Ten businesses have been chosen to advance in Traverse Connect's new Scale Up North Awards and will compete in a live finals event March 18 at the City Opera House.

Judges for the competition winnowed 25 contenders down to a Top 10 list at the Scale Up North Showcase Thursday. Judges will visit the 10 businesses next week and then further narrow the competitors to the top three in two different categories: the Emerging Business Award and the Hagerty Scaling Business Award. The finalists will be featured at the Scale Up North Finals on Wednesday, March 18 at the City Opera House from 4-7pm, which will include a pitch competition for the three finalists for the Emerging Business Award, followed by a moderated panel discussion with the three finalists for the Hagerty Scaling Business Award. Judges will deliberate and make a live announcement of the winners that evening. Tickets for the finals are available here.

Businesses advancing in the Emerging Business category are: HealthBridge Financial; Interactive Aerial, Inc.; SampleServe, Inc. and Table Health.

Established businesses who have been operating for more than five years and advancing in the Hagerty Scaling Business category are: ATLAS Space Operations, Inc.; Higher Grounds Trading Co.; Mammoth Distilling, LLC; Naveego, Inc.; TentCraft, Inc. and Third Coast Bakery.

The Scale Up North Awards recognizes businesses in two different key stages of growth, with awards open to for-profit companies in Traverse Connect’s five-county service area.