NJ Startup PoetCode Wins “Most Fundable Startup At Startupalooza 2013

PoetCode, New Jersey Startup,Startupalooza,startups,startup competitionThe “Most Fundable Startup” award at the 2013 STARTUPALOOZA in New York City has been given to PoetCode, the New Jersey-based creative content company behind the breakthrough eBook and Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO) in one, Dynasty of the Magi. PoetCode was selected as the winner of a group of 25 aspiring entrepreneurs.

With Dynasty of the Magi, PoetCode has created the first dual-platform interactive experience that allows the gamer/reader to shape the outcome of the eleven eBook fantasy series. This ecosystem of hybrid storytelling that PoetCode has developed has been named liMMO, short for Literary Immersive Massive Multiplayer Online Game.

The Dynasty of the Magi trial version for iPad was launched on the App Store in December of 2012. The app is now in the process of being updated based on user feedback and has an expected App Store and Google Play Store release in early summer 2013.

As a result of their STARTUPALOOZA win, PoetCode will be a Featured Entrepreneur Guest at The Yale Club New York’s Private Equity Forum on Thursday, May 2nd. The New York Private Equity Forum is America’s premier business funding conference for early and later-stage companies seeking growth capital.

Dynasty of the Magi was also awarded the Publishing Innovations Awards’ Best Transmedia Project of 2012, as well as the Quality, Excellence, Design (QED) seal that serves as the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval™” for eBooks.

Visit the Dynasty of the Magi Website

Startup Front has something brewing for startups just outside of Chicago.

Ft. Lauderdale Startup: clearCi Makes Finals In Upstart Competition

clearCi,Ft. Lauderdale startup,Florida startup,startup competition, Upstart 2012Last month we covered Ft. Lauderdale startup clearCi by way of our content partners at StarTropica. ClearCi simplifies competitive intelligence, which for any company, can be a big factor in their success.

Back in the 70’s  and 80’s “competitive intelligence” may have been viewed as spying, however it’s common practice in today’s business world, in fact if you’re not doing it you could end up losing customers, and an overall grip on your business. The problem though, is in the fact that there is so much competitive intelligence available. clearCi makes it easy for companies both big and small to streamline their competitive intelligence and find the most important information available, to make decisions.

The young Ft. Lauderdale company is making in impact in South Florida, and now across the country. They’ve been selected as a finalist in not one but four categories in the upcoming 2012 Up-Start Cloud Awards.  The finals for the awards will be held in San Francisco on December 12th where Emmanuel Trenche and clearCi’s founder and CEO, Joe Levy, will be on hand to help garner votes and pitch their startup.

“The first round was entirely based on gaining votes from our customer base and general public,” said Emmanuel Trenche, VP of Marketing Communications at clearCi. “Going up against Microsoft, Dell and SIlicon Valley startups made us think creatively to stand out.”

clearCi was selected as a finalist in the following categories:

Best Cloud Business Intelligence/Analytice
Best Big Data Solution
Best Cloud Service Provider
Best Industry Application

Linkage:

Check out clearCi here

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Iowa City Startup: Ready To Go In America Wins Dream Big Contest

Ready To Go In America, Iowa Startup,startup,startups,startup competitionA startup that provides a pocket guide and mobile app for international students visiting the United States has won the Iowa “Creative Corridor’s Dream Big Contest”.

Ready to Go In America came away with the $5,000 prize in the contest last Thursday after pitching to a panel of judges. This moved the startup into the next round where they will be competing against other Iowa startups for $10,000 this time around.

The startup was founded by Jeff Owens, Mekinda Mekinda and Bobby Schlichting. Mekinda is an international student currently enrolled in a program at Kirkwood Community College. Owens is a senior informatics and art major at the University of Iowa and Schlicting is a farmer and entrepreneur from Vinton Iowa.

“It’s unreal,” Owens said to Iowa City Area Development. “There was so much competition. I was surprised to win, and having so many people supporting our idea makes me even more excited about it.”

“This is a dream coming true,” said Mekinda, who is orignially from Cameroon. “I’ve always heard the USA is a country of dreams. Now I know it is truly a reality.“

Ready To Go In America beat out 32 other entrepreneurs who competed in the contest that garnered over 10,000 votes. The top five startups in the voting competition squared off in front of the judges and an audience of nearly 100.

While Ready To Go In America was the official winner the judges also liked the pitch and presentation from high school student Eli Shepherd. Shepherd has found an environmentally friendly way to produce skateboards and apparel. He told the judges during his pitch that he needed $300 to fund the buying of equipment to produce his skateboard decks. The judges put the $300 together on their own to help Shepherd get his startup off the ground.

