SXSW Pitch (formerly SXSW Accelerator®) features interactive technology companies from across multiple categories. Each March, these companies dazzle a live audience with their company pitch and Q&A with our panel of judges. Category winners are announced at the SXSW Pitch Awards ceremony after the two-day competition at SXSW.
Browse winners, finalists, judges, and other SXSW Pitch participants below.
2025 Winners | Finalists & Alternates | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2024 Winners | Finalists & Alternates | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2023 Winners | Finalists & Alternates | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2022 Winners | Finalists & Alternates | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2021 Winners | Finalists & Alternates | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2020 Finalists | Alternates | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2019 Winners | Finalists | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
2018 Winners | Finalists | Emcees & Judges | Coaches & Qualifiers
More Past Winners:
2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
2025 Winners By Category
AgTech & Food
Knead Technologies (Calgary, Canada)
Enterprise, Smart Data, FinTech & Future of Work
Polygraf AI (Austin, TX)
Entertainment, Media, Sports & Content
- NeuralGarage (Bangalore, India)
HealthTech, MedTech, BioTech & Accessibility
- Glidance (Seattle, WA)
Innovative World Tech
- Xatoms (Toronto, Canada)
Robotics, Web3, Voice & Extended Reality
Contoro (Austin, TX)
Security, GovTech & Space
Little Place Labs (Houston, TX)
Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability
Helix Earth (Houston, TX)
Student Startup
MabLab (Boston, MA)
Special Awards
- Best Bootstrap Company (the company who has done the most with least): AzulBio
- Best Speed Pitch: Tempesst Droneworx
- Best Inclusivity: Launch Ahead AI
- Best in Show winner: Polygraf AI
2025 Judges
2024 Winners By Category
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
Gan.ai (San Francisco, CA)
Enterprise & Smart Data
Swif.ai (Santa Clara, CA)
Entertainment, Media & Content
OpusClip (Redwood City, CA)
Extended Reality & Web 3
Applix (Austin, TX)
Food, Nutrition, & Health
STMPatch (Storrs, CT)
Future of Work
Folio.works (Oakland, CA)
Innovative World Technologies
Sponsored by Collins Aerospace
Cephable (Boston, MA)
Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability
Sponsored by Collins Aerospace
Lotus (San Jose, CA)
Student Startup
Sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin
Paradigm Robotics (Austin, TX)
Special Awards
Best Bootstrap Company: Coordle Inc (Baltimore, MD)
Best Speed Pitch: Peadbo (Washington, DC)
Best Inclusivity: PHIOGEN (Houston, TX)
Best in Show winner: OpusClip (Redwood City, CA)
2024 Finanlists & Alternates
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, & Voice
Finalists
Autonomize Austin, TX
Autonomize's AI copilots, organizes, contextualizes, and summarizes unstructured data to reduce the administrative burden for healthcare knowledge workers to make data-driven decisions and improve patient outcomes. Autonomize AI is a founding member of CancerX, the US President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative. Our customers include the Top 20 pharma, F100 Payors, and life sciences companies.
Carviz Berkeley, CA
Carviz, a multimodal AI application combining video, audio, OCR, and lidar, enables remote vehicle scans - exterior, interior, tires, engine noise, and maintenance documents - in under 5 minutes. Conducted entirely by AI, without human review, we allow dealerships, insurance, and rental agencies to rapidly, accurately and thoroughly assess vehicle condition.
Gan.ai San Francisco, CA
Gan.ai helps marketers, and salespeople create hyper-personalized videos at scale to cut through the media noise and increase engagement and conversion. Record just one video and Gan.ai will create a perfectly personalized copy for each customer. We revolutionize video marketing using generative AI: try the best-in-class lip sync and voice cloning!
MyPart Tel-Aviv, Israel
MyPart is the new standard of AI Song Search and analysis, redefining how we discover and experience music. It has developed unparalleled comprehension of lyrics, musical composition, production, and sound that enables deep content-based music recommendation through a visually rich, immersive experience for creative professionals and music lovers at large.
Nava AI Austin, TX
90% of the population growth in the US is expected to come from immigration. Even then, it remains a complex web to navigate. Nava AI is an AI assistant that helps immigrants navigate the complexities of US immigration. In addition, Nava facilitates the visa application process by automating the legal paperwork and collaborating with a network of independent attorneys
Alternates
Booth AI San Francisco, CA
AI Product Photography for e-commerce fashion, furniture, and eyewear brands.
Quiller Washington, DC
Quiller is an AI copilot that helps Democratic campaigns and social impact organizations draft high quality, effective fundraising content. Winner: AI Efficiency of the Year from AdWeek.
Traverse San Francisco, CA
Traverse, a spatial intelligence company, serves enterprise and government clients who need to understand and simulate the physical world. Traverse simplifies the creation and analysis of 3D assets and environments utilizing the latest developments in artificial intelligence and computer vision technology.
Enterprise and Smart Data
Finalists
Aiki Austin, TX
In today's uncertain times, Aiki prioritizes student safety with dynamic two-way communication, connecting occupants and first responders. Our system offers instant lockdown alerts, improves user performance under stress, and creates real-time situational awareness heatmaps. Seamlessly merging tech and empowerment, Aiki saves lives.
Diagon Alameda, CA
Diagon is a procurement and project management platform for manufacturing, automation, and test equipment. Diagon helps customers identify relevant equipment products; discover qualified suppliers; and manage complex equipment projects. Diagon saves customers time and money by negotiating favorable commercial terms comparable to a Fortune 500 enterprise.
Revend NV Antwerp, Belgium
Revend helps eCommerce brands spot and fix conversion blockers in minutes, saving ad spend and avoiding revenue loss.
Swif.ai Santa Clara, CA
Swif is a one-stop AI-powered device management that seamlessly integrates compliance automation into critical facets of device management.
Unified API Toronto, Canada
Unified.to revolutionizes the $18B integration software market, democratizing SaaS data access with a next-gen Unified API dev platform. The Integration-as-a-Service solution surpasses conventional integration tech, launching integrations 100x faster. Unified.to is the connective tissue that empowers software companies to build better products and solve bigger challenges.
Alternates
Kodex AI Berlin, Germany
Kodex redefines what it means to be a financial professional with genAI. Our platform empowers users to complete analyses in minutes, enabling swift access to information, instant data analysis, and automated report drafting. This transformation boosts productivity, accelerates service times, mitigates risks, and leads to an increased top line.
Swallow London, England
Swallow is a pricing operations platform that enables any company to offer personalised and dynamic pricing to their customers. The platform enables companies to easily build a decision and pricing engine that serves pricing via API, supported by governance, testing, and data collection features.
Entertainment, Media and Content
Finalists
Furrend Singapore, Singapore
Furrend is the next-gen web3 consumer app built for 10 billion pet lovers.
Displace San Diego, CA
Displace has made the first truly wireless TV. Displace’s 55" 4K TVs are super lightweight, transportable, use hot-swappable batteries and can be secured to any surface with proprietary active-loop vacuum technology. Displace TVs are controlled primarily with hand gestures to easily browse and play content using proprietary computer vision technology.
Naya Groningen, Netherlands
Naya is dedicated to revolutionizing digital workflows for creative professionals. The Naya ecosystem introduces Create, a multi-award-winning modular keyboard with 4 interchangeable modules for workflows in the audiovisual, 3D, spatial computing realms, and more. Paired seamlessly with Naya Flow, the fully customizable software, it integrates with key creative software.
OpusClip Redwood City, CA
OpusClip, the premier AI video editing platform, effortlessly turns raw footage into viral content with just one click. Since launching in June 2023, we've captivated over 3 million users worldwide. Our state-of-the-art AI technology serves a variety of genres and enterprise demands, revolutionizing the art of video storytelling.
UpVote Des Moines, IA
Upvote creates a trustworthy, scalable means of political communication. We use novel technology to connect voters and politicians to the verifiable information that matters most to them at a fraction of the current cost.
Alternates
PerformVu Brooklyn, NY
Recognizing the growing significance of video art in entertainment's future, PerformVu makes it possible to watch a curated collection from the world's leading artists & art museums from the comfort of your home.
Playbook XR Los Angeles, CA
Playbook is a rapid prototyping tool for spatial design. Going from idea to reality in 3D is an incredibly tedious, fragmented process. It’s prohibitively expensive and resource-heavy to create and share an interactive prototype. Our no-code, AI-native platform makes spatial content creation intuitive and accessible.
Flora Innovations San Jose, CA
Flora™ is the creator of breakthrough piezo composite materials for audio and haptic applications. Its product Dragonfly™ is the world's first full range piezo speaker.
Extended Reality and Web3
Finalists
Afference Boulder, CO
Afference is a pioneering technology company at the forefront of the Spatial Computing era and is dedicated to redefining human experiences through artificial sensation. With a relentless commitment to innovation, Afference leverages cutting-edge neuroscience to create a new era of sensory perception.
Applix Austin, TX
Applix: A spell checker for manufacturing defects. We serve Automotive, Industrial & Medical Tech firms worldwide with AR-Xpert, our AR-based automated visual quality inspection app. We deliver innovation through Perception AI, Augmented Reality and Digital Twins. Join us in transforming industries with quality, efficiency, and precision.
Connected Athletics Round Rock, TX
ConnectED Athletics empowers athletes to forge meaningful connections and form relationships with key influencers to optimize their sports careers, during/after their eligibility. We amplify the strength of their personal brand through cutting-edge AI technology, harnessing the real-world experiences of individuals that they can leverage during their athletic journey.
Valkyrie Industries London, England
Valkyrie Industries has developed Valkyrie Eir, our patented haptic wearable that allows you to lift virtual weights and feel resistance from motion gestures and control. Used in Virtual and Augmented reality, our sensors connect using Bluetooth technology to deliver sophisticated impulses directly to the user’s muscles.
Visualsyn Seoul, South Korea
Visualsyn pioneers AI-driven metaverse content creation. Our expertise spans AI-powered 3D scanning, conversion, and editing. Glinda AIMI, our comprehensive platform redefines metaverse content production for a seamless and user-centric experience.
Alternates
DAS Berlin, Germany
We are DAS – Developing Athletics Software. Our vision is to create software products using innovative technology to enhance the learning and performance of athletes and sports teams.DAS is a startup based in Berlin, made up of experts in VR, software, and sports science.
Mythologi Montreal, Canada
MYTHOLOGI is an interaction design and research studio; we innovate and develop spatial computing solutions that drive human engagement of the future today. In ELYSIUM, we‘ve built a cloud platform for persistent augmented reality worlds. We empower creative innovation for the next evolution of connectivity, play, and social interactivity.
Food, Nutrition, & Health
Finalists
DIA Newark, NJ
DIA means “day” in Spanish and is the core mission of this female and Latino-founded deep tech venture – to improve human health by enabling key biomarkers to be measured every day, non-invasively, at the point-of-need. Our first product measures cortisol levels - "the stress hormone" – in saliva in 5 minutes.
PHIOGEN Houston, TX
PHIOGEN is evolving biotherapeutics to combat the infection crisis. We have developed a world-first biogenetics technology platform that mobilizes the natural power of bacteriophages to tackle critical and life-threatening infections and marks a significant medical breakthrough for countering the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Sama Therapeutics, Inc Cambridge, MA
Sama Therapeutics synthesizes and validates predictive biomarkers grounded in neural, physiological, multi-omics, natural language, and behavioral phenotypes. The company's agile SaaS platform, iMAGiNE™, analyzes the transdiagnostic efficacy of pharmaceutical and neurostimulation modalities through precision clinical trials, causal inference, and generative AI trained on proprietary and open-science datasets.
SHENNONGSHI.AI Taipei, Taiwan
World's first Humanoid Robotics decentralized repository of hubs that capture culinary skills. We optimize AI, robotics, and Sim2Real technologies to reshape the gastronomic experience, empowering chefs and kitchens. Leveraging extensive human chef movements, we aim to be the primary source of humanoid robot data, benefitting the restaurant tech ecosystem.
SingleTimeMicroneedles Storrs, CT
SingleTimeMicroneedles’ mission is to democratize access to lifesaving veterinary and human pharmaceuticals. We have developed a drug/vaccine microneedle delivery platform that eliminates the need for cold-chain storage and transportation and are the only patches that can deliver doses immediately, over-time, or separately over weeks/months in one application.
Alternates
Magsorbeo Biomedical Detroit, MI
Magsorbeo is developing next generation bioabsorbable metal implants for bone fixation in trauma and reconstructive surgeries. Magsorbeo's goal is to reduce surgical interventions, improve patient quality of life and outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs by safely eliminating the long-term presence of implants in the body and restoring bone to natural physiology. Magsorbeo's alloy platform is differentiated by its adjustable absorption for optimal performance in a variety of implant applications.
UGenome AI Green Valley, AZ
UGenome is a product-driven organization offering a progression of bioinformatics services to earn revenue and knowledge about our products with our vision to make genomic medicine personal and accessible for everyone. Our 7 values include learning, empathy, trust, diversity, adaptability, innovation, and excellence.
Future of Work
Finalists
DD New York, NY
DIVERSD is accelerating the adoption of inclusive and intersectional AI to empower the Future of Work, and has created a SaaS platform that enables companies to capture missed revenue, drive greater productivity, and decrease operating costs via inclusive proprietary LLMs.
Escalate Silver Spring, MD
Escalate is a white-label platform that stops turnover of frontline workers for enterprise companies. We do this by providing asynchronous upskilling and reskilling with automated supports to make sure employees can get to work everyday and increase retention in their current roles by 3x.
Folio.works Oakland, CA
Folio.works trains students freelance for venture-backed startups. Upon completing our program, students are job-ready and earn $10k+/yr as vetted freelancers on our platform while completing their studies.
Grapefruit Health Chicago, IL
We are addressing the massive staffing shortage in healthcare by creating the first and only tech-enabled workforce composed completely of local clinical students. We recruit, train, and manage these students to perform work on behalf of healthcare organizations remotely.
ProjectUs.ai Boston, MA
ProjectUs.ai democratizes access to leadership development by delivering personalized AI-driven data to every employee in an organization. Rooted in three years of AI and behavior research at MIT, our platform analyzes verbal and non-verbal cues during virtual meetings, providing users with insights into their emotional dynamics and leadership behaviors.
Alternates
Fem Equity Baltimore, MD
Fem Equity is an HR tech platform that creates solutions for women and underrepresented professionals going through pay or professional gaps in real-time. We are a double-sided platform that provides these solutions for our women and minority professionals and provides organizations access to a highly qualified diverse pool of young women and minority professionals.
Layerpath Austin, Texas
Layerpath revolutionizes team efficiency with AI-powered interactive product demos. Our platform enhances self-serve help experiences and boosts software adoption among customers and employees.
Peadbo Washington, DC
Peadbo (short for Personal Advisory Board) is a platform that allows users to build and manage teams dedicated to their personal or professional growth and create recurring newsletters for their broader network of supporters and advisors.
