Although there was no prize money or investors waiting for them in the winners’ circle, nearly 100 of the region’s early-stage companies entered this summer’s inaugural Stellar StartUps competition presented by the Philadelphia Media Network, writes Diane Mastrull for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last week’s awards event at the new Pennovation Center in West Philadelphia was headlined by serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist Josh Kopelman.

“The Philadelphia community has embraced entrepreneurship,” said Kopelman, the chairman of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Media Network, the parent company of the Inquirer and Daily News. “And our start-up community has never been more vibrant or active as it is today.”

The Grayson School in Broomall was one of six winners in the competition.

Pennsylvania’s only independent nonprofit day school designed for gifted learners, the school opened its doors in Sept. 2015.

“Our goal at Grayson is to provide an individual learning experience for every child, tailored to their advanced educational needs,” the school’s website states. “We are excited about the potential and possibilities each child holds, and want to do everything we can to help them grow and learn.”

Click here to read more about the Stellar StartUps competition in the Philadelphia Inquirer.