THE LATEST…
Stitch launches public beta of its mobile productivity platform for salespeople
A Q&A with Stitch co-founder and CEO Somrat Niyogi. The San Francisco-based startup, which is a mobile productivity platform for salespeople, is launching the public beta of its mobile email app today. It was founded last year and has raised $3.25 million in Seed funding to this point. SUB: Please describe Stitch and your primary … [Read More...]
Queue has developed a virtual solution that just may do away with physical lines for in-demand products
A Q&A with Queue co-founder Joe Sanchis. The San Francisco-based company, which has developed a dynamic virtual ‘smart line’ for customers seeking to buy products with high demand, launched at the DEMO Enterprise 2014 show earlier this month. It was founded in 2012 by Sanchis and Darren Luvaas. SUB: Please describe Queue and your primary … [Read More...]
Featured Startup Pitch: Mash Machine has reinvented the DJing experience for simpler music mashups
By Guy Gross, Mash Machine CEO Elevator Pitch: Mash Machine is a new multimedia platform bringing audio and visual controls into a single tangible user interface. Creating music as simple as placing blocks on a table, and DJing as easy as moving these objects across the surface. Product Description The Mash Machine is a music entertainment … [Read More...]
Utrip launches its AI-based trip planner out of beta with $750K in new funding
A Q&A with Utrip founder and CEO Gilad Berenstein. The Seattle-based startup, which offers a travel planner that utilizes predictive technology to help travelers complete itineraries, today announced the completion of a $750,000 Seed funding round. Investors include Matthew Upchurch, CEO of luxury travel network Virtuoso, and CB Alliance. It … [Read More...]
Shanghai-based ChaseFuture lands $400K to ease the college application and admissions process for international students
A Q&A with ChaseFuture co-founder and CEO Greg Nance. The Shanghai-based edtech startup last week announced the closing of a $400,000 Seed funding round. Investors include Banyan Partners, Harbor Pacific Capital, Artesian Capital Management and Angel investors. It was founded in 2012 by Nance and Han Shao. SUB: Please describe ChaseFuture … [Read More...]
Airbnb of the sea: France’s Click & Boat secures $200K to expand its peer-to-peer boat rentals marketplace
A Q&A with Click & Boat co-founder Edouard Gorioux. The Paris-based startup, which is a peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace, announced the closing of a €200,000 Seed funding round last week from unnamed Angel investors. It was founded late last year by Gorioux and Jeremy Bismuth, and is currently available in Europe. SUB: Please describe … [Read More...]
A note from the editor…
You may have noticed that there are no new postings over the last 24 hours or so. Don’t worry, StartUp Beat is on a brief, two day hiatus in order to make some important new site changes and add some new features that will add real value for readers. Thank you for your patience—I hope you like the changes, and as always, I welcome all comments … [Read More...]
Don’t get stumped by financier questions: Techniques that will even satisfy the ‘Shark Tank’ investors
By Richard Weinberger, Ph.D., CPA How many times have we seen small business entrepreneurs go before the investors on ABC’s hit show ‘Shark Tank’ and get tongue-tied when asked basic questions about their enterprise? It happens all the time, and the next thing we hear is: “I’m out.” That doesn’t have to happen to you. What every small business … [Read More...]
Featured Startup Pitch: Beveragewala wants to tap the huge demand for premium tea and coffee in India
By Manish Hada, Beveragewala co-founder Elevator Pitch: Beveragewala is a one-stop for all your tea and coffee purchase requirements. We have the widest variety and offer convenience to our customers. Product/Service Description Beveragewala, as the name suggests, is your online provider of premium beverages, particularly teas and coffees, right … [Read More...]
AlldayInternet wants to keep travelers connected while avoiding roaming charges and sub-par hotel Wi-Fi
A Q&A with AlldayInternet co-founder Julio Astarloa. The Santander, Cantabria, Spain-based startup, which offers a wireless Internet access service for travelers in Europe, landed a €240,000 Seed funding round at the start of April from unnamed investors. It was founded in 2013, and plans to use the funds to expand its service footprint across … [Read More...]
