowdPitch. Boulder-based TechStars David Cohen had challenged FundingUniverse to drop the fees last week, offering to help pay for half of them, highlighting the debate over whether startup event organizers and angel groups ought to be charging companies to pitch at their events.