Innovative World Technologies
Finalists
Cephable Boston, MA
Cephable is a platform that empowers people of all abilities to control technology in new ways with tools like adaptive voice controls, head and face controls, AI automation, and more. Businesses integrate Cephable into their platforms and teams to reach and support more individuals with disabilities while creating new experiences.
Coordle Inc Baltimore, MD
Coordle simplifies group coordination with our intuitive app and location-aware web platform. Tired of manual labor and disorganized group travel? We're here to change that. Access real-time information, messaging, hosting capacities, and dynamic itineraries, making group movement easy and accessible. Your solution for streamlined coordination.
Monte Caldera Technologies Inc Miami, FL
Deep-tech scientific company applying disruptive physics to unravel fundamental challenges related to the understanding of material properties at molecular levels. Our solution streamlines traditional R&D by up to 80%, enabling the discovery and improvement of the things we encounter in our daily lives in a better, safer, and faster way.
Skyline Nav AI, Inc. Cambridge, MA
Skyline Nav AI has created a unique, patented technology using computer vision and 3D LiDAR for navigation without GPS. It's reliable in GPS-obstructed areas, excels in initial positioning and terrain scanning, and is ideal for various applications on land, air, sea and space.
VOTIX Syracuse, NY
VOTIX is your enterprise drone automation platform. Pioneer hardware-agnostic software platform for fully automated commercial drone operations at scale.
Alternates
Foresight Kansas City, MO
Foresight streamlines lending by reducing processing times from months to minutes with AI-enhanced analysis, ensuring precision and efficiency. With just four pieces of information, Foresight generates verified loan applications instantly, transforming the borrowing experience and setting a new standard in the lending industry.
Koru Phoenix, AZ
Koru redefines strategic partnerships with groundbreaking AI intelligence. As an innovative and cost-effective platform, we facilitate impactful, efficient alliances for companies. Our approach transforms the landscape of corporate collaboration, offering a smarter, more efficient path to partnership success.
Superscript New York City, NY
What does it take to fix US Healthcare? Consumers. Healthcare is insulated from consumer demand. Superscript is changing that with Healthcare’s First Pricing Protocol. Finally, consumers can make informed choices about their care. No more surprise costs. No more uncertainty.
Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability
Finalists
BUYO Bioplastics Hochiminh City, Vietnam
We convert bio-waste into 100% bio-based bioplastics which are fully biodegradable in the natural environment and safe for health. Our product properties are comparable to regular plastics and suitable for various applications with cost competitiveness. We minimize carbon footprints by upcycling waste and bringing them back into the circular economy.
Jist Cremieu, France
Big ag, timber & rubber companies are under increasing regulatory pressure to decouple their supply chains from deforestation. Our behavioral modeling solution not only allows companies to de-risk their supply chains, but to optimize them as well. Put simply: it's deep tech allowing companies to do good & do well.
Lotus San Jose, CA
The Lotus Ring is a wearable ring that controls objects at home by pointing. No rewiring, no apps, no internet. At Lotus we build technology that is usable by everybody, by optimizing for disability first.
Pavewise, Inc. Fargo, ND
Pavewise’s web-based software maximizes productivity and improves project quality, resulting in increased incentives and profits for paving contractors. Variables such as weather, project specifications, and equipment operations impact every paving project. By efficiently managing project variables and integrating paving solutions, Pavewise develops a strategy for success for every paving project. In 2023, Pavewise successfully assisted in managing over $20 million dollars in paving projects across the United States.
ReMo Homes Gardena, CA
ReMo Homes is a modular manufacturing company that makes net-zero affordable homes using advanced fabrication methods and automation-friendly materials. ReMo's team consists of veterans from the aerospace and semiconductor industries.
Alternates
Haven Energy Los Angeles, CA
Haven Energy is a clean tech company that guides homeowners through the selection, quoting, and financing of a home battery system installation, pairing them with qualified electricians to perform the installation. Post-installation, Haven helps homeowners integrate their batteries into an aggregated virtual power plant, which significantly reduces their electricity costs.
Terralytiq Austin, TX
Terralytiq is a pioneering climate tech startup which specializes in comprehensive enterprise decarbonization. Leveraging over 20 years of industry experience, it offers a unique SaaS platform enabling businesses to effectively measure, strategize, and implement actionable decarbonization initiatives, moving beyond mere carbon accounting to achieve tangible environmental impact.
Tikal Industries Chicago, IL
Tikal is a Chicago-based startup creating a hardtech enabled water management platform to improve operational efficiency and process monitoring, while minimizing water waste. Our platform provides manufacturers and energy producers with actionable insights on water efficiency and quality metrics in real time.
Student Startup
Finalists
Asclepii Cleveland, OH
Asclepii is building the next generation of biomaterials for wound care by creating solutions that empower your own body's healing capabilities in a way that is diverse, accessible, globally scalable, and clinically effective. We are leading the revolution for the future of wound care: semi-synthetic therapeutics.
MACH Transit Austin, TX
MACH Transit is an Austin startup founded to address the US’ lack of adoption of magnetic levitation technology despite its potential in markets beyond public transportation. MACH’s pilot product is a levitating camera vehicle utilizing maglev to actively maintain zero contact with its guideway, enabling the capture of ultra-stable footage at over 200 mph.
Paradigm Robotics Austin, TX
Paradigm Robotics is an Austin, Texas based robotics startup building advanced and versatile robotic platform solutions to provide mission critical situational awareness for firefighting, disaster response, industrial/manufacturing, and other industries. We help protect the brave in the most hazardous of environments.
Rehydrate Cambridge, MA
Rehydrate adapts NASA's water recovery system technology for its mobile water recycler, offering efficient and sustainable purification solutions. Ideal for military, disaster relief, and remote areas prone to water scarcity, Rehydrate ensures dependable access to clean drinking water in challenging environments.
SkinCheck Tulsa, OK
Every hour, more than two people die from skin cancer in the U.S. alone. Yet, 99% of all skin cancer cases are curable if detected early enough. SkinCheck provides inclusive technologies to triage, monitor, and spot skin cancer early for individuals, clinics, and healthcare providers.
Alternates
BLKHRZN Greensboro, NC
BLKHRZN is a company that is dedicated to supporting and uplifting Black people in the gaming industry to make waves in the professional frontier.
Merge Conflict Studio Austin, TX
Merge Conflict Studio is a minority-led video game development studio that focuses on centering marginalized perspectives and environmental awareness. We know games can go beyond pure entertainment and can help spread motivation to fight for a more environmentally conscious society.
ReliaCare San Diego, CA
ReliaCare Solutions, Inc. is a technology company that aims to transform pre- and post-operative care for patients and their providers through intuitive, user-friendly, and accessible technological solutions. When no one else is there, ReliaCare is there.
2024 Pitch Advisory Board
2024 Judges
2024 Coaches and Qualifying Committee
Facilitators
Qualifiers and Coaches
2023 Winners
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
2023 Winner: Reality Defender
Enterprise & Smart Data
2023 Winner: Climatiq
Entertainment, Media & Content
2023 Winner: PentoPix
Food, Nutrition & Health
2023 Winner: General Prognostics GPx
Future of Work
2023 Winner: Reach Pathways
Innovative World Technologies
2023 Winner: SXD Ai
Metaverse & Web3
2023 Winner: Numbers Protocol
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
2023 Winner: Urban Machine
SXSW Pitch 2023 also crowned its “Best In Show” winner, PentoPix. Special awards were also presented to AMA — Environmental Agents for “Best Bootstrap,” LeadrPro for “Best Speed Pitch,” and CreditRich for “Best DEI.”
2023 Finalists & Alternates
Finalists & Alternates
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
Aiba Safety Platform Gjøvik, Norway
Aiba is a gamechanger in chatroom moderation, with the mission to deliver safe digital lives for kids and teenagers by detecting cyber grooming and unwanted behavior like toxicity and harassment. We deliver an AI powered moderation platform for online communities where children come to play.
Helios Life Enterprises Saratoga Springs, NY
Helios Life Enterprises (HLE) is a pioneer in voice-based tonal analysis. HLE is the first and currently only company to conceive and devise a widely available data platform that delivers systematic analytics of an executive’s voice during critical corporate events.
nSight Surgical San Francisco, CA
nSight Surgical is a Stanford BioDesign spinout building a computer vision AI system to decode the fundamental language of surgery. nSight Surgical’s data helps reduce infection rates, increases efficiency, makes surgery safer, and reduces costs. We are building operative intelligence!
Reality Defender New York, NY
Reality Defender’s deepfake detection platform empowers enterprises to flag fraudulent users and content (audio, visual, documents). Our API and app provides real-time risk scoring, reporting, alerts, and forensics review. Our team spent 20+ years at Google, Goldman Sachs, and the Intelligence Community at the intersection of data science and cybersecurity.
Wearable Technologies Hartland, WI
A personal emergency safety response system in the form of a wearable that provides a Safety-As-A-Service solution to the vulnerable population. It can detect and potentially predict hazards and protect the wearer by alerting guardians and 911/SOS automatically using assisted AI.
Alternates
AiKYNETIX Houston, TX
AiKYNETIX is the first Video Analytics application for human motion analysis on treadmills. It captures full-body motion analysis from a single smartphone camera. As a result, the app users - runners and their coaches can measure running form and running performance metrics to improve training.
Metabob Santa Clara, CA
AI powered dev tool that help software engineers cut debugging time in half by detecting and resolving hidden errors before merging code.
Rapta Portland, OR
Rapta is an AI software company that helps more than 600K manufacturers solve the $100B year in lost productivity due to critical shortage of skilled workers. Our AI software empowers companies to improve their people, performance, and productivity.
Enterprise and Smart Data
Finalists
Allosense Dash San Antonio, TX
Allosense is an industrial internet-of-things company that makes advanced sensors and measurement solutions for electric vehicle manufacturing and equipment monitoring. Allosense automates decision-making capabilities by streamlining software and sensor connectivity. Allosense improves operational efficiency and reduces waste by supporting the digital transformation of American industries, one sensor at a time.
Climatiq Berlin, Germany
Climatiq is providing the building blocks to deliver carbon intelligence at scale. Our headless API solution is used by product managers and developers at SaaS providers and large enterprises. The carbon calculation engine can be integrated into any software or used to accelerate the development of new sustainability solutions.
CreditRich Washington, DC
CreditRich rounds up users spare change to pay their bills intelligently and optimize credit scores in partnership with Experian and Visa
FastForward, Inc Kearney, NE
FastForward automates the inspection and patrol documentation for electric utilities with vehicle-mounted camera systems and computer vision technology.
Optery Walnut Creek, CA
Optery is automated opt-out software that automatically removes you from hundreds of data brokers posting and selling your personal information online.
Alternates
443ID Austin, TX
443ID is an identity security company focused on helping our customers prevent user account fraud through an identity signal orchestration platform to help them make better identity decisions. Designed to work in real-time, we fit seamlessly into existing user flows across web and mobile apps.
Bakstage Livingston, NJ
Bakstage is a powerful platform for brands to personalize and humanize customer experience using our proprietary Humanized Intelligent Customer Experience (HiCX). Bakstage no-code solution enables two-way live audio and video streaming capabilities to build amazing data driven experiences for customer engagement boosting customer lifetime value.
Rownd Raleigh, NC
Rownd is an adaptive authentication company that helps businesses increase their user conversation rate by allowing them to decide how and where sign-in happens.
Entertainment, Media and Content
Finalists
Alice Camera London, UK
Alice Camera is an AI camera that has the experience of a smartphone with the quality of a DSLR and allows creators to share content seamlessly. The Alice Camera is being built in Britain for the 500 million creators and business worldwide who make an income from sharing content.
AudioShake San Francisco, CA
AudioShake makes audio interactive and accessible by using AI to separate recordings into their building blocks. From major and indie labels, to music publishers, artists, producers, and third parties, customers use AudioShake for sync licensing, spatial audio, and remixes, and to power the next wave of new experiences.
ICONOME London, UK
ICONOME, creates digital destinations for the world’s biggest icons. We give these icons an official home for all their content, commercial activity, partnerships, NFTs, Music, aggregated social, news, e-commerce and everything else in their world. Delivering significant new revenue streams that traditional platforms don’t offer & unparalleled engagement for fans.
Imvizar Dublin, Ireland
Imvizar is revolutionising storytelling through immersive, interactive and life-sized experiences, using augmented reality. Launched in late 2021, they have experiences in Ireland, UK, Portugal, US and Australia. Imvizar's new tool will make it easier than ever to create truly immersive digital storytelling experiences, without any prior coding knowledge.
PentoPix London, UK
PentoPix is revolutionizing the world of storytelling with its AI-assisted technology that transforms text into stunning 3D animations. Our team of Ivy researchers, serial entrepreneurs are dedicated to democratizing 3D animation for all levels of creators.
Alternates
Extratime Limited Lisbon, Portugal
Changing the world of football advertisement by creating a highly scalable real-time engagement market.
Podopolo Santa Monica, CA
Podopolo is revolutionizing podcasting as interactive, personalized and profitable for creators. With AI-powered discovery, shared interest communities, and multiple ways for podcast hosts to boost reach and revenue, Podopolo also takes "content as conversation and connection" to a whole new level.and advertisers. As Forbes Magazine wrote about Podopolo, everyone wins.
Zoog Even Yehuda, Israel
Zoog is leveraging Augmented Reality to bring families closer together through storytelling and other fun, educational, and engaging content that children absolutely love and enjoy. With Zoog, you can easily create unique interactive videos with the push of a button. We automatically apply filters, effects, and music that match the story, so all that is left for you to do is read! Kids can view the video you share anytime, from any device and then send you responses both within and outside of the app.
Food, Nutrition, & Health
Finalists
General Prognostics (GPx) Boston, MA
GPx is revolutionizing remote chronic disease management with the world's first Bloodless Blood Tests. We allow physicians to remotely and non-invasively monitor blood biomarkers that are vital for managing chronic disease, similar to continuous glucose monitoring but without needles.
The PherDal Kit Dixon, IL
PherDal is developing the first FDA-cleared, sterile, patented, over-the-counter assisted reproduction kit. After a diagnosis of unexplained infertility, our founder used her Ph.D. in Biology to invent a medical device that, in two months, conceived her daughter. 200 proof-of-concept kits sold out in 90 days, resulting in 27 pregnancies.
The ReBokeh App Baltimore, MD
ReBokeh is developing an app-based, assistive technology system for people with moderate vision impairments that allows them to personalize how they see the world to their specific needs in any situation.
Reskued Minneapolis, MN
Reskued's mission is to eliminate food going to landfill. We do this by working with food distributors to proactively identify inventory destined to become waste and surface it to alternative buyers via the reskued marketplace.
Vistim Labs Salt Lake City, UT
At Vistim Labs, we help pharma and clinicians identify and treat neurological disorders with our software product for high precision tracking of neurodegenerative disease progression, including amyloid burden in the brain, tau burden in spinal fluid, and performance across a variety of cognitive assessments.
