-
HFTP Announces Participating Startups for Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) at HITEC 2025 – Image Credit HFTP
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), producers of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), has unveiled the eight innovative startups selected to compete in this year’s Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) pitch competition, which will take place on June 18, 2025, at HITEC 2025.
The 2025 E20X cohort showcases technologies aimed at revolutionizing the hospitality industry—from streamlining operations and enhancing guest experiences to improving property-vendor communications and leveraging smart data for better decision-making.
Participating in Entrepreneur 20X is not just about pitching a great idea—it’s about demonstrating your power to innovate and transform the future of hospitality. The startups chosen for E20X are paving the way forward, and this competition provides a vital platform to support and spotlight their progress. Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP
Now in its tenth year, E20X has established itself as the premier pitch competition in hospitality technology. Finalists will each have four minutes to present their products or services to a live audience and a panel of expert judges, followed by four minutes of Q&A. The winner of the Judges’ Choice Award will receive a $5,000 cash prize, while the People’s Choice Award will recognize a fan favorite selected by audience vote in real time.
Beyond the competition stage, all participating startups will receive:
- A complimentary exhibit space in the HITEC show floor
- Personalized mentorship from a team of seasoned industry experts prior to the event
- Valuable exposure to investors, potential customers, and strategic partners across the hospitality technology ecosystem
The participating E20X Charlotte 2025 startups are:
- Albie by TAG
- Bookboost
- Ediphi
- EEVA by Paradigm Evergreen
- Levee
- SEE Carbon ZERO
- SIV
- Vella AI
HFTP introduced E20X on June 15, 2015 at HITEC Austin. The inaugural event gathered nine competitors to showcase their products in four-minute presentations to a panel of expert judges with backgrounds in hospitality, technology and entrepreneurship. The winning company in that first year was Whistle, a service that aggregates customer communications into minimalistic web and mobile admin panels and allows businesses to respond to or triage incoming messages via a real-time chat interface to and from the customer’s preferred app.
The most valuable element of Entrepreneur 20X for Whistle has been the validation and exposure to industry leaders and professionals. Being the winner of the first E20X competition is definitely a very exciting accomplishment for us and it feels great! It’s an amazing feeling to find out directly from the industry experts that our hard work is recognized and paying off. Christopher Hovanessian, Whistle’s co-founder and president
HITEC 2025 will be June 16-19 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana USA. The event remains the largest and most influential hospitality technology event in the world, drawing thousands of attendees and showcasing hundreds of solutions each year. With access to world-class education, leading-edge innovation, and invaluable networking opportunities, HITEC 2025 promises to be an unforgettable experience for all involved. Register to attend to see the E20X competition and much more.
