Four companies with University of Iowa connections have been chosen in the list of top 10 finalists for the 2014 John Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition that stimulates business development by providing financial support for outstanding business plans.

In the next round of competition, the 10 finalists will give presentations to the judges for a chance to be selected as one of the three winners, who will win either $10,000, $15,000, or $25,000. That announcement will be made during an awards luncheon Sept. 18 in Des Moines.

The four competitors with UI connections are:

• Pear Deck, an EdTech start-up powering active classrooms in Google Apps for Education schools by blending personalized and collaborative learning in one simple app.
• Translacare, Inc., a web-based software platform designed for therapeutic use with elderly adults who require special speech, language, or memory care.
• Iowa Adaptive Technologies, which develops equipment that helps patients with communication difficulties caused by physical impairments.
• Innovas Technologies LLC, a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of shell and tube cleaning technology.

In the first round, businesses from across the state submitted brief information about their business plans. Based on those entries, judges chose 25 entrepreneurs to submit full business plans, which were then narrowed down to the final 10. This year a total of $50,000 will be awarded to the top three submitted business plans.

For more information, visit the competition website.