Alternates
TapRoot’s Ella Phoenix, AZ
TapRoot, creators of Ella, a digital solution reducing dementia-related behavioral expression for seniors and their caregivers. Ella provides personalized behavior planning that mitigates dementia-related conditions while providing support, training, and best practices for caregivers.
Endless Health Austin, TX
Endless Health makes cardiovascular health data deeper, interpretable, and actionable. Currently, health data is hidden with doctors or in our bodies. We have invented disposable sensors to regularly quantify molecular targets at home. Simultaneously, we have AI-augmented data interpretation and coaching to change behaviors, spot early warnings, and track progress.
Vironix Health Austin, TX
Vironix builds AI-enabled software for early identification, triage, and continuous monitoring of health degeneration due to Congestive Heart Failure, Asthma, COPD, and infectious lung disease. Our products are clinically validated, outperform standard-of-care, and generate more revenue for care providers than any competitive alternative.
Future of Work
Finalists
Beams Berlin, Germany
SaaS meta layer for mindful productivity.
gigaroo Austin, TX
gigaroo is a future-of-work app that matches service industry employers with relevant Gen-Z job-seekers for long, short or seasonal positions. gigaroo was built to help businesses in the service industry find and retain staff on an ongoing basis by offering the employee the flexibility to choose how and when they work based on their lifestyle and needs. gigaroo’s mission is to transform the employment market in the service industry.
lyga Sao Paulo, Brazil
We are developing the next generation of young leaders to drive change and disruption in the world's largest companies.
Reach Pathways Chicago, IL
REACH is the college and career pathway and the nexus of companies and communities. REACH connects top talent with top opportunities within a “metaversity” ecosystem. Less like homework and more like a video game, REACH rewards students for finding jobs and completing real-life and in-game tasks. Recruiters access prepared, top-performing, and diverse talent.
Yourco Indianapolis, IN
Trusted by small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises, Yourco is a B2B SaaS solution that establishes an internal communication infrastructure for businesses in blue-collar industries. After launching in 2021, Yourco quickly began generating revenue, experiencing 668% revenue growth in 2022.
Alternates
EQLab Miami, FL
EQLab Global is building an office without borders where team members can work better together from anywhere in customizable virtual workspaces via photorealistic full-body avatars. EQLab’s award-winning team of designers, developers and social scientists have built collaborative spaces in the metaverse in the US, Europe and Asia with governments and multinational companies, notably the US’s 4th largest school district and the French government.
LeadrPro Los Angeles, CA
LeadrPro is the 1st software marketplace directly connecting sellers with buyers of software.
Wenn Dallas, TX
Wenn is a Recruitment Marketing Platform that leverages the power of video to help people discover jobs they love.
Innovative World Technologies
Finalists
Eascra Biotech Boston, MA
Janus base nanomaterials (JBNs) mimic DNA and provide a highly effective, super biocompatible, temperature stable solution for drug delivery with low toxicity. JBNs are a cost-effective alternative to existing nano market options. We can customize our platform to support a variety of treatment applications including vaccines, mRNA and gene editing.
EverCase Austin, TX
Global food waste is obscene. Freezing helps but it’s nearly 160 years old and damages food irreversibly. EverCase is the systemic approach to food preservation. It keeps food as fresh, well below freezing without any ice forming. So let’s leave the ice age behind. Let’s EverCase.
Laminar Scientific Iowa City, IA
Change Comes in Waves: Laminar Scientific is tapping into the ocean to capture the steadiest renewable energy source. Our revolutionary wave energy device brings ocean energy to even the smallest of operators, with simple surface level installation, low-cost design and replaceable components. Laminar sells tech/patent licenses and blueprints.
Reverion Power Plant Munich, Germany
Our new generation micro power plants maximise the potential of biogas and utilise excess solar and wind power that would otherwise go to waste. Reverion units allo maximum efficient, reversible and CO2-negative power generation.
SXD Ai New York, NY
SXD is a tech-powered design platform turning creative visions into zero fabric waste clothing with beautiful design, lower cost, and lower carbon footprint. We eliminate waste of the past by turning leftover fabric into valuable new products and eliminate waste of the future through automated zero waste clothing designs.
Alternates
Basetwo AI Toronto, Canada
Basetwo provides a scalable, cloud-based software that allows manufacturing engineers to design, build, and operationalize digital twins of their processes or equipment. Using these digital twins, engineers can identify optimal settings to reduce costs, increase yield, and minimize product variability.
Fortius Metals Lafayette, CO
Lasers, robots, and spaceships! Fortius Metals manufactures next-generation alloys for large format metal 3D printing. We enable stronger, lighter fabrication for customers’ products ranging from rockets to electric vehicles with our patented welding alloys.
Staax San Francisco, CA
Staax is a social investment platform, which enables peer-to-peer payments in fractional shares of stock.
Metaverse & Web3
Finalists
Boto.io Lewes, DE
Boto is a no-code automation platform that allows anyone to build and share bots to automate their Web3 activities.
FLock London, UK
FLock = Federated Learning + Blockchain; We are building the world's first on-chain private neural processor.
hOS Los Angeles, CA
hOS is an operational system created to power productivity in the Metaverse. Founded in Los Angeles, California by award winning game developers and XR engineers, hOS is quickly becoming the Metaverse OS of choice of Fortune 500 companies, global brands and Moonvalley, the world's most advanced Metaverse city.
OnChainMonkey NFT Redmond, WA
Metagood is a Web3 company empowering communities to become catalysts for positive collective action. Through its first NFT project, OnChainMonkey (“OCM”), a historic non-fungible token collection that was created all on-chain in a single transaction, Metagood has simultaneously created value for its community members and contributed to several important causes.
Numbers Protocol Taipei, Taiwan
Numbers Protocol is the first asset-centric cross-network protocol, building the most comprehensive solution to make digital media traceable and verifiable.
Alternates
iiNDYVERSE London, UK
iiNDYVERSE is the Customer Activation Platform for the Web3 era. We enable Web3 marketing automations that empower creatives to leverage behavioural data to drive spend and loyalty within XR experiences. Our no-code tools and API’s quickly automate “engage to own” NFT airdrops and seamless paths to purchase within virtual-to-physical experiences.
Joyverse Santa Clara, CA
Joyverse aims to be the largest marketplace of metaverse-ready immersive 3D experiences (hotels, shopping, yoga studio, restaurants & cafes, social engagements, live events, etc.). A no-code platform that will make it easy for creators to build immersive 3D experiences for brands and the metaverse. Think Shopify for the Metaverse.
Tirios Austin, TX
Tirios is a vertically integrated platform that offers real estate investment opportunities for everyone. Our mission is to provide wealth-building opportunities to over 130 million people by decoupling real estate investing from homeownership. You can think of us as "Zillow + Robinhood" for Real Estate.
Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability
Finalists
AMA - Environmental Agents Curitiba, Brazil
Smart Citizen is an innovation company specialized in developing “phygital” tools to improve people’s lives and their urban environments. We focus on popular participation and sustainable development for smart governance of public and private services, promoting environmental action and social inclusion, while fostering net-zero carbon communities.
Carbon Reform Philadelphia, PA
Carbon Reform is creating a modular carbon capture technology that, once retrofitted into a commercial building’s ventilation system, is able to create energy savings for building owners, improve indoor air quality for occupants, and directly capture and permanently sequester tons of carbon dioxide annually.
LAND Cleveland, OH
Land - Software defined electric vehicles, powered by connected, swappable batteries.
Urban Machine Oakland, CA
Urban Machine, is on a mission to build a sustainable future by salvaging millions of tons of wood waste from construction and demolition. With AI capable robots, UM reclaims old wood for reuse into locally sourced, premium lumber products.
Zofeur Dubai, UAE
Zofeur is an on-demand mobility platform for all your car needs. On-demand personal driver, Garage pickup/drop, RTA vehicle inspection, moving your car from AtoB, recovery truck, car servicing, and car wash. Use our powerful fleet of professional drivers to do anything within 20 mins.
Alternates
Bold Reuse Portland, OR
We're on a mission to end single use waste by making reusable packaging easy for all.
Manifest.eco Austin, TX
Manifest provides sustainable ecommerce fulfillment. Oversized 3PL models produce too much waste and resort to cutbacks on the client experience. Manifest illustrates the future of fulfillment by providing sustainable packaging and clear data to teach brands more about their carbon footprint.
Swyft Cities Mountain View, CA
The private sector can lead the autonomous transportation revolution. Swyft Cities brings hardware and software that private developers and property owners use to increase revenue, decrease costs and provide an incredible visitor experience. Our autonomous “smart gondola” is the most cost effective solution for transportation problems of large properties.
2023 SXSW Pitch Advisory Board
SXSW Pitch relies on hand-picked judges qualified to determine the viability of a startup based on their demonstrated business and investment experience. The judging process will determine which finalists have the most innovative product or service. The following individuals have agreed to contribute their expertise toward the success of the SXSW Pitch event.
2023 Judges
SXSW Pitch relies on hand-picked judges, qualified to determine the viability of a startup based on their demonstrated business and investment experience. The judging process will determine which of the finalists has the most innovative product or service. The following individuals have agreed to contribute their expertise toward the success of the SXSW Pitch event.
The 2023 winners were announced during the SXSW Pitch Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 12 with emcees Maria Tranquilli and Zach Brandon.
2023 SXSW Pitch Qualifying and Coaches Committee
Facilitators
Qualifiers & Coaches
2022 Winners
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
2022 Winner: Hume AI
Enterprise & Smart Data
2022 Winner: Syrup Tech
Entertainment, Gaming & Content
2022 Winner: Action Face
Extended Reality & Immersive Technology
2022 Winner: MATSUKO
Future of Work
2022 Winner: Anthill
Health, Wearables & Wellbeing
2022 Winner: Sonavi Labs
Innovative World Technologies
2022 Winner: Hilos
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
2022 Winner: JusticeText
Social & Culture
2022 Winner: MOGL
SXSW Pitch 2022 also crowned its “Best In Show” winner, Hilos. Special awards were also presented to Kiro Action for “Best Bootstrap,” Unpacking for “Best One Minute Speed Pitch,” and Sonavi Labs for “Best DEI.”
2022 Finalists & Alternates
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
Finalists
beingAI Hong Kong, Hong Kong
beingAI is the world’s first transmedia AI company creating AI beings that build long-term engagement and trust with digital-native consumers anywhere, anytime, across devices and media platforms. Our mission is to bring empathy and positivity into how we nurture and experience AI, so we can collaborate with AI to help humanity thrive.
CIRQ+ Scottsdale, AZ
CIRQ+ is an AI, automation, and robotics platform for commercial properties helping protect people against pathogens while reducing costs with plug and play technology. In response to COVID-19, CIRQ+, created CBOT, the world’s first IOT autonomous disinfection robot that disinfects without manual labor creating healthier and safer spaces for all.
Hume AI New York, NY
Hume AI provides the science and technology needed to build AI with empathy. Our platform brings emotional awareness and responsiveness to voice assistants, telehealth, social networks, and other AI systems. Together with our sister non-profit, we are paving the way for AI optimized for well-being.
Mod Tech Labs Austin, TX
MOD helps creative agencies digitize the real-world with AI-powered capture and 3D software workflows for enhanced retail marketing and monetization. Transforming photos and videos into 3D digital content faster with a no-code automated SaaS platform. Enabling 3D visuals of products, people, and worlds across devices and interactive content needs.
Sylvester.ai Calgary, Canada
Sylvester.ai creates predictive healthcare products powered by artificial intelligence and validated science to improve animal health outcomes across species. We believe animals can live healthier, longer lives when humans are able to be more proactive in their care.
Alternates
Barometer Chattanooga, TN
Barometer uses AI to analyze text, from tweets, to news, to podcast transcripts, and outputs consistent ratings to inform decision makers at companies and marketing agencies, managing content at scale.
The Collaboratory Chicago, IL
The Collaboratory’s first-of-its-kind search engine leverages cutting edge NLP to help life science professionals get the technical documents they need (both public and proprietary) faster than ever. Using our platform, biopharma companies can reduce their R&D costs and accelerate time to market.
Hummingbirds AI Miami Beach, FL
Hummingbirds AI is an Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision startup. Our goal is providing trustable AI and helping global enterprises to optimize employee performance, security and enhance companies’ efficiency. We're on a mission to democratize responsible AI for the enterprise. Saving the planet one company at a time.
Enterprise and Smart Data
Finalists
CaseCTRL Houston, TX
Better surgeries. Happier Patients. CaseCTRL's patent-pending SaaS surgical management platform streamlines surgical scheduling and coordination workflows enabling collaboration across surgeons, schedulers, administrators, billing, and staff. CaseCTRL reduces surgery cancellations, complications, operational costs, and administrative burden while maximizing surgical case revenue and patient satisfaction. Built by surgeons for surgical practices.
KeyCaliber Washington, DC
KeyCaliber automatically identifies critical cyber assets using machine learning, empowering cybersecurity and infrastructure programs with the essential business context and self-awareness needed to optimize resources and ensure business resilience
Mozart Data San Francisco, CA
Mozart Data is an out-of-the-box Modern Data Stack that provides the easiest and quickest way to consolidate, organize, and analyze your data, without engineering or technical knowledge. Go from unstructured, siloed, and messy data to analysis-ready with just a few button clicks, SQL, and only a few hours.
Syrup Tech New York, NY
Syrup Tech is an end-to-end inventory excellence engine for apparel & fashion. We use sophisticated AI/ML to boost profitability through fewer lost sales, enhance sustainability through reduced excess and overproduction, and significantly improve the workflows for merchandisers and planners. The inventory revolution is here.
ZeBrand New York, NY
ZeBrand is an AI-driven brand-building platform that helps emerging businesses brand their way to growth by defining a solid brand strategy, designing digital brand guidelines, and delivering brand assets at a fraction of the cost–no skills required.
Alternates
NachoNacho San Francisco, CA
NachoNacho is a fintech-enabled B2B SaaS marketplace. It is a one-stop shop for businesses to manage and buy all SaaS: (1) Consolidate all existing SaaS spend in 1 account. Create a separate virtual credit card for each subscription, with tight limits. (2) Get massive discounts on hundreds of SaaS products.
QualSights Chicago, IL
Ranked the #1 fastest growing market research platform by Inc. Magazine, QualSights is an immersive insights platform that leverages innovative technology to help companies quickly generate the most authentic insights from consumers anywhere in the world.
Westcott Los Angeles, CA
Signals-driven automated advertising platform bringing the speed and precision of high-frequency trading to ad-buying for music and streamed media.
Entertainment, Gaming & Content
Finalists
Action Face Berkeley, CA
Action Face is the first 3D scanning app that instantly transforms users into 3D action figures that they can customize and purchased - at an affordable price as a physical 3D print. They also get a free 3D animation of their figure they can share with friends.
Feelbelt Berlin, Germany
Feelbelt innovates the experience of multimedia content through haptic feedback. In the perception of content and sound, the fourth dimension - the sense of touch - has long been neglected. The technology of the feelbelt transmits all audible frequencies from 1-20,000hz in form of mechanical impulses directly onto the body.