Muut gets a new name and $770K to give online forums a makeover
A Q&A with Muut co-founder Tero Piirainen. The Portland, Oregon-based startup, which offers an embeddable online forum solution for websites, announced last week the completion of a $770,000 Seed funding round. Investors include the Oregon Angel Fund and Portland Seed Fund. It was founded in late 2012 as ‘Moot’ by Piirainen, Courtney Couch and … [Read More...]
Perspectives: The women’s economy starts here
By Michelle Patterson, Global Women Foundation and The California Women’s Conference For the first time in this nation’s history, women are now the majority of the workforce—and what a force that is. As the number of entrepreneurial women rises, it is clear that this country’s economy can begin to move in the right direction as long as these women … [Read More...]
Featured Startup Pitch: Planet Jockey has built a gamified emotional intelligence training platform for developing better decision makers
By Kevin Allen, Planet Jockey co-founder and chairman Elevator Pitch: Planet Jockey is an employee engagement company that creates gamified learning and collaborative mentorship platforms based on emotional intelligence techniques. Product/Service Description The Planet Jockey Leadership Academy provides emerging leaders with practical, … [Read More...]
XOEye launches to bring connected wearable technology to enterprise workers in the field
A Q&A with XOEye Technologies co-founder and CEO Aaron Salow. The Ann Arbor, Michigan- and Nashville, Tennessee-based startup, which has developed industrial-grade smart glasses which allow real-time point-of-view remote collaboration, launched at the DEMO Enterprise 2014 show last week. It was founded in 2010, and the founding team also … [Read More...]
Featured Startup Pitch: Netherlands-based FlxOne is helping digital advertisers use data to optimize campaigns in real-time
By Matthijs Keij, FlxOne founder and CEO Elevator Pitch: Many real-time advertising analytics companies give insights and there it stops—FlxOne takes it a step further by automatically optimizing performance based on those insights. We focus on the trading specialists (trading desks, agencies, ad networks) and give them the technology to do their … [Read More...]
Just-launched GripeO is tackling the ‘big business’ of complaining
A Q&A with GripeO co-founder and CEO Mike Klanac. The Buffalo, New York-based startup, which is a social consumer complaint management platform, launched out of stealth mode last week. It was founded in 2012 by Klanac, Nicholas Campanile, Stephen Makula, Richard Panek, Jim Proulx, and Mark Taylor, and is currently in the process of raising its … [Read More...]
Ometria’s ecommerce platform integrates actionable data to help retailers better identify profitable customers
A Q&A with Ometria co-founder and CEO Ivan Mazour. The London-based startup, which offers an all-in-one ecommerce intelligence solution, announced in late March the completion of a $1.6 million Angel funding round. Investors include Alastair Mitchell, Andy McLoughlin, Tim Jackson, Phil Wilkinson, Guy Westlake, Sean Cornwell, Ned Cranborne, Shan … [Read More...]
Featured Startup Pitch: DataXoom offers data services designed to address the pain points of the mobile enterprise workforce
By John Tantum, DataXoom co-founder and CEO Elevator Pitch: DataXoom provides mobile data services for medium- and large-sized businesses. We connect tablets, mobile hotspots, and specialty devices to cellular networks, offering improved controls and lower costs. Market Opportunity Twenty-five million mobile data devices, including … [Read More...]
AARP LivePitch Startup Speed Pitch Finalists Announced
Submitted by: Christopher Sherman Companies To Take The Stage Before Judges from Kleiner Perkins, DFJ, Google Ventures, HLM Ventures and TEDMED Boston - April 7, 2014 - LivePitch Media and AARP today announced the five LivePitch Speed Pitch finalists that will take the stage for the third AARP Health Innovation @50+ LivePitch, a showcase of … [Read More...]
Featured Startup Pitch: Spin for Good was built to enable charities to tap into the big money in online gaming
By Amee Kamdar, Spin for Good co-founder Elevator Pitch: Spin for Good combines social online gaming and charitable giving in a simple and meaningful way. Users play online games with actual money on the line—so, the stakes and the excitement are real—and winnings go straight to the charity of their choice. Product/Service Description With … [Read More...]
