Last night, Mass Innovation Nights was back at the Charles River Museum in Waltham and they made a few changes for the 12th installment of the monthly startup showcase. Presentations were moved to the ballroom which was a great improvement from the old presentation corner that brought out the worst in my claustrophobia. Demo tables were dispersed throughout the museum which was a bit fragmented but well worth the space created for the main presenters. As always we’ve got all you no-shows covered with a recap of main presentations and the demo tables.
Main Presentations:
You don’t often see medical tech at MIN, but Tomophase broke the mold with their new tissue imaging technology. With it, they are able to get a view beneath human tissues without traditional biopsy and without radiation. This could very well change the way certain medical practices are performed including asthma research, cancer research, and certain surgeries.
Tweetworks makes it easy to track conversations on twitter by letting you name and describe groups and conversation topics. It also threads tweets between multiple people so you can view the whole story, not fragmented responses. Plus their logo has a toucan, which is sick.
thredUP (kids)
ThredUp was there to showcase their upcoming kids section. ThredUp provides a used clothes exchange site, and while this can be a fun hobby for adults, it becomes a much more practical application for children, with kids constantly outgrowing their clothes. With thredUP kids, parents will be able to swap ill-fitting clothes instead of buying a whole new kiddy wardrobe every 2 years.
Product placement in physical stores is a pivotal variable for what gets bought. Searchandise lets manufacturers bid for top spots on big online shopping sites like Buy.com. Since online buyers are more inclined to go for what’s at the top of the list, Searchandise lets companies buy their way to the top.
Demos:
Bite – You might use reusable grocery bags at checkout, but what about those plastic baggies for your fruits and veggies? Bite showcased some trendy reusable produce bags to keep you eco-friendly throughout your entire shopping list.
NormaTec MVP – NormaTec brought along a space-aged looking contraption designed to boost athlete recovery by promoting circulation with pulsating air compression. Check out their site to see pics of Kevin Garnett and Lance Armstrong using it!
Proportions – If you really want to pamper your dog, Proportions allows customizable gourmet meals designed to meet the nutritional needs of your pet.
Raizlabs – For mobile app consulting, Raizlabs had some fun and functional apps they had designed themselves.
Zoiray – New technology that delivers more comprehensive and detailed protein identification tests.
Dan Hermes Digital Art – Art designed for display on digital mediums like digital picture frames or flat screen TVs.
Careinnovators – A community to learn about, discuss, and attempt to improve health care.
