Alumni Hostfully Major Investment + Cohort 17 & EMW Videos

Cohort 8 Alumni Hostfully Secures Major Investment

Aloha from Blue Startups!

Big news from our ʻohana! Hostfully (Cohort 8), a leading property management and digital guidebook platform, has secured a major investment from Blue Star Innovation Partners. Congratulations to Margot Schmorak and the Hostfully team on this milestone!

[Full Announcement]

Margot joined us at Builders VC in San Francisco to share insights with Cohort 17 during their final session.

We also hosted the East Meets West Venture Panel at SF Tech Week, spotlighting Hawaiʻi’s growing role as a bridge between Asia, Silicon Valley, and the Pacific.

Finally, Cohort 17 has officially graduated! We’re proud of their growth and excited to continue supporting their journeys ahead.

Mahalo to all our mentors, partners, and community members who made this cohort a success. We couldn’t do it without you.

Honolulu Demo Day Recording

Honolulu Demo Day Recording

Relive the energy of Cohort 17’s Demo Day at Honolulu Tech Week! Watch our founders share their vision, growth, and next big steps on stage in front of Hawaiʻi’s startup community. From innovative pitches to inspiring stories of resilience, this Demo Day captures the spirit of building with aloha.

[Watch Demo Day Video]

East Meets West Venture Panel at SF Tech Week

During SF Tech Week, our East Meets West Venture Panel brought together leaders from across the Pacific to discuss AI, venture trends, and cross-border collaboration. Hosted by Blue Startups at Digital Garage SF, the event showcased Hawaiʻi’s unique role as a global innovation bridge connecting Asia and Silicon Valley.

[Watch EMW Panel Video]

We can’t wait to see you in Hawaiʻi on April 8-9, 2026 as we continue connecting founders, funders, and innovators from across the Pacific.

Tickets are on sale now for East Meets West 2026! Go to emwhawaii.com for info and tickets.

Alumni News

LiquiDonate (Cohort 14) Recognized as Best Inventions of 2025

Consumer returns often create waste, but not when they’re redirected to those who need them. “Returns are the best kept secret in retail,” says Disney Petit, the founder and CEO of LiquiDonate, which helps 150 brands send their excess inventory—returns and overstocked items—to more than 4,000 charities and nonprofits that need it. The idea came during the pandemic, when Petit began photographing personal items to give away; by 2023, she’d launched LiquiDonate, with Restoration Hardware as its first retail partner. Now she estimates the company has kept over 12.3 million pounds of goods—from clothing to furniture to nonperishable food—from landfills.