Nailbot Carlsbad, CA
Preemadonna is a California based technology startup that powers creative expression with interactive experiences by and for its community of creators. Preemadonna’s first product, Nailbot, prints personalized art on nails in five seconds.
Pianity Paris, France
Pianity is an NFT music platform where musicians and their community can create, sell, buy and collect limited edition tracks. By restoring the status of art to music, Pianity provides a new source of income for artists, allowing them to be more independent and to live better from their passion.
Social Cipher Los Angeles, CA
Social Cipher builds social-emotional learning games for youth of all neurotypes and software for the professionals who work with them.
Alternates
Happaning London, UK
What’s Happaning? Like Google street view, but with video; Happaning lets you navigate events from any perspective, at any time, and from anywhere in one immersive live/on-demand experience. We call our tech multi-Vantage Videos, or simply ViiVid®. The world's first crowdsourced storytelling platform.
Ristband Wilmington, DE
Ristband is more than a game. We’re the ultimate destination for live music in the metaverse. Artists perform shows, fans discover new music, play games, and hang out with friends. Any concert happening in real life can also take place in Ristband.
Offbeat Media Atlanta, GA
Offbeat Media Group is the entertainment company creating media for the digital generation. Offbeat uses a proven track record for up-and-coming trend-setting on social and digital storytelling with innovative properties to create original content. Offbeat engages a global 1B+ follower network through owned media properties across social media.
Extended Reality & Immersive
Finalists
iQ3Connect Woburn, MA
iQ3Connect’s no-code SaaS platform provides the digital fabric for creating, delivering, and consuming complex 3D immersive applications in the enterprise Metaverse using open standard web browsers. Our mission is to help enterprises become virtual-first, sustainable businesses.
Matsuko Kosice, Slovakia
Hologram Meetings. Star Wars-like holograms, MATSUKO brings physical presence in remote communication. MATSUKO is a SaaS, like Zoom but in 3D. No avatars, No scanning, No setup. Put on your XR glasses and you see your colleagues next to you in a lifelike way. We target businesses, their remote teams.
Mictic One Zurich, Switzerland
Mictic AG is a fast-growing startup dedicated to developing innovative user experience in augmented reality. The Zurich based company applies proprietary technology to profoundly change the way people interact with music. Rock, Hip-Hop, EDM, Classical, Jazz: You’ll make REAL music out of thin air without the need of screens or headsets, and while staying in your true environment. Let’s introduce you to the instrument of the 21st Century!
Reality Crisis Helsinki, Finland
Reality Crisis is an Augmented Reality mobile game development studio. Our mission is to build extraordinary communities where anyone interested in skateboarding from casual fans to icons of the industry can converge in spaces that blur the physical and virtual worlds.
Zaubar Berlin, Germany
ZAUBAR is taking the metaverse to the streets. We're a platform for passionate locals to create and make money with immersive urban experiences powered by the best location-based AR tech, our own AI and NFT scavenger hunts. Expert team, 1M+ USD LTM revenue and ready to be AR's killer app!
Alternates
oVRcome Christchurch, New Zealand
oVRcome makes treatment for anxiety disorders such as phobias and social anxiety easier to access using evidence based virtual reality exposure therapy via a smartphone. 80% of people with an anxiety disorder receive no treatment, and our goal is to reduce barriers to accessing treatment using innovative technology.
Summit Technology Laboratory Irvine, CA
STL is a deep-tech startup with patented technology that automates the precision projection of light, animating any complex surface (e.g. curved walls, domes, non-static surfaces, objects, medical patients) with digital content (data visualizations, 3D video, medical stencils) allowing for immersive shared human interaction and understanding.
WalkThru Austin, TX
WalkThru combats the silent epidemic of social isolation in older adults through immersive Virtual Reality. At its core, WalkThru is a mobile VR streaming platform licensed to long-term care facilities enabling community operators to offer unique and engaging solutions for their residents.
Future of Work
Finalists
Anthill Chicago, IL
Anthill enables companies to connect with, retain, and grow their employees who don't sit at a desk. We make it easy to include everyone in HR/Operations systems – if employees know how to text, they know how to use Anthill.
I’mbesideyou Minatoku, Japan
“The whole society becomes a school”. Our multimodal AI analytics visualizes psychological safety and mental health status in online meetings. It brings continuous improvement to online 1on1 education, coaching and dating. We have 119 patents applied globally. All our team members are kind geniuses comprised of Japanese experts and IITians.
Lucy Singapore, Singapore
Lucy is a digital neobank and integrated empowering community toolkit that helps entrepreneurial women become unstoppable. Lucy has been designed from the ground up to provide the tools they need to take control of their financial future, to realise their potential, to grow and thrive.
Normal Singapore, Singapore
Normal is making expert consulting drastically more affordable to 350 million+ small businesses around the world. Their AI-powered platform offers automated, personalized business strategies for a low-cost monthly subscription, focusing on sustainable & socially responsible actions that help small businesses become more profitable and future-proof while creating a positive impact.
OnLoop Singapore, Singapore
OnLoop is designed to reinvent how hybrid teams are assessed and developed; multi-platform across mobile, web and Slack to accommodate all styles of working. It leverages the very latest in natural language AI (OpenAI's GPT-3) and behavioral science to help teams drive an impactful loop of fluid and dynamic goals, regular reflection, feedback and learning.
Alternates
Pond Fort Wayne, IN
Pond is a social impact platform that empowers nonprofit organizations to find and fund the solutions they need to ‘level-up’ their impact. By creating an ecosystem where nonprofit leaders, tech solutions, and service providers connect directly, we’re redirecting money from advertising budgets into the pockets of nonprofits
Unpacking Atlanta, GA
Unpacking is the world's leading professional network for diversity, equity, and inclusion. We service individuals and teams with gamified certifications, a collaborative community, and on-going content to reduce turnover and shape healthy cultures for the future of work.
Vodium Nashville, TN
Our mission at VODIUM is to empower professionals to be the most effective communicators on video. With its transparent technology, VODIUM allows you to read your remarks while maintaining eye contact while presenting virtually. VODIUM was founded by a diverse, female team at the start of the pandemic. VODIUM.US
Health, Wearables & Wellbeing
Finalists
Sonavi Labs Baltimore, MD
Sonavi Labs is on a mission to improve patient outcomes globally by combining the most advanced acoustic technology available with clinically proven diagnostic AI software. Sonavi Labs created Feelix, a telehealth system that features apps and patented hardware embedded with diagnostic software capable of diagnosing and remotely managing respiratory diseases.
Nephrodite Austin, TX
Nephrodite is developing HollyTM, a combined implantable and wearable device that represents a change in the way End-Stage Renal Disease and dialysis care is delivered. Our device will offer mobility and independence to patients enjoying freedom to do as they choose with their time.
NXgenPort Inc St. Paul MN
NXgenPort Inc is addressing an unmet need in cancer care by remotely monitoring patients between chemotherapy visits with an implanted Smart Port. By measuring cell counts and heart function in vivo, NGP will alert physicians to signs of infection, reduce hospitalizations, and gather important physiological data to improve patient outcomes.
Botanisol Analytics Boston, MA
We make autonomous disease screening kiosks. Imagine a world in which you can get screened for multiple pathogens simultaneously. That's the world we are building.
SmartTab Denver, CO
SmartTab is developing an advanced platform of ingestible capsules for oral drug delivery of biologics and targeted medications. The platform is intended to replace both traditional coated capsules and injections. We're on a mission to provide novel administration routes and effective therapies that improve patient lives.
Alternates
Flaus Los Angeles, CA
Flaus is a DTC oral beauty brand making it easier for people to look after themselves and the planet with our beautiful, impactful innovations — starting with a revolutionary electric flosser that makes flossing as quick and easy as brushing your teeth. Flaus is a Public Benefit Corporation.
Pluto Health Durham, NC
Pluto is a multi-functional, automated technology that aggregates electronic health record data within minutes, harmozines it to highly usable levels, identifies gaps in care, and connects patients with care insights and opportunities. Pluto is a mission-focused company, with a fiercely patient-centric ethos and the highest of privacy and security.
Vincere Health Boston, MA
Vincere Health is a Harvard-founded tech-enabled smoking cessation provider built to address the behavioral health needs of the most vulnerable people in society. We uniquely combine remote monitoring, instant behavioral rewards, centered around a deeply personal one-to-one clinical counseling experience with patients.
Innovative World
Finalists
Dastgyr Karachi, Pakistan
Solving for fragmentation of trade by connecting sellers to retailers in a B2B marketplace model that also enables access to capital.
Hilos Portland, OR
We believe that how we make things matters, using generative design and 3D printing to create a radically new way to make shoes: digitally crafted on-demand only after a customer’s purchase and taken back at end of life for disassembly and reuse. The future of retail is on-demand and zero-waste.
Interstellar Lab Paris, France
At Interstellar Lab we develop and build controlled-environment modules to grow plants sustainably on Earth and in space. Our first product BioPod is an inflatable pod designed for food production and biodiversity conservation on Earth.
SAVRpak San Juan Capistrano, CA
SAVRpak is a small sachet constructed from plants, engineered to keep food fresh longer, without chemicals. Using the laws of thermodynamics; the patented technology extracts and traps moisture away from food. SAVRpak keeps takeout and delivery fresh/crispy, as well as extending the shelf life of produce.
WearWorks New York, NY
WearWorks® is a haptic platform company. We build products and experiences that communicate information through touch. Our mission is to reimagine your skin as a new high fidelity communications channel. Wayband®, is a haptic navigation app and a haptic wristband that gently guides you to your destination using only vibration.
Alternates
3F Waste Recovery Newfoundland, Canada
At 3F, we leverage clean technologies to compel natural resource primary processors into the circular economy, using market forces, targeting by-product streams in the optimal sequence.
BoxedUp Atlanta, GA
BoxedUp is an on-demand rental marketplace, connecting professional content creators with equipment owners. By aggregating listings from individual owners, local rental shops, and manufacturers, BoxedUp provides owners with a platform to monetize their gear, and content creators the equipment they need, delivered nationwide.
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
Finalists
4.screen Munich, Germany
4.screen develops the digital infrastructure of connected cars. We provide an API-based infrastructure that enables local businesses and global brands to communicate in real-time with cars. Allowing drivers to enjoy frictionless access to the mobility ecosystem, to see relevant content, and to benefit from value-added services such as sponsored charging.
HeyCharge Munich, Germany
HeyCharge delivers highly-scalable, ultra-low-cost electric car charging systems for apartment buildings and more. Their core innovation is a patent-pending system enabling smart charging infrastructure with no internet connection -- perfect for underground parking garages!
Glaza Los Angeles, CA
Glaza’s software uses the front-facing camera of a device to track where the driver is looking on the screen. When the driver blinks, it registers that as a tap. Eyesight is a natural “cursor” so the software gets rid of the need to use the driver’s fingers and allows the driver to interact with the car’s infotainment system hands-free.
JusticeText Irvine, CA
JusticeText is building the first centralized infrastructure to store, catalog, analyze, and share video evidence in the criminal justice system. The platform is explicitly designed to improve outcomes for low-income criminal defendants by enabling greater transparency and accountability around police interactions.
Kiro Action Austin, TX
Kiro Action, a modern refuge that is deployed in 4-hours by 4 people with no special machinery or heavy equipment built to the code of commercial and home applications. The same product can be a backyard office, yoga studio, flex room and shelter the unhoused. Scalable, flat-packed, cost effective and dignified housing.
Alternates
HOPE Hydration New York, NY
HOPE Hydration is a water-tech startup deploying smart-city water fountains, pushing cities towards plastic-free and powering next-gen urban technologies.
N5 Sensors Rockville, MD
N5’s mission is to keep people and communities safe from environmental hazards such as wildfires through a cloud-connected ecosystem of smarter sensors and by leveraging the endless possibilities of shared data and AI.
Vend Park Boston, MA
Vend is an end-to-end SaaS management and digital wallet that is disrupting the mobility industry starting with parking. Vend replaces inefficient and expensive operations with a fully digital solution that lowers costs and unlocks the true value of parking real-estate.
Social and Culture
Finalists
MOGL Miami, FL
MOGL is a marketplace that connects collegiate athletes and businesses for marketing opportunities in a compliant way in the name, image, and likeness era. MOGL is free to join and democratizes access to athletes for businesses and brands who are looking to build awareness for their products and services.
IMMAD Quincy, MA
IMMAD-Impairment Marijuana and Driving is company specializing in research and development of products for the responsible use of marijuana. IMMAD-VR is a simple test of peripheral vision using Virtual Reality goggles. If a driver cannot see accurately, they cannot drive safely. IMMAD-VR will save lives.
Sustain.Life New York, NY
Sustain.Life is the SaaS platform helping companies across industries measure and reduce their environmental impact. Launched through the 4Sided Venture Studio in 2021, Sustain.Life enables organizations to future-proof themselves by embracing sustainable practices that manage carbon emissions, reduce costs and distinguish them to customers, partners, investors and recruits.
Pinwheel Austin, TX
Pinwheel is striving to create a world where kids will grow up to be masters of technology regulation instead of screen-addicted consumers. We offer parents a smartphone system designed with children’s well-being and development in mind. An early-stage B2C CPG + SaaS company, Pinwheel saw 8x revenue growth in 2021. Today’s parents demand better for their kids, and they’re finding it in Pinwheel.
Veriphix Washington, DC
Veriphix is a behavioral science-based AI technology for brands and agencies that links the digital, physical and cognitive dimensions. Veriphix uses patent-pending AI to surface specific cognitive triggers (“nudges”) most likely to succeed in achieving population-level cognitive and physical change.
Alternates
Artnado Moosic, PA
Artmatcher was founded to solve structural issues in the art markets, including education, inclusiveness, access, and openness. By creating a user-friendly platform, our machine learning can connect buyers and sellers, enhance communication, and guide users through curated experiences in the physical and online worlds.
College Cash Ft. Worth, TX
College Cash leverages user generated content for brands and organizations to reduce student loan debt. We do this in a tax deductible way, that allows brands to engage users with the end result being reduction of their student loan debt. In essence we've created a solution that allows everyday behavior from posting pictures to gig-economy jobs to be used to help reduce student loan debt.
Vetted Pet Health Chicago, IL
Going to the vet once a year isn't enough to keep our pet's in excellent health. Vetted is an annual membership that solves preventative health for pets in between the annual vet visit. We do this by empowering pet parents from home. Vetted members get three vet-curated kits delivered to their home as well as access to the Vetted mobile app, ensuring the gold standard of care from home (through automated care-task reminders, a digital health log, and access to chat with a pet professional). Vetted is revolutionizing pet care one pet parent at a time.
2022 SXSW Pitch Advisory Board
The individuals listed below were instrumental to the success of the 2022 SXSW Pitch. Their hard work, diligence and support in bringing together the future of the technology industry to our event is greatly appreciated.
2022 Judges
SXSW Pitch relies on hand-picked judges, qualified to determine the viability of a startup based on their demonstrated business and investment experience. The judging process will determine which of the finalists has the most innovative product or service. The following individuals have agreed to contribute their expertise toward the success of the SXSW Pitch event.
The 2022 winners were announced during the SXSW Pitch Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 13 with emcees Clyde Hutchinson and Anita Carmichael Roberts.
2021 Winners
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
Parrots Seattle, WA
Enterprise & Smart Data
Persefoni Tempe, AZ View Deck »
Entertainment, Gaming & Content
holoride Munich, Germany View Deck »
Future of Work
Honest Jobs Columbus, OH View Deck »
Health, Wearables & Wellbeing
Leda Health Company New York, NY View Deck »
Innovative World Technologies
MolyWorks Los Gatos, CA View Deck »
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
MicroTraffic Winnipeg, Canada
Social & Culture
Applied BioPlastics Austin, TX View Deck »
Best Alternative/One Minute Speed Pitch
Colorcast Austin, TX View Deck »
Best Bootstrap Company (the company who has done the most with least)
Refiberd Cupertino, CA View Deck »
Best DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)
Sisu Global Health Baltimore, MD View Deck »
Best in Show
holoride Munich, Germany View Deck »
2021 SXSW Pitch Qualifying and Coaches Committee
SXSW Pitch Qualifying and Coaches Committee contribute significantly to the success of SXSW Pitch. The Qualifying Committee focuses on the intake of all plans submitted and is responsible for the validating the applications for accuracy, completeness, veracity and proper categorization. With their vast experience, SXSW Pitch Coaches work closely with the finalists in the months leading up to the event to assist them in their onstage presentations.
Facilitators
Qualifiers and Coaches
2021 Finalists
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
Finalists
Bloomfield Robotics Pittsburgh, PA Specialty crop growers across the US use Bloomfield’s Flash cameras and deep learning to inspect any type of crop. The result is very early and precise yield prediction, well-timed harvests and early detection of and protection from infestation and disease. In a sense, every single plant is monitored from seed through harvest, creating an unprecedented level of transparency in the life of every grower’s plants.
Cradlewise San Francisco, CA Cradlewise is a smart crib that spots the first signs of wakeup, learns from the baby's sleep patterns and starts rocking automatically along with soothing music to soothe the baby back to sleep.
Our Kettle Berkley, CA The first reinsurer in the world using deep learning to protect people against climate change.
Parrots Seattle, WA Parrots Inc. has built “Polly” which is an inclusive platform using AI and ML to give a smart voice and telecare to people with neurological disorders. Our solutions empower them with real-time communication, control their environments, and provide telecare services to improve patient-centered care and maximize independence.
Wisear Paris, France Wisear enables people to finally get seamless, voiceless & touchless control of their devices, by licensing our neuronal biosensing solution to device makers.
Alternates
Genus AI San Francisco, CA Genus AI is an artificial intelligence company focused on scaling emotional intelligence in interactions between brands and customers to drive business growth. The Genus AI Growth Platform includes all AI-powered digital tools needed for better customer understanding and engagement, which lead to next generation efficiencies for business growth.
Epic Blue Brussels, Belgium Epic Blue is a leading technology company providing high-performance and highly accurate location intelligence for business critical operations. We are re-inventing how people can be located in the most demanding environments, even when GPS or other infrastructures are not available.
Enterprise and Smart Data
Finalists
Matidor Vancouver, Canada Matidor offers the best way to visualize and collaborate on location-based projects by putting all key project information into one secure, centralized database, eliminating the need to switch between multiple fragmented tools. With its user-friendly GIS tools and easy integration with 3rd party data sources, Matidor makes it easy for non-technical users to update and share geospatial information.
Persefoni Tempe, AZ Persefoni is a ClimateTech startup that enables enterprises and institutional investors to calculate and report their carbon footprints through its SaaS platform. Launched in 2020, the company is based in Tempe, Arizona but operates across the globe. Our mission is to enable every organization and person with the technology to positively impact the health of planet Earth.
RudderStack San Francisco, CA RudderStack is the smart customer data pipeline. Easily build pipelines connecting your whole customer data stack, then make them smarter by pulling analysis from your data warehouse to trigger enrichment and activation in customer tools for identity stitching and advanced use cases like lead scoring and in-app personalization.
Slate Digital New York, NY Slate is both a content creation and digital asset management platform that gives enterprises the ability to control their brand output on social media and produce social content in seconds. Slate gained traction among top sports brands in 2020 for allowing them to streamline their social media content creation, empower influencers, and monetize their ephemeral content.
Vocalytics Costa Mesa, CA Vocalytics is a machine-listening platform that listens to ambient sound, analyzes events & trends, and sends real-time alerts when you need them most. We turn dumb noise into intelligent sound to improve health, safety, security, and experience with ambient intelligence solutions across healthcare, smart buildings, defense, and other sectors.
Alternates
Dearduck Austin, TX Dearduck help retailers talk to each customer like they are best friends.
Patturn Fort Worth, TX Patturn helps resellers monetize and crosspost their old, used, and vintage products across multiple marketplaces. In addition, it contains features that support ReCommerce. Whether it's managing online/offline inventory, shipping and fulfilling orders, or tracking costs on a per item level, Patturn is a built as an end-to-end software solution for resellers.
Entertainment, Gaming & Content
Finalists
Anything World London, England Anything World is a platform for creating endless 3D worlds. In realtime, using your voice if you wish, with AI behaviours applied!
DanceFight App Austin, TX DanceFight is a social head-to-head video competition platform that allows users to challenge each other to virtual “dance offs.” Within the context of a challenge, users record their dance, challenge friends or the world and the crowd then votes on their favorites. This generates leaderboards and a gamified environment that's engaging for creators and audience alike.
holoride Munich, Germany holoride takes everyday journeys and transforms them into hyper-immersive experiences by combining navigational and car data with XR. The technology has the power to change backseat entertainment forever, can help reduce motion sickness, and opens up a new layer of immersion in games and educational content.
Teleportal Los Angeles, CA Teleportal is a spatial computing company building technologies that empower people to develop and experience multi-user spatial software. With Vortex, Teleportal’s virtual production toolkit for mobile, the next generation of creators can collaborate on VFX and 3D animation videos in real-time.
Virsix Games Austin, TX Virsix Games is an award-winning, interactive gaming and entertainment company co-founded by Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari) and Zai Ortiz (Hollywood Creative Director behind J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man). At Virsix Games we are creating next-gen play, gaming and entertainment, enhanced by cutting-edge technologies that get people playing together like never before.
Alternates
Colorcast Austin, TX Colorcast is changing live sports and events forever by supporting the creation and consumption of user-generated, synchronized, over-the-top audio content. We're basically "Twitch for TV" or "Clubhouse with Context."
Andromeda Entertainment Austin, TX The first game publisher to super-serve the growing interest in wellness with transformative interactive experiences.
Future of Work
Finalists
Clair New York, NY Clair is a social impact fintech that helps America's workers get paid as soon as they clock out of work. We do this by embedding our financial services and instant payment products within the payroll, workforce management, and freelancing apps that these workers already use every day.
Honest Jobs Columbus, OH The Honest Jobs marketplace helps people impacted by the criminal justice system find employment fast. Our proprietary technology analyzes job descriptions and considers the most important data points to make "smart matches" that are unique for each job seeker.
OthersideAI Melville, NY OthersideAI takes in a simple summary of what you want to say and generates a perfect email in your unique style, using the world's most powerful AI technology.
TalkMeUp Pittsburgh, PA TalkMeUp is an AI based software company focused on communication training. We integrate industry leading training methodologies and cutting edge AI technologies, and provide individuals and organizations with on-demand, analytical, and customizable communication training solutions, reducing training costs by over 90%.
v.one Los Angeles, CA v.one is the easiest place to build and monetize a native mobile app by bringing in designs right from canva.
Alternates
Hardly Dash Dallas, TX Hardly is here to help you work smarter—not harder. Our first product, Hardly Dash, improves your workflow by simplifying actions and keeping important information front and center. By using our wrist-activated shortcut buttons, you can navigate apps while your hands stay on the keyboard—saving you both time and headaches!
Lendtable San Francisco, CA Lendtable helps people build generational wealth, by giving them all of the money upfront to max out their 401k match, ESPP and employee benefits
Health, Wearables & Wellbeing
Finalists
AlphaBeats Eindhoven, The Netherlands AlphaBeats is an application that uses an ingenious algorithm to help the user relax with music. The AlphaBeats app turns your smartphone or wearable into a biosensor that registers your HRV or even brainwaves. Then our algorithm uses this biofeedback to tweak the quality of whatever music you like listening to. This stimulates your brain to slide into the relaxing alpha-mode faster.
Leda Health Company New York, NY At Leda Health, our mission is to support sexual assault survivors at all stages following a sexual assault. We work toward sexual assault prevention, care, and justice in an effort to better serve survivors and the communities in which they live.
Nourished Birmingham, UK Nourished is the world’s first personalised nutrition product. We've developed a patented 3D printing technology which allows us to combine 7 different, high impact active ingredients into customised nutrition gummy stacks. Our passionate & dedicated team are devoted to making truly tailor-made nutrition which is also 100% vegan, sugar free & packed in 100% plastic free packaging.
PillBot Redwood, CA Endiatx makes tiny pill robots that actively swim inside the stomach. We use a quad-pumpjet propulsion system to swim the way quadcopters fly. Skip an invasive and expensive hospital visit, and let your doctor give you a world-class active diagnostic in the comfort of your own home.
Sisu Global Baltimore, MD Sisu Global designs medical devices made for low-resource settings, from emerging markets to combat zones. Sisu is proving its model with Hemafuse: a handheld autotransfusion device addressing the global blood shortage. Hemafuse is currently sold in Africa: the first step of an expansion strategy focused on emerging markets and the military.
Alternates
Sonic Incytes Medical Vancouver, CA Sonic Incytes believes in creating accessible and affordable solutions for healthcare providers with health insights they can count on. Our lead product, Velacur, is redefining the standard of care in quantifying chronic liver disease with diagnostic accuracy comparable to MRI.
Oxiwear Arlington, VA OxiWear is committed to reducing patient vulnerability to hypoxic injury through wearable, continuous oxygen monitoring, to help increase safety and peace of mind for those prone to silent-hypoxia, to help reduce healthcare costs and save lives.
Innovative World
Finalists
ConstellR Freiburg, Germany We provide precise, global temperature data for a growing planet. As a spin-out of Europe's largest organization for applied science, we employ space technology to enable a sustainable agriculture on the planetary scale.
Dimer Los Angeles, CA We are Dimer. Our mission is to prevent infections by making hospital grade UV disinfection available in all work environments. Our unique patented designs consistently deliver faster and more comprehensive disinfection than our competition at a fraction of the cost.
Future Fields Edmonton, Canada Future Fields makes the most important ingredient for lab grown meat - cell growth media. We harness the power of nature to produce recombinant proteins 1000 times cheaper than anyone else through our novel, bioreactor-free technology.
Lofty AI Los Angeles, CA We help real estate investors instantly find the best A.I. vetted, off-market properties across the U.S.
MolyWorks Los Gatos, CA MOLYWORKS Materials Corporation, a California-based, developer of the circular economy for metal was founded in a shipping container on our home driveway. The MolyWorks’ Greyhound has expertise in over 21 metals for AM and has been contracted for land, air, sea, and space applications.
Alternates
AgUnity Queensland, Australia AgUnity Response creates resilient food supply chains in the face of COVID-19 with our technology platform that enables farmers to safely connect with buyers and ensure uninterrupted food supply chains worldwide.
Exosonic Los Angeles, CA Exosonic is developing the world’s first quiet supersonic passenger airliner to fly supersonic everywhere -- overland and overwater with a muted boom. The company already has interest from a major international carrier and the USAF to produce both commercial and executive transport versions of the airliner.
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
Finalists
ClearFlame Engine Geneva, ILL ClearFlame Engine Technologies provides the fastest pathway to scalable and equitable emissions reductions for heavy duty engines. Our patented technology meets all emissions regulations using decarbonized liquid fuels, leveraging existing global infrastructure. We offer lower costs than using petroleum fuels enabling rapid adoption in developing nations and frontline communities.
Lucky New York, NY Lucky enables eCommerce brands to utilize retailers and specialty stores as distribution networks.
MicroTraffic Winnipeg, Canada MicroTraffic measures near-misses at intersections with AI-powered computer vision. We help cities to plan and monitor the effectiveness of intersection safety improvements by combining our diagnostic technology with their existing overhead cameras.
TransPod Toronto, Canada TransPod is developing the next generation of affordable and sustainable ultra-high-speed transportation for a better connected and fossil fuel-free society.
VideowindoW Amsterdam, The Netherlands VideowindoW is a startup based in the Delft University in The Netherlands. Our 8 people strong team aims to disrupt conventional glare control by developing a transparent, interactive video screen in glass façades. Offered as a service, VideowindoW reduces the carbon footprint, adds experience and yields an immediate return by showing commercial content.
Alternates
Airflow.Aero Orinda, CA Airflow is building the first electric Short Take-Off and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft designed for sustainable same-day e-commerce. Airflow’s eSTOL aircraft can move cargo quickly and cost-effectively by flying over traffic.
Dastgyr Technologies Singapore, Singapore 30% of the entire GDP of Pakistan is spread across 2 million small retailers. However, the industry is highly fragmented causing retailers to face procurement challenges as they are charged high prices, face in-convenience, and can’t get a loan.
Social and Culture
Finalists
Applied BioPlastics Austin, TX Applied Bioplastics enables manufacturers to materially and affordably reduce their CO2 footprint. We have brought together the IP, the team, market-ready products, and interested buyers to substitute carbon-negative plant material for petrochemical feedstock without sacrificing quality or margin.
Collective Liberty Washington, DC Collective Liberty gets actionable intelligence to law enforcement, equipping them with curated data to arrest & convict human traffickers.
Dayrize Amsterdam, The Netherlands Dayrize is a consumer marketplace that has developed a proprietary scoring tool driven by machine-learning (AI) that will assess and standardise the sustainability credentials of products across all categories. For the first time, consumers will be able to compare and buy products based on their measured environmental impact.
Refiberd Cupertino, CA Refiberd is solving the 93 million ton problem of global textile waste. We are developing a novel textile recycling system that uses AI and a patent-pending green chemical recycling process to convert used, discarded textiles into new, reusable thread.
Readocracy Toronto, Canada Readocracy gives you credit for all the articles, books, podcasts, videos you consume and contribute. So you can understand your information diet, showcase the best of it to prove yourself on any subject, and unlock exclusive perks. All privacy-first. For a less polarized world where how we inform ourselves counts.
Alternates
Agrona Cairo, Egypt Agrona makes wood out of agriresidues without cutting a single tree. We are not only protecting forests but we also save the earth GHG gasses when burning the agriresidues; instead we turn it to composite panels that are strong, durable to be used in many furniture and construction applications
Euphoria.LGBT Austin, TX Euphoria builds first-in-the-world technology solutions to restore individual agency to the process of gender transition. We help transgender individuals accomplish life-saving transition goals in a manner that is quicker, safer, and more dignified than ever before. Euphoria aims to augment the phrase “It Gets Better” into “How It Gets Better.”
2021 Emcees and Judges
2021 Coaches & Qualifiers
Facilitators
Pre-Event Qualifiers, Pre-Event Coaches
2020 Finalists
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
3Space Makers Conroe, TX We believe that everyone, regardless of means, should have a safe, durable home. 3Space Makers creates technologies, including robotics, material science, and automation, to produce affordable homes for working families and veterans. Our company mandate is to produce homes 50% faster, 50% less expensive and 50% better. View Deck »
Deepblocks Miami, FL Deepblocks is an Artificial Intelligence company building a centralized global platform for analyzing real estate development. We integrate financial analysis, zoning limits, and market data into a single formula that enables instant modeling of development potential in any city around the world. Now working in the imperial and metric systems. View Deck »
Intvo Ann Arbor, MI Intvo is a software company that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand and predict pedestrian behavior in the context of autonomous cars and fleet-vehicles. View Deck »
Sonavi Labs Baltimore, MD Sonavi Labs has created Feelix, an advanced diagnostic platform that harnesses the power of machine learning to detect and manage respiratory diseases and infections more efficiently than ever before. View Deck »
Wunder San Francisco, CA Wunder is an all-in-one parenting assistant that uses AI and science to help parents monitor and improve their child's early language and cognitve development. Wunder is backed by HAX/SOSV, Johnson & Johnson, and Stanford StartX and is clinically-proven to build positive parenting habits and boost cognitive and language skills.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
echoAR New York, NY echoAR is a cloud platform for augmented reality (AR) that provides tools and network infrastructure to help developers & companies quickly build and deploy AR apps and content. echoAR is backed by Techstars, received grants from Y Combinator, Verizon, and NYC Media Lab, and was featured on The Hill. View Deck »
Eyedaptic Laguna Beach, CA Eyedaptic, is a software technology company addressing the large unmet need in the ophthalmic field of AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration). Our visually assistive solutions are based on open market Augmented Reality (AR) glasses and embeds our proprietary simulated natural vision software, which optimizes the remaining peripheral vision. View Deck »
holoride Munich, Germany holoride takes everyday journeys and transforms them into hyper-immersive experiences by combining navigational and car data with XR. The technology has the power to change backseat entertainment forever, can help reduce motion sickness and, opens up for a new layer of immersion in games and educational content. View Deck »
Looxid Labs Seoul, Korea Looxid Labs is an AI start-up aiming to integrate biometrics into the VR/AR/MR platform. We have tailored our AI system to decode the users’ cognitive and emotional states using their biosignals. To integrate a biometric system into HMD platforms, we have developed the most VR compatible brain-sensing technology Looxid Link. View Deck »
Praxis Labs Palo Alto, CA Praxis Labs advances diversity and inclusion outcomes through Virtual Reality based unconscious bias training. We let users take on a perspective different than their own, experience incidents of bias, and then practice responding to those incidents; Praxis increases empathy, reduces bias, and creates sustained behavior change for individuals and organizations. View Deck »
Blockchain
AgUnity Queensland, Australia AgUnity is an award-winning tech company founded with the ambition to help change the lives of the 1-billion remote and rural farmers in emerging markets. Tackling issues of poor connectivity, a lack of digital literacy, and a lack of trust, AgUnity has developed a smartphone and blockchain-based solution for the world’s 'last mile' communities, a simple mobile product restoring trust, and connecting smallholder farmers with the services they need.
DrumG New York, NY DrumG is creating a world-class application development, operation and support platform for financial services. DrumG Technologies has developed a production-ready and financial institution approved enterprise blockchain network designed to anonymously aggregate and provide analytics on institutional datasets while allowing users to maintain full control and ownership of their data. The Titanium Network is currently used by several Tier 1 financial institutions. DrumG is located in New York, London, Singapore and Bermuda.
Quantstamp San Francisco, CA Quantstamp is a Y Combinator-backed company building the standard in blockchain cybersecurity. With a team of security experts dedicated to securing decentralized systems, Quantstamp is enabling a future of safer and more reliable blockchain applications and has helped a broad range of enterprises to innovate securely. View Deck »
Votem Cleveland, OH Votem is a revolutionary election management company that aims to give democracy back to the people. We leverage a blockchain-based mobile voting platform to let everyone's voices be heard by making it easy to vote and nearly impossible to cheat. View Deck »
Winding Tree Gibraltar, Spain Winding Tree drives the development of open source protocols for the travel industry. Starting with ORG.ID, a global registry of business entities that streamlines access to APIs in an automated and secure way without the need for third parties. View Deck »
Consumer Technology & CPG
AVA Technologies Vancouver, Canada AVA Technologies Inc. is an IoT agtech startup that unlocks the green thumb in anyone. We invented AVA Byte, the world's smartest indoor garden, to empower urbanites to grow food right at home. View Deck »
EasyKale Labs Jackson, MS EasyKale Labs LLC makes "superfood" more accessible and easier to consume through its flagship product, Bilal's EasyKale® Kale Shaker. The powdered, tasteless kale was developed as a result of founder Bilal Qizilbash's research into kale's cancer-fighting properties and is designed to maintain kale’s health benefits while minimizing its flavor. View Deck »
FAVES Los Angeles, CA PurePlus is in a new category called Earth Functional Food - food that provides environmental benefits beyond health. PurePlus is disrupting candy with stealth nutrition. PurePlus has created a healthy candy wafer from the most climate impactful, imperfect and nutrient dense fruits and vegetables. We are a triple-bottom line company that makes products that are good for the health of people and the planet. We value a transparent supply chain and measure success through the wellbeing of our employees and producers and the resilience of the ecosystems that produce our core ingredients. View Deck »
Renzoe Box Austin, Tx Renzoe Box is a smart beauty platform streamlining your beloved makeup products & brands into a refillable travel-ready case. This is paired with an AI-powered software to manage your collection, discover new products, & easily order refills. We are the next-gen hardware & software platform for the $500B global beauty industry. View Deck »
Trust & Will San Diego, CA Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Trust & Will is modernizing the $180B+ trust and estate planning industry with an easy, fast, and secure way to set up your estate plan online. Trust & Will streamlines the estate planning process for the half of all adults who have put off setting up their will or trust. Trust & Will has helped more than 60,000+ members successfully protect their legacy. View Deck »
Enterprise and Smart Data
LexSet Brooklyn, NY LexSet, better vision with better data. For computer vision AI used for object recognition and spatial navigation, the biggest problem is the lack of well annotated training data. LexSet solves this by simulating the world in 3D, creating limitless, unbiased data; dramatically improving AI accuracy and ease of development. View Deck »
Passbase New York, NY Passbase is an off-the-shelf identity verification solution that allows you to confirm the identity of your users through a combination of liveness detection, one-to-one facial comparison, and forensic ID authenticity checks. We get you up and running fast with simple pricing, minimal engineering effort, and global document coverage.
StrongSalt San Jose, CA StrongSalt is a privacy-as-a-service API platform based upon searchable encryption that allows enterprises to search on their own encrypted documents as easily and quickly as Google can on webpages. The API platform can help enterprises secure data storage infrastructure and preserve data privacy in the world of AI and smart devices. View Deck »
Syndio Seattle, WA Syndio is SaaS company committed to eradicating unlawful pay disparities in the workplace. Syndio enables global organizations to analyze and resolve pay gaps due to gender or race and stay in compliance over time. Syndio has over 60 enterprise customers including, Nordstrom, Match Group, Target, Adobe and PagerDuty and 1+m employees on the platform. View Deck »
Virtualitics Pasadena, CA Virtualitics Immersive Platform™️ is a state-of-the-art data analytics platform. The advanced, patented technology is based on a decade of research at California Institute of Technology and NASA/JPL. View Deck »
Entertainment and Content
Citefull Phoenix, AZ Americans rate fake news as a larger problem than climate change, racism or terrorism. We’re fixing fake news by verifying digital content. Citefull, The Verified News Source, provides readers with a trusted and independent resource they can deploy to quickly confirm - or debunk - news stories in real time. View Deck »
FilmChain London, England FilmChain manages end-to-end financial transactions in media, powered by blockchain. The automated platform collects & allocates revenues in real time, from tickets sold to filmmakers’ pockets. It tracks rights, offers performance predictions and analytics. Enterprises, film funds, Oscar-nominated producers are using the platform that paves the way to a transparent industry. View Deck »
Quicc Wichita, KS Quicc has rocketed into the global marketplace serving video creators in over 70 countries worldwide with automated, burnt in captions to ensure maximum accessibility and increased engagement to the video content published by creators in a world where their audiences now watch extensively without sound. View Deck »
Virsix Games Austin, TX Virsix Games is an award-winning, interactive gaming and entertainment company co-founded by Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari) and Zai Ortiz (Hollywood Creative Director behind J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man). Virsix Games is creating the next generation of gaming, play and immersive entertainment through rich storytelling and emerging technologies. View Deck »
Wriveted Sydney, Australia The friendly Wriveted chatbot helps children quickly discover a book matched to their interests and general reading ability. A robot-like kiosk with a tablet and thermal printer rewards children with a printed list of the books they like. View Deck »
Health, Wearables, & Wellbeing
Milis Bio Cork, Ireland Milis Bio is designing the future of flavourings: low calorie, protein-based ingredients each crafted to meet the specific needs of a given use case. Bespoke development of sweeteners, umami flavours and salt substitutes with varying potency, solubility and tolerances to suit any client food and beverage CPG.
Radiobotics Copenhagen, Denmark Radiobotics is automating medical image analysis at hospitals, helping both doctors and patients in getting faster turnaround and less diagnostic errors. The algorithms are easy to integrate into existing workflows and highly scalable. Radiobotics is an award winning Scandinavian based health-tech company with CE-approved products on the market. View Deck »
Safe Health Los Angeles, CA Makers of the "Safe Sex App" that lets people privately show their verified STD status on their phone and provides the easiest, least expensive way to get tested and treated for sexually transmitted diseases (which are at an all-time high in the U.S., for the fifth year in a row). View Deck »
Sisu Global Baltimore, MD Sisu Global is the future of medical devices in emerging markets, starting with Hemafuse: a device alternative to donor blood. Hemafuse can salvage, filter, and recycle blood from internal bleeding. Hemafuse is sold in Africa through Kenya’s largest medical distributor. Sisu is currently expanding its product portfolio and geographic scale. View Deck »
TruPigment Austin, TX TeVido makes an underutilized procedure, to restore lost skin color, available to physicians and their patients. Hypopigmentation, caused by scarring and skin diseases is difficult to treat. Using proprietary techniques, TeVido prepares a patient's own epidermal cells for use in a transplant procedure. Your skin, your cells, your color. View Deck »
Innovative World Technologies
Betmarkets Porto, Portugal Betmarkets allows you to automatically copy the best professional bettors. Fund your account, pick the bettors of your choice and how much to invest in each. Every time one of them places a bet, the same bet is placed for you. We look at sports betting from a financial perspective.
Lofty AI San Francisco, CA Lofty AI shows you properties primed for rapid appreciation. Our results speak for themselves. If you had bought one of our A.I.'s suggested properties a year ago, you would have made over 45x higher returns on appreciation alone compared to if you bought a property not suggested by our A.I.
MolyWorks Los Gatos, CA Recycle today to print tomorrow. MolyWorks is building a distributed recycling network to convert scrap metal into additive manufacturing grade powder and parts at the point of need. View Deck »
NeelAgil Technologies Telangana, India We developed oral insulin technology for insulin dependent diabetes patients. The invention is going to help million of diabetes patients around the world by providing painless and cost-effective therapy. View Deck »
Plantible Foods San Diego, CA Plantible Foods has developed vertically integrated system that produces a plant-based protein ingredient that can replace egg whites, whey and casein in food & beverage applications. Harnessing the power of the humble but awe-inspiring lemna, the system is 100x more sustainable than soy and doesn’t require arable land. View Deck »
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
Cove.tool Atlanta, GA A game changing machine learning technology that helps users discover smarter ways to make their buildings energy efficient while saving on construction cost. View Deck »
Flugauto Austin, TX Flugauto is a B2B tech company developing a world-class UAV platform for aerial delivery of industrial cargo for the energy industry. For businesses that want to transport cargo we offer the benefits of a helicopter, speed and access to remote locations, but at the cost of ground transportation.
MD Ally Philadelphia, PA Each year, over 96 million non-emergency 911 calls decrease ambulance availability and drive billions in avoidable costs. MD Ally allows 911 systems to navigate these callers to more appropriate care options to improve clinical and financial outcomes for patients, payers, and public safety systems. View Deck »
Trella Cairo, Egypt Trella connects shippers to carriers in the fragmented road freight industry, to create transparency, efficiency and reliability, empowering carriers to find regular work with many shippers, eliminate excessive broker margins, and maximize truck utilization, while allowing shippers to book affordable loads, minimize matching time, and greater visibility on their shipments. View Deck »
Waycare Los Angeles, CA Waycare is a cloud-based platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) that provides traffic management solutions for cities around the US. We integrate data from sources such as city infrastructure, connected vehicles, and external data partnerships, to provide users with powerful insights to improve traffic and safety management operations. View Deck »
Social and Culture
Agrona Cairo, Egypt Agrona with patented technology; manufactures particleboard wood out of vegetable crop residues without chopping a single tree creating a sustainable and eco friendly business for both the environment and the society. View Deck »
Applied Bioplastics Austin, TX Applied Bioplastics’ mission is to replace traditional plastics and composites with plant-based alternatives and to build a sustainable growth engine for eco-friendly agriculture in developing countries. They intend to transform the perception of bioplastics from “expensive and uncommon” to “inexpensive and ubiquitous”. View Deck »
Arist Boston, MA Arist helps leading organizations create, launch, and assess text message courses. Inspired by research from Stanford and UPenn, text message courses are extremely accessible and effective, with completion and satisfaction rates that are up to 20 times higher than other types of digital learning.
Collective Liberty Washington, DC Collective Liberty’s mission is to eradicate human trafficking. We collaborate across industries, agencies, and survivor-support agencies to create ground-breaking, data-driven approaches that work. By leveraging high-tech data collection and analysis solutions, we shift systems and improve public policy to ensure as a community we support survivors while stopping traffickers. View Deck »
Skilllab Amsterdam, Netherlands With Skilllab’s mobile app, job seekers identify and document their professional skills in their native languages to explore professional career pathways they could pursue in a given labour market. Job seekers, case managers and career coaches use the resulting Skill Profiles to improve career planning, job search and vocational training. View Deck »
2020 Alternates
Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice
PIX Moving Guiyang, China PIX Moving is a self-driving startup dedicated to rebuilding the cities with autonomous mobility. PIX builds robo-vehicle that consists of multi-functional cabin and autonomous driving chassis. With the modular design and innovative manufacturing approach, PIX integrates living, working and entertainment space on all kinds of robo-vehicles, making spaces connected, sharable and on-demand.
UneeQ Austin, TX UneeQ is a platform that enables chatbots to become an engaging, visual customer experience that creates emotional connection. Powered by AI, UneeQ’s intelligent digital human platform supercharges a brand’s ability to create real-time interaction based on tailored content and memorable personas who build an emotional connection with customers by using the power of the human face.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Immertec Tampa, FL Immertec provides a real-time, immersive training platform in virtual reality for surgeons.
SURVIVR Dallas, TX SURVIVR is a VR training platform that helps first responders improve their decision-making and response times. Trainees are immersed in a variety of high-pressure situations such as traffic stops, domestic violence, and active shootings.
VIKA Books Avon, United Kingdom VIKA Books are creators of immersive learning experiences that combine creative technologies with usercentered product designs. Our first product, 'Where is the Bird?' is an augmented reality book that inspires all families, deaf and hearing, to interact in British Sign Language.
Blockchain
BlockMedx Boston, MA BlockMedx is a next generation smart e-prescribing and analytics system that can be used anywhere in the world to send and receive electronic prescriptions, track prescriptions, and predict patient risk behaviors.
Highview Madison, WI Highview, an SAP partner, continually enhances the way in which SAP customers interact with their own customers and suppliers. Highview and SAP built the World’s first Blockchain powered B2B solution.
The Sandbox Paris, France TSB Gaming Ltd. international team is building The Sandbox, a blockchain decentralized community-driven gaming platform where players can Play, Create, Own Items + Lands or Explore them and Earn SAND.
Consumer Technology & CPG
Nollapelli Pittsburgh, PA Stop waking up with sleep lines, bed head and sweaty sheets. Nollapelli’s breakthrough bedding (patent pending) balances moisture, temperature, and friction for a more restorative sleep while also protecting skin and hair.
SellHound Santa Cruz, CA SellHound is a mission-driven startup focused on extending the life-cycle of stuff and enhancing the circular economy by building a scalable system that automates the creation of highly optimized listings of secondhand items to sell across marketplaces... all from just a few photos.
Wardrobe New York, NY Wardrobe is a peer-to-peer platform that enables people to rent luxury, designer and vintage clothing from each other’s closets. Wardrobe partners with local dry cleaners that provides cleaning, storage and serves as access points where users can pick-up/ return their rented items.
Enterprise and Smart Data
Allthenticate Santa Barbara, CA Our product, Single Device Authentication (SDA), is designed to enable seamless authentication in both the physical and digital worlds by using our smartphone app to replace keys and passwords, while unifying the management of these credentials into one easy-to-use interface.
Marlo Austin, TX Marlo is building a workplace mastery platform, starting with a tool to find and fix unproductive meetings. With real-time meeting feedback, your team can start measuring meeting productivity with Net Meeting Score, make immediate change with actionable recommendations backed by data, and end the culture of unproductive meetings.
ZeBrand New York, NY ZeBrand is an automated branding web service
Entertainment and Content
The Last Gameboard Boulder, CO Gameboard-1 is an experience-based gaming platform. Merging the physical and digital worlds of gameplay with our proprietary SenseScreen Technology. Gameboard-1 revolutionizes the way we interact with physical objects on any digital interface.
Side Door Halifax, Canada Side Door is a platform that matches artists with hosts, builds direct connections, and simplifies the show-booking process with easy and transparent digital tools. Helping to create memorable shows in living rooms, backyards, coffee shops, community halls, studio spaces, etc.,
Ryff Los Angeles, CA Using AI and visual computing, Ryff's Placer platform delivers dynamic digital product placement in filmed entertainment. Ryff have solutions for existing shows as well as new productions, thereby future proofing production efforts.
Health, Wearables, & Wellbeing
Lilu New York, NY Lilu builds technology to empower new moms. We've developed the first commercially available hands-free pumping bra with automated breast massage to help nursing mothers pump more milk in less time, without any hassles.
Reveal Technologies Houston, TX Reveal Technologies is recreating human eyesight using direct retinal projection.
YourChoice Therapeutics Berkeley, CA YourChoice Therapeutics is revolutionizing reproductive health options for women and men by developing hormone-free contraceptives and fertility treatments and bringing them to market.Our first product is a female-controlled, non-hormonal, on-demand contraceptive lubricant women can use to prevent pregnancy just before intercourse!
Innovative World Technologies
360VR Technology Newark, DE We have built a comprehensive building information platform using 3D models, intensive analysis, and machine learning in order to improve building operational efficiency, reduce risk, and increase emergency response effectiveness.
Solstar Space Company Santa Fe, NM Solstar Space Company is a space communications company working to build a Space Wide Web. Solstar demonstrated the first commercial WiFi hot spot in space on board Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Spaceship twice and posted the first commercial Tweet from space.
Trella Technologies Bourne, MA Trella creates energy-efficient and globally-scalable solutions to problems unique to the indoor farming industry. Our product, TrellaGro LST™, automatically trains tall plants to grow horizontally helping indoor cultivators control taller/fruit-bearing crops in spaces that were previously problematic due to height constraints like those found in urban farms and freight containers.
Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics
MD Ally Philadelphia, PA Each year, over 96 million non-emergency 911 calls decrease ambulance availability and drive billions in avoidable costs. MD Ally allows 911 systems to navigate these callers to more appropriate care options to improve clinical and financial outcomes for patients, payers, and public safety systems.
NUBIGON Austin, TX NUBIGON offers SaaS solutions for developing uniquely accurate and reliable Digital Twins of the built environment. Capable of harvesting ever-growing volumes of LIDAR data and imagery, our software enables architecture, engineering and construction companies to seamlessly model as-built conditions, update designs and preempt costly rework orders.
SparkCharge Boston, MA SparkCharge makes a portable ultra-fast electric vehicle charging units that is small, modular and data-centric. Since the chargers are compact they can be delivered to an EV owner on demand via any on demand service like Uber, Lyft or AAA. Combined with the data, this creates a mobile on-demand charging infrastructure allowing electric vehicle owners to have their cars charged ultra fast, anytime & anywhere they want it.
Social and Culture
Civic Champs Bloomington, IN Civic Champs automates volunteer management for nonprofits and converts volunteers to donors. Our mobile-first platform leverages geo-location technology to provide seamless scheduling and hour tracking. This streamlined data collection is key to building a robust CRM for nonprofits and empowers them to effectively engage and build loyalty with their supporters.
FairFrame New York, NY FairFrame coaches’ managers to give better feedback by highlighting possible unconscious bias and giving immediate, on-screen guidance on how to mitigate it. Our enterprise analytics also give completely new insights into the workplace experience. FairFrame leverages AI and decades of social science research to power its easy-to-use diversity technology platform.
The Tuesday Company Washington, DC The Tuesday Company created a software platform to help nonprofits, campaigns, and unions leverage supporters’ personal networks to share information. Our app, Team, brings your organizing strategies to your supporters’ smartphones, prompting them to help you build community, drive activism, and increase donations.
2020 Judges and Emcees
2020 Emcees
Lisandra Rickards Former Chief Entrepreneurship Officer Branson Centre Caribbean Lisandra Rickards is Former Chief Entrepreneurship Officer at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship – Caribbean, the region’s leading business accelerator for scale-up entrepreneurs. Lisandra has developed and delivered scaled initiatives to over 2,500 Caribbean entrepreneurs and counting. She has also spearheaded the Centre’s strategic shift to becoming a player in the Caribbean venture capital industry by supporting growth-stage entrepreneurs towards investment, raised funding for the expansion of the Centre’s mission, and relocated its headquarters from Montego Bay to the business hub of Kingston. Lisandra recently left the Branson Centre to establish an online course and coaching business - Soul Career. She holds an MBA with Honors from Harvard Business School.
Andrew Hyde Chairman Glider Andrew is a technologist that has roots in design. He started Startup Weekend which reached half a million participants and 162 countries around the world.
2020 SXSW Accelerator Qualifying Committee, Coaches, and On-site Coaches
Facilitators
Pre-Event Qualifiers, Pre-Event Coaches and On-Site Coaches
2019 Winner
Artificial Intelligence
Derq
Dubai, UAE
1.3M people die from crashes every year. Autonomous Vehicle technologies are coming, but "mute" autonomous systems won't solve all safety problems. Derq, an MIT spin-off and Techstars Mobility alum, develops software that helps eliminate crashes and save lives by using patented and award-winning AI algorithms to predict crashes with enough time to prevent them.
Augmented & Virtual Reality
Healium by StoryUP
Columbia, MO
Healium by StoryUP is the world's first XR mindfulness channel powered by the user's brain and heart rate. The biometrically controlled VR & AR stories heal themselves via data from the user's wearables. In published studies, Healium has been shown to reduce moderate anxiety in as little as 4 minutes.
Blockchain
Nebula Genomics
San Francisco, CA
Nebula Genomics offers consumers and patients affordable personal genome sequencing and enables control over personal genomic data, while researchers get access to a network of individuals for on-demand genomic data generation, access and analysis.
Enterprise & Smart Data
Geospiza Swift
Denver, CO
Geospiza uses big data analytics to save lives in disaster. We automate data integration and provide rich, evidence-based decision support to emergency managers, elected officials, and corporate continuity planners.
Entertainment & Content
Tankee
Austin, TX
Tankee helps parents protect their kids from inappropriate online content while allowing kids to watch gaming videos they love on mobile devices. From Minecraft adventures to ROBLOX music videos, Tankee’s team of real live humans review, create, and curate the best gaming content in a family-friendly, worry-free environment.
Health & Wearable
Pathware
Ann Arbor, MI
Pathware is creating hardware and software solutions to simplify the digital pathology workflow. Our whole slide imaging and cloud-based management system, Bioptic, rapidly returns a biopsy quality determination to verify that a viable biopsy was collected with over 96% certainty.
Hyper-Connected Communities
UbiGro
Los Alamos, New Mexico
UbiGro is a nanotech-enabled greenhouse film by UbiQD, Inc. that red-shifts the sun’s spectrum for improved crop yield and quality. UbiGro has been shown effective for tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, hemp, and cannabis in various climates. UbiQD enabled this innovation with its safer, cheaper, and more reliable quantum dot technology.
Social & Culture
Supportiv
Berkeley, CA
Supportiv —The Support Network—delivers NLP-driven precision peer support and hyper-targeted resource recommendations for daily life struggles like work stress, family pressures, relationship conflict, or loneliness. The proprietary NLP instantly matches users into topic-specific peer groups that dynamically convene for real-time emotional support. People healing people, globally scalable.
Sports & Performance Data
MIRO - Human Body AI
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Miro uses AI & computer vision to instantly identify athletes, individual consumer insights & more from running event photos/video. Miro analyzes the human body in motion to unlock value for athletes, events, sponsors & brands. Miro’s proprietary AI has powered the raceday experience for more than 7MM athletes globally.
Transportation & Delivery
ENSO - Sustainable Tires for Electric Vehicles
London, England
ENSO innovates in the tire industry by making sustainable tires for electric vehicles that fundamentally reduce toxic tire emissions and increase EV driving range up to 20%. ENSO’s eco-friendly tires are significantly more sustainable and energy efficient than the standard tires currently equipped on some of the World’s best-selling EVs.
Best Bootstrap Company: TwentyTables
The Best Speed Pitch Winner: Xplosion Tech
Best in Show Winner: Nebula Genomics
2019 Finalists
Artificial Intelligence
Derq Dubai, UAE
1.3M people die from crashes every year. Autonomous Vehicle technologies are coming, but "mute" autonomous systems won't solve all safety problems. Derq, an MIT spin-off and Techstars Mobility alum, develops software that helps eliminate crashes and save lives by using patented and award-winning AI algorithms to predict crashes with enough time to prevent them.
Hendrix.ai Edmonton, Canada
Testfire Labs is an award-winning software company that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to build next-generation productivity tools. Our flagship product is Hendrix.ai, an AI-assistant that transcribes notes and action items, audits meeting history, and drops it all into a searchable dashboard, for unprecedented organization and productivity insights.
RoadBotics Pittsburgh, PA
RoadBotics is an infrastructure technology company that uses AI to revolutionize how governments and engineering firms make data-driven pavement management decisions. The company uses cutting-edge deep learning and a simple smartphone to disrupt the highly subjective and expensive pavement inspection process.
Sherpa London, England
Imagine you never had to deal with insurance again. Sherpa’s proprietary AI assesses all the risks you face, and builds you a personalised, all-in-one insurance solution. What’s more, our insurance will automatically keep up to date as your life changes, so you can sleep easy, knowing you are always perfectly protected. Insurance reinvented: better, simpler, cheaper.
Vence San Diego, CA
Autonomous livestock farm management. Livestock produce 30% of global protein. Vence reduces the cost of sustainably raised meat by eliminating the need for infrastructure (fences) and labor on livestock farms and giving customers real-time control. Our AI/ML also provides farmers with additional insight into animal behavior, health and fertility.
Alternates
Clean Robotics San Francisco, CA
CleanRobotics utilizes robotics and AI to properly sort recyclables and landfill waste, at the bin level, while gathering useful data and educating the public.
Track San Francisco, CA
Track is on a mission to make it easier to be self-employed, starting with automatically detecting 1099 income, then withholding and submitting what you owe. No more tax surprises.
XAIN AG Berlin, Germany
XAIN AG is a Berlin-based AI, Cybersecurity and Distributed Systems company. We combine academic research with industry experience to develop unique solutions around enterprise data, resource and knowledge sharing challenges.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
BehaviorMe Gainesville, FL
BehaviorMe has created a SaaS that enables therapists to increase the independence of kids and young adults with autism and developmental disabilities. The software is used as part of a therapy session where therapists can run multiple scenarios during a single appointment. Currently the software is being deployed as a web portal and standalone VR headsets.
Healium by StoryUP Columbia, MO
Healium by StoryUP is the world's first XR mindfulness channel powered by the user's brain and heart rate. The biometrically controlled VR & AR stories heal themselves via data from the user's wearables. In published studies, Healium has been shown to reduce moderate anxiety in as little as 4 minutes.
LinkVR Robot Austin, TX
LinkDyn provides cutting-edge robots that enable new human-robot interaction in VR applications with realistic force feedback, robotic rehabilitation with seamless assistance, and more. The VR Haptic Robot can drastically improve VR training efficacy by allowing users to feel virtual objects and environment like those in the real world.
Obsess New York, NY
Obsess is an immersive e-commerce platform that uses mobile & web-based VR and AR (no headsets needed) to create a new, highly engaging online shopping experience. Our mission is to re-invent the grid interface that hasn’t changed since it was invented by Amazon 20 years ago to sell books online.