“Seeing so many people and organizations come together to support our region’s entrepreneurs has made the Creative Corridor Dream Big contest an inspiring project to be part of,” said Amanda Styron of Seed Here Studio, the group coordinating the contest and event. “We had a great night at the Live Pitch + Tech Brew! It was the perfect way to wrap-up the contest. I’m totally inspired by our growing community. It was a great night to get inspired, connect with the community and celebrate going big.”

The lead sponsor for the statewide contest is the Iowa Banker’s Association. Iowa is a hub of startup excitement. There are a lot of great startups including Ashton Kutcher backed Dwolla, in the state of Iowa.

Linkage:

Source: Iowa City Area Development

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37 Startups, So Far, Vying To Compete In Invest Maryland Startup Competition

Maryland Startups, InvestMaryland Challenge,startup competition,startup,startups,startup newsLike most state governments Maryland is taking startups seriously. The state’s economic development arm is doing whatever it can to support local startups in the state and attract new startups to come to the state to develop. One of the biggest initiatives to come out of Annapolis is the Invest Maryland Challenge, startup competition.

The challenge opened up to applicants last month and the application process continues through December 13, 2012.

The basic requirements is that your startup has less than 25 employees and less than $1 million dollars in annual revenue. The startups also have to be in the tech or life sciences industry.

Applicants are competing for $300,000 in grant money and business services. Startups must either already be based in Maryland or plan to relocate to Maryland to grow. Also, all startups must be legal entities and in good standing in the states where they are based.

While the Baltimore Sun seems to be concerned with the fine print, it’s pretty standard for economic development contests where grant money and relocation is involved. So far all of the 37 startups that have applied are either based in Maryland or the immediate surrounding areas (Northern Virginia and DC). Take a look at the list of the startups that have applied so far:

1.            Direct Dimensions Inc, Owings Mills, MD

2.            MyoTherapeutics , Silver Spring, MD

3.            Handteq, LLC, Baltimore

4.            Parking Panda , Baltimore, MD

5.            ClickMedix, LLC , Rockville, MD

6.            Tots2Tweens, Frederick, MD

7.            SIALUU, Baltimore MD

8.            KneeBouncers.com , Sykesville, MD

9.            Omic Biosystems, Inc., Rockville, MD

10.          Closing the Gap, Lanham, MD

11.          Brain Biosciences, Inc., Bethesda, MD

12.          StudyHall, Washington DC

13.          Firejack, Inc. , Columbia, MD

14.          WeLearn Educational Software, Baltimore, MD

15.          B’more Organic, Baltimore, MD

16.          Family Business, Rockville, MD

17.          Clear Guide Medical, Baltimore, MD

18.          Shreis Scalene Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD

19.          Stupil, Laytonsville, MD

20.          Rafagen, Inc., Rockville, MD

21.          FiberCell Systems Inc., Frederick, MD

22.          ConverGene, LLC,  Gaithersburg, MD

23.          Printless Plans, Baltimore, MD

24.          Juxtopia, Baltimore, MD

25.          Solar System Express, Baltimore, MD

26.          Internet Security Advisors Group, Severna Park, MD

27.          TDP Biotherapeutics, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD

28.          Green Gap Solutions, Rockville, MD

29.          Athena Energy Corp, Bowie, MD

30.          Subject7, Potomac, MD

31.          Paniagua’s Enterprises Inc. , Baltimore, MD

32.          NuSomnea, LLC, Severna Park, MD

33.          DioGenix , Rockville, MD

34.          zeroK NanoTech, Montgomery Village, MD

35.          Car Fare Compare Inc. , Crownsville, MD

36.          Fiteeza, Fairfax, VA

37.          Differential Dynamics Corporation, Owings Mills, MD

The contest is also open to startups outside of Maryland who are willing to relocate.

Linkage:

Apply here today

Source: Baltimore Sun

Here’s something fun.

Arizona State Startup G3Box, Finalist In Dyson Competition

20120909-172320.jpg

An Arizona State University startup in the colleges Edison student entrepreneur initiative, has been selected as a finalist in the global James Dyson Awards Competition.

The startup, called G3Box, has done something amazing for healthcare in rural areas. G3Box is converting freight shipping containers into small medical clinics. G3Box provides engineering design and manufacturing towards the conversion of steel shipping containers into durable, semi-mobile, stand-alone facilities that are ideal for remote environments.

“G3Box is honored to have been selected as one of the 10 U.S. finalists in the Dyson awards. From the start, G3Box has been about solving problems specifically in healthcare provision,” said Susanna Young, Co-founder and CEO of G3Box. “The Dyson awards are, at the core, about solving problems with new and creative ideas. We do that with a commitment to integrity, humility, and collaboration.”

