Despite the recession, Women 2.0’s Pitch received close to 100 submissions from all over the world, proof that aspiring entrepreneurs are not allowing themselves to be defeated by the state of the economy. Over 200 people including venture capitalists, aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and supporters watched the five finalists for Women 2.0 Pitch 2009 pitch live in San Francisco on May 7th, 2009. Competition was fierce as all five finalists represent different industries, solving five different problems the world faces today. (Listen to complete audio recording of Pitch Night 2009)

Team LumaMed (formerly LumaDerm) won the 2009 Women 2.0 Pitch Startup Competition, scoring a private meeting with Michael Moritz of Sequoia and winning business services worth over $10K. Team LumaMed showcased their innovations in cancer imaging and early detection. Their presentation also won the hearts of the audience as they also walked away with the People’s Choice Award, as voted by the audience with their cell phones, and the VentureBeat Best Media Story Award. (Watch LumaMed’s winning pitch)This has been the third-annual Women 2.0 Pitch: Startup Competition. The competition aims to stimulate innovation and increase the number of women entrepreneurs starting high growth ventures.For more pictures from Pitch Night 2009, thanks to photographer Julie Blaustein, click here.