TechStars DemoDay


Besides supporting our future economy and the very concept of enthusiasm ... the best thing about these tech startup incubators is that smart people weed thru the riff-raff and deliver us the best ones. TechStars Boston did just that at their Demo Day. Presentations were fun and sharp... investors were impressed - recently dolling out $4 million across this group "graduating class."

Scott Kirsner, as usual, provides a sane and helpful overview of these hot dozen here.

Here is a wrapup with some help from the Herald. I have listed them in my order of preference:

Promoboxx — This is my favorite because they combine the power of the national brands with the loyalty of the local retailer. They are the first online promotion platform that allows brands to launch, promote and track online social marketing campaigns with their retailers. Raised $250,000.

See a video of Promoboxx President, Ben Carcio, nailing it at http://vimeo.com/25509429 (password: techstars11)

The Tap Lab — creators of TapCity, the first massively multiplayer city-building game set in the real world, and the first of many titles on its real-world gaming platform. Raised $150,000. Try this on your iPhone and be amazed with the desire to play more!

Placester — making real estate advertising simple and effective, connecting online publishers and real estate professionals on a pay-for-performance basis. Raised $325,000.

EverTrue — Great new name... same great community support system... a donor intelligence platform (starting for school alumni) that connects to the social graph, providing the first meaningful fund-raising data service. Raised $750,000.

Senexx — a company that uses artificial intelligence (natural language processing) to connect people within corporations in need of information with the information owner, by unlocking trapped knowledge in e-mails, Sharepoint and other systems. Raised $100,000.

Kinvey — the first “Backend as a Service,” making it easy for developers to set up, use and maintain cloud backends for mobile apps. Raised $1 million.

• Ginger.io — a behavioral analytics company using mobile devices to collect big data for personal and enterprise health-care applications.

• GrabCAD — connects CAD engineers with manufacturing and product development companies to reduce time and cost spent on designing models, finding a partner for drafting jobs or designing and building a new prototype product. GrabCAD also provides a free CAD model library. Raised $1.1 million.

• HelpScout — an e-mail-based customer service solution tailored for small and medium-sized businesses, combining the personal touch of e-mail with the scalability of a help desk. Raised $200,000.

• Memrise — an online learning platform that combines the best insights from the art and science of memory to provide extraordinarily effective, game-like learning experiences.

• Spill — an online, anonymous peer support system that connects communities of individuals experiencing similar life problems. Raised $140,000.

• Strohl Medical — developer of an “EKG for strokes.” - Last but not least... they save lives!