(The 2014 competition winners. | Image via Paul Hammond)
(Update on January 28: Due to Winter Storm Juno, Startup Rounds’ final showcase was rescheduled for Monday, February 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. The piece now reflects that change. You can purchase your tickets here.)
Dozens of startups entered, but only 10 have emerged as finalists of Startup Rounds’ latest competition, after four weeks of vying for votes. On the line? More than $30,000 in prizes.
The Babson-born competition is holding its final showcase on Monday, February 16, at Microsoft NERD. And while the competition started out as a way to bring Babson’s startups to the Boston business scene, it has expanded well beyond the Wellesley campus, now billing itself as “the world’s largest online ‘Shark Tank.’”
Applicants will have three minutes to pitch their idea and roughly two minutes to answer questions from a panel of five judges, which includes Kayak Co-founder Paul English, founder of consumer tech foundry Blade, and Philippe Schwartz, formerly CEO and co-founder of ooVoo, a popular video and instant messaging app.
The crowd can choose one finalist to receive the Audience Choice Award, ringing in at $2,000 in cash.
“We’re excited to have attendees ranging from investors, experienced entrepreneurs, mentors … and students all planning to attend the event,” said Startup Rounds CEO Paul Hammond in an email to BostInno. “It should be exciting.”
The top prize is $20,000 cash, with $10,000 in legal and accounting expenses paid for. All finalists, however, will receive $5,000 in cloud-computing services from Microsoft for a year, $1,000 to 6,000 toward bookkeeping and $1,000 toward accounting expenses.
The event will also feature talks from CoachUp Founder Jordan Fliegel, who will address the challenges of growing a business, and Reality Crowd TV Founder Manolis Sfinarolakis, who will part some wisdom on how startups get funding today.
Without further ado, the ten finalists are:
- Freight Frog — Calling themselves the “Kayak.com of Moving Companies,” Freight Frog is a cross-country moving service that promises rates at a portion of the larger movers on the market. They claim three to seven days for cross-country moves and a number of other perks, including 30 days of free storage, in case you’ve been looking for a reason to combine moving and paid days of vacation.
- Karma Crew Yacht Charters, LLC — With Karma Crew, you’ll be funding the restoration of a vintage motor yacht for chartering, which is capable of carrying 39 passengers. The boat will also be available for outings, weddings or any other event in need of some New England flair.
- Hunter Green — A startup that will produce $90 fully-biodegradable chronograph watches that won’t hurt the planet.
- NOMAD — Featured in Vogue UK, Elle and other publications, NOMAD promises a line of fashionable backpacks with a few utilitarian twists: strap pockets with invisible zippers for small goods; removable inner pockets and side zippers for easy access with one hand.
- DRINKmaple — DRINKmaple’s water isn’t just maple-flavored, they also claim it contains “46 naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, antioxidants and prebiotics, and half the sugar of coconut water.”
- Blanc Inc. — A high-tech solution for the sleep-deprived, Blanc Inc. will bring smartwatches that measure your movement velocity and frequency to predict when you’re about to conk out on the job.
- Think Board — Sometimes the best way to remember things is to write them down, and Think Board will help you adhere a dry erase board to every surface that needs one.
- Life Force Beverages — Born from the moonlighting operation of a couple of juicemakers, Life Force Beverages will introduce Jubali, a line of preservative-free and eco-conscious drinks, with the aim of bringing them to healthcare and educational institutions.
- Waltman Co. — Who carries around a microfiber cloth to clean their glasses or smartphone these days? Well, Waltman Co.’s ties double as one.
- Lindsay Tia — Lindsay Tia claims that each of its American-made bags is a personal product — each bag is named after its maker, and each bag a representation of its maker’s memories and experiences.
Inspired? Luckily for you, Hammond said: “Startup Rounds is continuing to welcome applications, and looks forward to launching more campaigns in 2015.”
