Maine Community Bank Names Five Finalists for Expanded $75,000 LaunchPad Grant

Maine Community Bank Names Five Finalists for Expanded $75,000 LaunchPad Grant

Five additional Maine companies will compete for the Emerging Business Award

PORTLAND, Maine - September 25, 2026 - Five local innovators will compete for a $75,000 grant-the largest in LaunchPad's 13-year history-when Maine Community Bank hosts its annual live small business pitch competition on October 20^th at the University of New England's Innovation Hall in Portland.

The 2026 LaunchPad finalists, selected from a strong pool of applicants, span advanced manufacturing, canned water, parking technology, plant-based foods, and in-home veterinary care.

Maine Community Bank increased this year's top grant from $50,000 to $75,000. Five additional companies will compete for a separate Emerging Business Award, which includes a $15,000 grant from the bank and $10,000 of in-kind business and marketing services.

"These businesses are proof that innovation can take root and thrive right here in Maine," said Steve deCastro, president and CEO of Maine Community Bank. "By increasing the grant, we're making a bigger investment in the talent that's driving Maine's entrepreneurial community forward. LaunchPad helps give these founders visibility and capital to turn ambition into action."

The five $75,000 LaunchPad Grant finalists are:

• Evergreen Additive (Brunswick): Based at Brunswick Landing, the company uses large-format additive manufacturing to produce tooling and vessel components for maritime composites.
• mainelove (Westbrook): A returning 2025 finalist, mainelove packages Sebago Lake water in recyclable aluminum cans for consumers and brewery partners.
• Park Thrive (Portland): The company offers scan-to-pay parking management that helps property owners generate revenue from parking lots without kiosks or extensive hardware.
• Veggie Life (Wells): A woman-owned company that produces vegan foods, free of gluten, soy, and nuts.
• Vet at Your Door (Brunswick): The company provides in-home veterinary care for dogs and cats, including wellness and sick visits, senior care, and hospice support.

Each finalist will deliver a live pitch and answer questions from judges Kristine Delano, board director and author; Kate McAleer of Bixby Chocolate; and Peter DelGreco of Maine & Co.

Emerging Business Award finalists

Five additional Maine startups have been selected as finalists for the Emerging Business Award, valued at $25,000:

• Knotless Gear (Portland): Developing a semi-rigid, knotless composite retrieval line for fixed fishing gear, designed to reduce knotting and marine-mammal entanglement risk.
• Kind Mind (Falmouth): Providing social-emotional learning programs and classroom tools that emphasize emotional regulation for early childhood and elementary education.
• Latis Materials (Saco): A public benefit corporation commercializing bio-derived carbon-fiber yarn and composites.
• Savvyn (Cumberland): Helping healthcare innovators organize clinical and market-access evidence to support coverage and patient access.
• Tubender (Portland): Developing automated conduit-bending technology for commercial electricians.

The Emerging Business Award winner will earn a $15,000 grant in addition to $10,000 of in-kind business and marketing services from ATX Advisory Services, Creative Imaging Group, Grove Marketing, iBec Creative, and Philbrook Public Relations. The recipient will be announced at the live event before the $75,000 LaunchPad Grant recipient.

Attend LaunchPad

LaunchPad takes place on Tuesday, October 20^th at the University of New England's Innovation Hall on Stevens Avenue in Portland. Networking begins at 4:00pm, followed by the competition at 5:15pm.

For event details and to RSVP, visit maine.bank/launchpad.