Baltimore’s startup scene is serving up something fresh, mateys. Baltimore Homecoming has opened public voting for the 2027 Crab Tank Entrepreneurship Program semifinalists — eight local companies vying to become one of five finalists who will pitch live in May 2027 for a $25,000 grand prize sponsored by M&T Bank.
The semifinalists: BioBuild (Tommy Long-Chen Li), an AI “bioinformatician” that lets life-science researchers analyze complex biological data in plain English; Cindy J Cosmetic Labs (Cynthia Johnson), one of the few Black woman-owned cosmetic research and development labs in the country; Drio (Rachel McFadden and Hazel Geary), a certified women- and minority-owned digital agency for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations; Elocin Global Logistics (Nicole Francis), a Baltimore City social enterprise training city residents for careers in transportation and logistics through CDL training; Heisler Semiconductor (Jake Heisler), an advanced manufacturer turning bare computer chips into finished, tested parts; London’s Bright Beginnings Learning Center (Amber Washington), a licensed West Baltimore childcare center; Lytos Vodka (William Fanshawe), maker of the world’s first patented electrolyte-infused vodka, distilled and bottled in Hampden; and Richualist (Dawn Myers), a beauty tech company building tools for textured hair, manufactured and assembled in Baltimore.
Voters can learn about each semifinalist at baltimorehomecoming.com, with pitch videos produced by Wide Angle Youth Media. Vote for your favorites and help steer Baltimore’s next wave of hometown innovation. Sources: I95 Business: Baltimore Homecoming Opens Public Voting For 2027 Crab Tank Entrepreneurship Program Semifinalists