Local pitch competition TCNewTech is taking an operational pause, the organization's board of directors announced Thursday.

"Since TCNewTech came into being eight years ago as a scrappy pitch night idea at a local brewpub, it has grown to a popular monthly pitch event at the City Opera House that has drawn thousands of startup and entrepreneurial enthusiasts from around the state," the board wrote in an email to followers.

"TCNewTech has come to a point in its development that we need to reflect, regroup, refresh, and redirect the next steps toward our strategic growth to continue delivering a high quality and recurring pitch event to the Grand Traverse region," the email continued. "Therefore we are taking a pause to work behind the scenes so that we can come back stronger."

The email concluded with the board encouraging followers to follow the TCNewTech job board - hosted in partnership with Michigan’s Creative Coast - and to "please stay tuned for what’s next."