Cash on the line

A total of $150,000 in cash awards is up for grabs May 17 at the ninth annual Florida Early Stage Capital Conference.

At this year's conference, held at the Hilton Carillon in St. Petersburg, 20 companies will compete for funding. The $150,000 will be presented among the first, second and third winning companies, a statement says.

The 20 presenters were selected from a pool of about 100 applicants, according to the statement. Gulf Coast companies competing for prizes include: