Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW - Day 2 Recap

Imagine pitching your start up to a panel of VCs and entrepreneurs, and hearing the words: "I buy your proposition" from someone like Paul Graham. Score, major score. Today's 12 finalists took to the stage again at Round 2 of Microsoft BizSpark's Accelerator competition for a shot at the grand prize title, and perhaps a couple nods from judges too!

So without further ado, congratulations to this year's four grand prize winners of Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW:

Innovative Web: Siri
Entertainment: ShopSavvy
Social Media Personal: Bump
Social Media Business: Mobile Roadie

Overall, there were companies that make us feel warm and fuzzy and companies that got us excited about innovations that'll make our lives easier.

The founders of BandCentral (for bands) and Skimble (for sports and exercise enthusiasts) demonstrated that some of the best ideas spring up from personal experiences.

Making sense and making use of different types/sources of information were Siri (a digital assistant), NutshellMail (a social network digest), and Spredfast (a social business dashboard).

Buzz about Foursquare and Gowalla was ubiquitous at SXSW, and Accelerator was no exception. With leaderboards (Skimble), achievement badges (PocketTales), and blue ribbons (Foodspotting), game mechanics were ever-present.

A couple familiar names have partnered with PayPal to make our shopping experiences easier (ShopSavvy and BumpBump).

Finally, creating new or novel marketplaces were GuruStorms (expert crowdsourcing) and RecycleMatch (eHarmony of materials recycling). Meeting the needs of an existing marketplace on the upswing is Mobile Roadie (turn-key apps).

Hats off to the grand prize winners for a job well done. And, kudos to all participants, finalists, judges, emcees, organizers, and audience members for two exciting days at SXSW.

This post was written by @christineptran.