Of course the Dyson Awards competition is held annually by Jes Dyson’s charitable trust. Dyson being the inventor and founder of the vacuum cleaner company with his same name.

The James Dyson Award is open to product design, industrial design and engineering university-level students or recent graduates who have studied in countries including the USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the UK. The James Dyson Award supports students not only with monetary prizes, but also by promoting and recognizing good quality entries. The US winner will be announced later this year.

Linkage:

Find out more about G3box Here

Find out more about the James Dyson Award here

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Texas Startup Competition Is Back Fort Worth Business Assistance Center Annonuces

A popular Forth Worth area business plan competition is back for it’s second year. The Fort Worth Business Assistance Center announced today that founding sponsors Capital One Bank, The Alternative Board and Sales Mastery Consultants (Sandler Training) have teamed up to put on the contest which has over $40,000 in cash and business services prizes.

The competition is open to all BAC clients and Tarrant County businesses and startups. After the initial application process (going on now through September 19th), 25 teams will be selected as the competitors in the event. These 25 companies will receive 8 hours in professional training, valued at $1,000. this includes two 3-hour training sessions with valuable information from Accion (Cash Flow), Texas Christian University’s Center for Professional Communication (Effective Presentations), Whitley Penn (The Importance of Financials), and a panel discussion from business leaders on effective marketing and sales. The preliminary round will also include a minimum of two hours of one-on-one business counseling with counselors from the BAC and competition partners the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for Enterprise Excellence, SCORE of Fort Worth, and Tarrant SBDC.

After the preliminary round the three strongest business plans will be selected as finalists and will advance to the final round. The final competition will be combines with an awards ceremony which will be held November 15th at the Texas Christian University.

The winners of the 2011 competition were Ikerd Consulting, Positive Influences and Cleves Research and their Cluso product.

If you’re in the Fort Worth area (Tarrant County) now’s the time to apply at the link below.

Linkage:

Apply here

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Pitney Bowes Hosting Startup Competition In Connecticut

Pitney Bowes, the Connecticut based mailroom and communications giant, recently announced an entrepreneurial and startup competition. The $5.8 billion dollar company is hoping to leverage their technology and forward thinking entrepreneurs to create new startups in three main areas of the company’s business:

Location Intelligence 

Location Intelligence is a rapidly expanding field, thanks to advances in mobile technologies, sensors, data quality and analytics. Pitney Bowes Software is a leader in the geospatial industry, with over 25 years experience and global presence. We are offering unprecedented access to our technology platforms and data sets to companies that can integrate them into new products and services.
We see the greatest opportunities in:

  • Location Based Services
  • Social, Local and Mobile
  • Location based marketing and targeting of customers
  • Context Aware Computing

Secure Evidencing Platform

Lower costs of electronics are making it possible to make and deploy a variety of sensors and detection devices that didn’t exist before. Security tends to be an afterthought. Yet, security is needed to ensure the veracity/validity of the data. Pitney Bowes offers superior technology to secure this data. We are looking to work with entrepreneurs and startups to leverage our deep expertise and advanced technology in new and exciting ways. 

Connect+ 

With the introduction of the Connect+ Series, Pitney Bowes not only launched the world’s first mailing machine with a web based architecture, we also launched the first full color mailing system, which now enables clients to use the mail piece as a marketing tool to engage their customers and prospects, adding messaging, logos, and QR codes to the face of the envelope. In the last year, Connect+ mailing systems have processed over 1 billion mail pieces.
That number will exceed 7 billion in the next 5 years.

  • How would your business use Connect + to increase the value of the mail piece for each recipient?
  • How could we leverage the capability of color printing on the envelope to provide new opportunities for Connect+ mailers and their customers?
  • What types of compelling browser-based mailing or shipping applications could be developed? 

 

The prize package for the winners includes; One year of free utilization of office space and internet access at the Pitney Bowes WHQ in Stamford Connecticut; Access to Pitney Bowes platforms and capabilities relevant to the three competition areas along with Pitney Bowes’ technical and business expertise; An introduction and access to the Stamford Innovation Center and mentoring.

Interested entrepreneurs and startups can apply through September 7, 2012 at this link. Winners will be chosen and notified in November and will begin moving into the Pitney Bowes WHQ (World Head Quarters) shortly there after.

Linkage:

Check out the complete details of the Pitney Bowes Entrepreneurial Competition here

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The one thing we hope you’ll do today

Mass Challenge Announces 125 Startups In Third Session

MassChallenge kicked off the week by announcing the 125 startups that have been chosen to participate in it’s third edition of their accelerator program/competition. MassChallenge is the largest accelerator competition on the east coast.

