Sphero, Kickfurther set to pitch at Consumer Electronics Show in Extreme Tech Challenge

Boulder startups Sphero and Kickfurther are each one step closer to pitching their companies to Virgin founder Richard Branson on his private island.

Officials for the Extreme Tech Challenge over the weekend announced the 10 semifinalist companies that will get to pitch at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The top three companies from there get a trip to Branson’s Necker Island to pitch him and receive other investment and mentorship opportunities.

Sphero, first known for its smartphone-controlled robotic ball by the same name, is widely known now for making a toy version of the BB-8 droid that will…