The winner of the SXSW 2016 ReleaseIt competition is Inteliclinic, which has developed a special eye mask that is intended to cure jet lag and other sleep issues. They get a cool trophy and lots of bragging rights.
Second Place: Mend
Third Place: Cinamaker Technologies
Fourth Place: Taptl
Credit: American-Statesman
Credit: American-Statesman
The ReleaseIt competition continued on Friday afternoon with five more pitches. Each pitch had to be three minutes long, with a rapid-fire questioning round from judges afterward.
Here are the five companies that pitched in the second round:
- NueYorker
- This app connects people who want to rent designer clothes with owners of designer clothing. NueYorker takes a 50 percent cut of each transaction, but returns the clothes to the owner's doorstep and dry cleans it. NueYorker will only be available in Manhattan and is available in the iPhone App store next week. Judges seemed skeptical about the large number of competitors in this space, though one of the co-founders insisted their rental model was unique.
- Scoper
- This app allows people to "see where you want to be." Basically if you want to check out a location, such as a popular concert where there might be a long line, you can request to see that location by reaching out to other Scoper users who then shoot video. There are several options for revenue streams, such as people requesting to see videos or targeted advertising. Judges were skeptical about how Bellevue, Washington-based Scoper could leverage the buzz created at South by Southwest and convince people to continue using it nationally.
- Taptl
- This company, based in St. Louis, has developed a transparent, touch-screen TV that can also be used as a computer. Co-founder Mary Wolff said they want to market it to the yacht industry at first, and prove its durability and appeal. (It is water-resistant.) The TV will sell for $12,000 at first, and Wolff said the end-goal is licensing agreements. The judges seemed intrigued by the technology and stuck mostly to questions about how it works. (They have four patents pending.)
- Videmic
- This Berlin-based startup has developed an app that allowed users to watch HD videos, and share them, without consuming their data storage. The company plans to make money from "proximity marketing," basically sending marketing messages to people based on what retailers or restaurants are close by. Judges struggled to understand this technology, as well as how Videmic plans to make money.
- WhereFor
- Unlike other travel websites such as Expedia.com, which revolve around which destination you intend to travel to, WhereFor (i.w. where can I go for $1,000) allows people to plan a vacation around their budget. You plug in your budget and the site shows you all the places you can afford on that budget. You get $50 off by using the code "SXSW" on the site. WhereFor makes 10 percent from hotel bookings and $20 from every flight booked through WhereFor.
Judges seemed particularly impressed by WhereFor and Taptl, though in the first round Mend captured their attention.
Credit: American-Statesman
Credit: American-Statesman
EARLIER: The popular "ReleaseIt" startup pitch session at South by Southwest Interactive offers startups launching at the festival a chance to pitch their products or services to a panel of judges.
Ten companies were invited to pitch, and by the end of the day one winner will be chosen.
It's a big deal for a startup to be invited, because it gives them exposure among investors, entrepreneurs and early adopters. Last year's winner was Austin-based Honest Dollar, founded by William Hurley, who is a bit busy today hosting an Obama fundraiser.
Here’s a quick summary of the the first five pitches:
- Dentsu, Inc.
- Dentsu, a Tokyo-based advertising agency, is launching a product called "MotionScore" which makes it easier to do CGI videos paired with music. Judges questioned whether this is really a startup given that Dentsu, an established company, owns it. (To clarify: the competition is open to established business or governments as well as startups.)
- Cinamaker Technologies
- This Atlanta-based startup wants to make it easier to record and edit movies on your iPhone. The concept is to make "multi-camera video production simply and easily." They want to target the "next generation of video creators," people who like to upload their own videos on to sites like YouTube. Judges asked questions about how this is different from competitor apps.
- Inteliclinic Inc.
- Their NeuroOn product is designed to help you fall asleep. To cure jet lag and other sleep issues, the idea is to actually expose yourself to more light at the right time through a special face mask, re-setting your biological clock. It costs $299. The San Francisco company has already shipped nearly 2,000 NeuroOns. Judges questioned logistics, where is it made and current revenue.
- Mend
- This Dallas-based startup has created an app that offers "on-demand doorstep medical care." Translation: doctors making house calls. There is no integration with insurance plans - you pay cash. The first visit is $50 and after that it is $199. Founder Jonathan Clark is a former emergency room physician and said for SXSW Interactive they created an "urgent care" location in downtown Austin. Judges asked for more detail on the type of physicians he is hiring and what's in it for them to work for Mend.
- MyChange
- This Albuquerque-based startup helps you donate to causes - or candidates - that you believe in by rounding up your purchases. If you buy a $3.75 coffee, you can round your bill up to $4 and that extra 25 cents will be donated to a cause or candidate you have selected. (MyChange takes 10 percent.) The founders are going to focus on "progressives," and say that is one of their competitive advantages. Judges questioned how MyChange is different from competitors, and what skills the founders have.
Based off the judges’ questions and reactions, I’d say Mend has a good shot so far at winning this whole thing. But there are still five more pitches to go. Stay tuned….
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