This years class of 125 startups includes 90 startups from the Boston area, with the other 35 coming from all over the country.

There are 46 tech startups, 25 social startups, 21 in bioscience and life science, 11 in clean tech and energy and 22 in miscellaneous categories.

Here is the complete list.

Energy & cleantech

  • Arbsource
  • Black Island Wind Turbines
  • Bootstrap Compost
  • Dynamo Micropower
  • HydroConfidence, Inc.
  • Invisergy
  • NBD Nanotechnologies
  • RainBank Inc.
  • Solar Tri-Gen
  • TireTech
  • Zagster

General

  • ARCBAZAR
  • Bio-Fiend
  • CrewTide
  • Cryoocyte
  • Fetch Storage
  • FX Aligned
  • GG’s Originals
  • HelmetHub Corporation
  • JGOOD
  • LiquiGlide
  • LittleBonsai, LLC
  • Memory on Hand
  • Ministry of Supply Inc.
  • Modalyst
  • Pegasus Performance
  • Roammeo
  • RouteSprout
  • Strong Arm Technologies, Inc.
  • Sweet Corn Tortilla Chips Inc
  • TableZest
  • Te Tama
  • Zoora

High tech

    • 42stats
    • A.I.type Ltd.
    • Akselos
    • Appsembler
    • Atomic Tower, Inc.
    • Bottol
    • Bounce Imaging
    • Calcbench
    • Capital Market Exchange (CMX)
    • Citybot, Inc
    • CoachUp
    • Delightfully
    • Distinc.tt
    • docTrackr
    • Dpicd
    • Drones For Peace
    • FansFave
    • Fantasy Politics
    • HandyBook
    • iAgree
    • IntegralReach
    • Kahnoodle Inc
    • Kanopy
    • Kernel Corp. LLC
    • Klypper Inc.
    • Lifeables
    • Magru
    • MegaMIMO
    • Mindcrimp
    • MOVL
    • Nordic Technology Group (NTG)
    • Nsyrt Corporation
    • pymetrics
    • Recruiterbox
    • Schmooze Butler
    • Securigin Inc.
    • SocialMadeSimple
    • Stable Solutions
    • STUI
    • Texifter, LLC
    • Tomorrowish
    • ToolSense
    • TripReactor (formerly WaySavvy)
    • Veenome
    • Vsnap
    • Wanderu


Life sciences & health care

  • Akrivis Technologies
  • Automated Medical Instruments, Inc.
  • CardioWave
  • Cellanyx Diagnostics
  • eTransitions
  • Guided Surgery Solutions
  • Imagnus Biomedical
  • Ionu Biosystems
  • iSpecimen
  • Lab Automate Technologies Inc
  • Nanoly Biotech
  • Neumitra
  • Noor Pharmaceuticals
  • OnDeckBiotech
  • PhotOral, Inc.
  • Quantamerix
  • Sextant Therapeutics Inc
  • Ubiqi Health
  • Vaxess Technologies
  • WindGap Medical Inc.
  • Yosko

Social impact

  • ArtPulse
  • Chartus.org
  • Design Museum Boston
  • EcoValuePoints
  • Freight Farms
  • Global Research Innovation & Technology
  • Gradeable
  • IoVista
  • Lovin’ Spoonfuls Inc
  • LuminAID Lab
  • Market Publique
  • Native Brain
  • NBA Math Hoops
  • Persistence Plus
  • Prepmatic
  • Prime Student Loan Guarantor Corp.
  • Project Dots
  • RallyPoint Networks, Inc.
  • Recovers.org
  • RetiCue
  • SilviaTerra
  • Soundfest, Inc.
  • Spill
  • TinkerStories
  • Zimba

MassChallenge has been the catalyst for growth for lots of great startups. We recently interviewed Brass Monkey, a MassChallenge startup at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012 last week.  Good luck to all 125 startups from “everywhere else”.

Linkage:

Source: Boston Business Journal

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28 Startups Compete For Best of The Buzz In Washington DC, 3 Are Victorious

We’re now bringing you coverage from both TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012 and CapitalConnection 12/TechBUZZ in Washington DC.

Today in the nation’s capital 28 different companies did four minute pitches to a packed house vying for “Best of the BUZZ”. Those three companies will head to the Main Stage tomorrow afternoon to compete in the TechBuzz Showdown.

In this contest the audience is given the power to vote via the Disruptathon app.

The 28 companies were:

AakinaTek, LLC

Aardvark Sensors

Activity Rocket LLC

ARCSys

Augaroo, Inc.

Authntk.com

Barrel of Jobs

BetterPointment

Cont3nt.com

CloudeAssurance, Inc.

Edorati

Fiteeza

forMD

Goodzer

GroupMD

iFanXP

IntroHive

Kapta Systems

Kinergy Health, LLC

MedClimate

My Design Guide.com

Naaya

PointClickSwitch.com

ProConIt.com

RideLeads Inc.

SocialSpring

Speek Inc.

Syllabuster, Inc.

By audience vote the three “Best of BUZZ” at this years TechBUZZ 12 are:

Augaroo
Cont3nt
Speek

Augaroo is building a next generation real time big data visualization system called Zoomdata. The system processes real-time data streams and generates tactile, interactive visualizations on web and mobile denies. Through Zoomdata, which is currently beta testing, users can experience data analysis in an entirely new way.

Cont3nt.com was the winter of the Startup America TechBUZZ Challenge Contest earlier this month. They won the coveted 28th presenter spot in today’s competition.  Cont3nt is a real-time marketplace for entrepreneurial media and visual journalism. The platform allows video journalists to monetize their content in new disruptive ways without having to “know somebody”.

Speek is a simplified conference calling ervice which leverages modern web services and VOIP/Telephony takeaways. Speek users will be able to own a “Spek” line which may be shared via a personal URL. Speek leverages viral growth principals and will offer free and premium services.

TechBUZZ kicked off today in Washington DC with a keynote from Founder and CEO of Opower Dan Yates. Tonight will be an evening of festivities celebrating the “Sterling Companies” alumni of the 25 year Capital Connection program.

Tomorrow there will be pitches on the main stage by companies who are a little further along then the ones today. They may come seeking funding, they could also be pre-IPO. No matter what, Nibletz the voice of startups everywhere else, will bring you all the action.

Tomorrow rounds out with a keynote by America Online founder Steve Case. Later tomorrow evening is a TechCocktail DC Sessions event with Startup America CEO Scott Case (no relation).

 

Seattle Startup: Joey Bra, A Bra For Holding Cell Phones, IDs And More

Whether you want to admit to it or not, or whether you think it’s classy or not, we all know someone or maybe you are that someone, who when you need to hold something fit for a pocket and have a nice skirt on or no pocket yoga pants, you’ve resorted to putting it in your bra. Maybe it was a little cash, maybe your drivers license or credit card, perhaps your cell phone. Well now there’s bras made specifically for that. It’s called the Joey Bra.

Mariah Gentry and Kyle Barlow are the co-founders of Joey Bra. These innovative bras include pockets that align with the side of the body capable  of holding your cell phone, some cash, maybe your IDs, and they do it without drawing attention to the bra itself.

Geekwire’s Rebecca Lowell was one of 200 judges at the UW business plan competition. She stumbled upon this innovative new startup the moment she walked through the door. She took notice to the model wearing nothing but a bra up top, a Joey Bra.

This isn’t some gimmicky idea. Gentry is a NASA Space grant student with a double major in entrepreneurship and environmental science. She also was a finalist in the Wells Fargo Case Competition.  She met co-founder Barlow at UW’s Foster School of Business.

The duo is targeting college students and offers two models a strapless version and an 8 way convertible strap version. Lowell reported that her only concern was the access to the items in the compartments and moisture as the result of perspiration. No worries as one of the co-founders works at REI and they’ve  already been sourcing water proof materials.

Linkage:

Source: Geekwire

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Michigan Startups: Amway Heir Rick Devos Launches StartGarden

Rick Devos Michigan Entrepreneur & Heir to the Amway Fortune launches startgarden.com

Rick Devos Michigan Entrepreneur & Heir to the Amway Fortune launches startgarden.com

For nearly a decade now the heir apparent to the Amway fortune, Rick Devos has been establishing his own name in Michigan’s business circles. He is a creative entrepreneur who loves getting feedback from the public on his business endeavors, that’s why he’s started the Start Garden.

The Devos family has pledged $15 million dollars to the very unique Start Garden fund, competition, accelerator, contest of sorts. Here’s how it works. Every week the new venture capital fund will invest $5,000 in each of the  two new ideas. They will continue to invest incrementally as the startups gain momentum. The first uniquely Devos twist is that the Start Garden team will choose the first idea, while the public at large can vote on the second.

Startups and entrepreneurs will submit their idea on the Start Garden website at startgarden.com. The public will have the opportunity to come to the website and vote on the idea. At the end of the week the idea with the most endorsement will win the second $5,000 dollars.

More after the break
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