Tunnelware Cologne, Germany
DigitalTwin Technology founded in Cologne, Germany aiming to create digital twins of civil infrastructure. Tunnelware is a product that provides digital twin of construction site and Tunnel Boring Machine in order to monitor and manage the construction process in real-time on 5D platform virtually for safer and productive environment.
Alternates
myHouseby Austin, TX
myHouseby is the leading platform for new home construction allowing home buyers to discover, design and build homes for their unique lifestyles. From home plan discovery to designing and creating a new home, myHouseby is revolutionizing the new home construction marketplace.
Screen Door Los Angeles, CA
Screen Door Laboratories augments team capabilities with real-time mission-critical information.
Verapy Tampa, FL
Using virtual reality technology, Verapy enhances patient experiences through fun exercise games – reimagining the way therapists engage with their patients.
Blockchain
Bext360 Golden, CO
Bext360 develops technologies that leverage blockchain, artificial intelligence and IoT, to: streamline critical supply chains in emerging economies, provide a traceable fingerprint for commodities from producer to consumer, and enable organizations to track sustainability and CSR policies and progress. Bext360 was named to Forbes' 25 Most Innovative AgTech Startups In 2018.
Eggschain Austin, TX
Eggschain exists to preserve hope of life and peace of mind in the fertility industry and beyond. Leveraging the blockchain, we enable consumers to track their frozen eggs, embryos, sperm and genetic materials. We deliver the above by providing immutable records of ownership information and estate plans.
Knowbella Tech Cincinnati, OH
Knowbella Tech is an open science collaboration company that uses blockchain to deliver free tools, services, intellectual property, and equipment to researchers, particularly the underserved. Those researchers who collaborate within the Platform will be awarded AnthroCoin cryptocurrency. The Company will initially generate revenues by matchmaking scientists with employers who pay to access the scientists looking for employment.
Nebula Genomics San Francisco, CA
Nebula Genomics offers consumers and patients affordable personal genome sequencing and enables control over personal genomic data, while researchers get access to a network of individuals for on-demand genomic data generation, access and analysis.
Steamchain Milwaukee, WI
SteamChain is unlike any other Industrial IoT company in the market today. We don't just create dashboards that need to be monitored. We enable new business models that bring purpose to clients IIoT investments by connecting financial transactions to machinery performance.
Alternates
Bioverse Miami, FL
Bioverse is changing the way our society values the natural ecosystem and biodiversity by creating an entirely new economy that leverages biological and genetic diversity. Using blockchain to secure access and ownership of digital genomics and associated IP, Bioverse is creating a mechanism to ensure that investments in biological and genetic discoveries are generating capital gains to indigenous communities, local government, and ecosystem restoration initiatives.
Lucidity Los Angeles, CA
Lucidity uses blockchain technology to bring transparency to digital advertising so brands always get what they pay for, honesty is rewarded, dishonesty isn’t, and measurement standards are enforced. We provide the transparency brands need to buy media with confidence.
NuID San Francisco, CA
NuID is a pioneer in trustless authentication and decentralized digital identity. The NuID platform leverages zero knowledge cryptography and blockchain technology to eliminate the need for businesses to store passwords.
Enterprise and Smart Data
Geospiza Swift Denver, CO
Geospiza uses big data analytics to save lives in disaster. We automate data integration and provide rich, evidence-based decision support to emergency managers, elected officials, and corporate continuity planners.
Molecula Austin, TX
Based on Pilosa, Molecula is a computational analysis engine that enables scientists and engineers to focus on the fundamental research needed to solve complex problems without the expensive and difficult data management usually required. Molecula is shifting the focus to extracting knowledge and intelligence from information.
Novo New York, NY
Novo is a banking platform that provides better business checking accounts to today’s companies and is powered by a network of FDIC-insured community banks. Novo is bringing small business banking into the modern age with easy-to-use tools for founders on the go.
Osano Austin, TX
Osano's platform utilizes ML to provide users with insights regarding data sharing.
TransferFi Singapore, Singapore
TransferFi is creating the world’s first long-range, safe and efficient Wireless Power Network (WPN). It will be used to power IoT sensor networks to high-power applications that will provide easy access to primary sources of energy. TFi is revolutionizing the way we access power.
Alternates
Clovis Technologies San Francisco, CA
Clovis is the next generation anti-money laundering solution: we're building AI that stops criminals from using our financial systems to terrorize and exploit people around the world.
Inflect San Francisco, CA
Research global networks, cloud regions, and interconnected data centers in one place.
Entertainment and Content
Acciyo Los Angeles, CA
Acciyo’s mission is to transform reading the news from a survivalist exercise into a rich, motivating experience. Our debut product is a tool that populates a timeline of previous articles published on the subject you’re reading. No matter what you read, get the context you need to understand it with ease.
Fantag Sacramento, CA
Fantag is the easiest, fastest way for teams, schools, broadcasters and streamers to manage video - for hassle-free sharing of highlights. Using patented cloud video synchronization technology and an app, Fantag automates delivery of personalized highlights and transforms the fan experience. We create a world where no moment is ever lost.
SkyWeaver Toronto, Canada
Horizon makes blockchain-powered video games for dreamers, futurists, and digital citizens. We're pioneering a new dimension of gaming that belongs to its players.
Stroly Kyoto, Japan
Stroly is an online platform for illustrated maps linked with geolocation technology. Our service also provides user behavior feedback for data-driven marketing.
Tankee Austin, TX
Tankee helps parents protect their kids from inappropriate online content while allowing kids to watch gaming videos they love on mobile devices. From Minecraft adventures to ROBLOX music videos, Tankee’s team of real live humans review, create, and curate the best gaming content in a family-friendly, worry-free environment.
Alternates
Ibble Austin, TX
Ibble helps people build financial confidence by unlocking investment knowledge. With curated news, daily interactive live-streams and weekly trading competitions, we make investing accessible for everyone.
Immersive Systems Los Angeles, CA
Immersive Systems is delivering a media platform to power the next generation of fan engagement and revenue growth in competitive esports. The platform seamlessly integrates all the stats, highlights, images and content that fans want and delivers it in a beautiful, interactive app.
VIDGO Atlanta, CA
Vidgo is a prepaid streaming service that targets the unbanked. Vidgo has developed a disruptive pre-payment ecosystem for television to accept cash paying customers.
Health and Wearable
Extend San Francisco, CA
Boost Biomes is using the powerful social networks among microbes to provide novel, sustainable solutions to feed and heal people everywhere. Our first products seek to reduce the enormous waste in agricultural products due to crop loss to fungal pests in the field and post-harvest.
Kegg San Francisco, CA
Kegg aims to disrupt fertility industry by cutting of the unnecessary costs, providing meaningful data to women through fertility hardware and access to remote 1:1 fertility specialists. This will make fertility care affordable to millions of women and provide the necessary data for the foundation of preventive healthcare.
Pathware Ann Arbor, MI
Pathware is creating hardware and software solutions to simplify the digital pathology workflow. Our whole slide imaging and cloud-based management system, Bioptic, rapidly returns a biopsy quality determination to verify that a viable biopsy was collected with over 96% certainty.
Portable Surgical Visualization System Philadelphia, PA
X-Biomedical is commercializing surgical visualization technologies developed over several years at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Our novel all-inclusive portable surgical visualization solution is at the convergence of multiple enabling digital technologies & provides more value & costs significantly less compared to status quo systems, disrupting a ~$2B market.
Zibrio SmartScale Houston, TX
Zibrio: The balance company is dedicated to giving people an edge in their performance, and preventing unnecessary deaths, injuries and costs from falls through a connected smart-scale that measures balance and identifies fall risk. Falls are not a normal part of aging, and we give you the health span you crave.
Alternates
InvestAcure, PBC New York, NY
InvestAcure, PBC is building a spare change investment platform to help you invest in companies working on a cure for Alzheimer's. Our vision is to see a world where drug companies are owned by millions of spare change investors committed to a cure.
Rhaeos Chicago, IL
Rhaeos is a noninvasive wearable flow sensor designed by Northwestern University materials scientists and neurosurgeons for the care of patients with hydrocephalus.
Triad Health AI Boulder, CO
Using smart speakers to make smarter exercises for Parkinson’s, Triad Health AI takes advantage of emerging smart speaker ecosystems to help people living with Parkinson’s stay healthy, safe and independent.
Hyper-Connected Communities
Mesh++ Chicago, IL
Mesh++ builds battery- and solar-powered WiFi nodes that can host huge, high-speed mesh networks anywhere.
NODE Seattle, WA
NODE’s patent-pending technology and platform makes the most sustainable and healthy homes affordable. We slash time and cost by turning construction into assembly, activating a new workforce to assemble our flexible system that results in high quality, zero emission, homes.
ObjectBox Munich, Germany
ObjectBox enables Edge Computing in IoT and Mobile with the fastest Edge Database: smaller than 1MB, 10x faster than any alternative, and easy natural language APIs. With ObjectBox, companies develop decentralized products independent from the cloud, that perform in real-time. On top of the database we‘re building a synchronization solution.
TwentyTables Washington, DC
TwentyTables re-imagines the relationship between patrons, restaurants and the food insecure. Our multi-sided marketplace offers consumers affordable fixed-cost meals, and increases vendor efficiencies, while also helping feed the hungry. A-Community-of-Food.
UbiGro Los Alamos, New Mexico
UbiGro is a nanotech-enabled greenhouse film by UbiQD, Inc. that red-shifts the sun’s spectrum for improved crop yield and quality. UbiGro has been shown effective for tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, hemp, and cannabis in various climates. UbiQD enabled this innovation with its safer, cheaper, and more reliable quantum dot technology.
Alternates
Fieldcraft Austin, TX
Fieldcraft is a sourcing platform harnessing better data so buyers can simplify ingredient discovery and leverage plant-based and clean label solutions for the next generation of food and beverage.
RocketDollar Austin, TX
We make it easy for people to take checkbook control of their retirement savings and invest in anything allowed by the IRS, with no penalties.
Social and Culture
EnrichHER Funding Atlanta, GA
EnrichHER Funding is fueling the growth of women-led businesses by enabling women founders to secure capital in an affordable and non-dilutive way. Similar to Kiva, we provide investors with an opportunity to lend to small businesses. EnrichHER loans range from $50,000 to $75,000 and are made to pre-screened women-led companies.
MySideKick Ann Arbor, MI
MySideKick is a complete web-based application that addresses all the issues of sexual violence, with a mobile interface to help better engage college students. We discovered 4 reasons why sexual violence is not properly being addressed on college campuses and created 7 powerful components to address and remedy these issues.
New Age Meats San Francisco, CA
At New Age Meats, we make meat from animal cells instead of animal slaughter. We can craft meat to be tastier, healthier, and more sustainable than any other meat.
Supportiv Berkeley, CA
Supportiv —The Support Network—delivers NLP-driven precision peer support and hyper-targeted resource recommendations for daily life struggles like work stress, family pressures, relationship conflict, or loneliness. The proprietary NLP instantly matches users into topic-specific peer groups that dynamically convene for real-time emotional support. People healing people, globally scalable.
VOLO Career Volunteering Platform London, England
VOLO Group is transforming career development to help people build happier, more fulfilling careers. Their Career Volunteering platform offers a differentiated approach to professional development that addresses skill-building through volunteering; offering hands-on opportunities to learn and grow, while making a positive impact in the local community.
Alternates
Explorest San Francisco, CA
Explorest is modernizing how people discover, experience and photograph the world’s greatest places via highly curated insights from today’s top travel influencers.
iAccess Innovations Atlanta, GA
A lifestyle application to allow users with mobility impairments to access life!
Tris Holdings Los Angeles, CA
Tris started as a search and chat extension for google, talk to others searching the same thing, now we are a social browser in play store and App Store.
Sports and Performance
Bisecu Smart Bike Lock Seongnam-si Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Bisecu, world's first fully automatic smart bike lock. Bisecu, which allows bicycle users to forget the presence of the lock and enjoy the bike riding experience fully. Bisecu is not only a completely new type of lock but also the lightest smart bike lock. Furthermore, Bisecu acts as a smart cycling device that analyzes users riding data.
CricFlex Islamabad, Pakistan
We are a sports technology company with our first product, CricFlex - world’s first wearable technology for Cricket. An arm sleeve, embedded with sensors, tracks illegal bowling actions, arm force, action time & spin to determine player performance, consistency and effort, helping them improve. It’s a US patented technology.
Fan Controlled Football League Los Angeles, CA
The FCFL is reimagining sports for the digital age: taking the passion of live sport, the competition of fantasy sports, the engagement of video games, and the global reach of esports and combining them into a fan-controlled, live sport, streamed on Twitch and built for the next generation of fan.
MIRO - Human Body AI Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Miro uses AI & computer vision to instantly identify athletes, individual consumer insights & more from running event photos/video. Miro analyzes the human body in motion to unlock value for athletes, events, sponsors & brands. Miro’s proprietary AI has powered the raceday experience for more than 7MM athletes globally.
Learn2Play Limassol, Cyprus
Learn2Play is an international eSports EdTech company offering gamers a platform to improve their skills. L2P counts with over 1M subscribed users on its two platforms, MoreMMR and MoreLegends, which make use of AI to provide a match analysis for Dota 2 and League of Legends, respectively. The platforms also counts with video lessons and its own tournaments.
Alternates
Mobalytics Marina Del Rey, CA
Mobalytics is the first personal performance analytics platform and gaming assistant for gamers. The platform measures player performance, helps them define their strengths and weaknesses and provides personalized advice on how to improve. You can think of it as an AI coach for gamers.
Uru Sports Denver, CO
Uru Sports is an online sports recruitment platform connecting players, coaches and teams. Athletes use Uru to find available roster positions on teams worldwide. Teams use Uru to recruit talent.
Xplosion Technology Missouri City, TX
Xplosion Technology is a sports-technology company based in Texas and centered around our cutting-edge human performance software platform. Think Google Analytics for athletes. Our state of the art, patented data collection process prevents and identifies key injuries among players. Xplosion leverages validated testing methods coupled with wearable sensors to provide training staff comprehensive reports about each athlete’s susceptibility to injury.
Transportation and Delivery
Autonomous Electric Transport System Gothenburg, Sweden
By challenging conventional thinking, by utilizing big data and cutting-edge technology — and by inspiring people to take responsibility for the planet and each other — Einride is making the movement of goods more intelligent: emission-free, safe, cost-effective, and ultimately, sustainable.
Electristructure Gothenburg, Sweden
Electristructure is an infrastructure developer for electric charging stations focused on public transport buses. The market for electric buses in public transport is experiencing a major breakthrough this year. Electristructure will take responsibility for long-term investments and optimization of public transport systems.
ENSO - Sustainable Tires for Electric Vehicles London, England
ENSO innovates in the tire industry by making sustainable tires for electric vehicles that fundamentally reduce toxic tire emissions and increase EV driving range up to 20%. ENSO’s eco-friendly tires are significantly more sustainable and energy efficient than the standard tires currently equipped on some of the World’s best-selling EVs.
Migo Seattle, WA
Migo is the free app for discovering new and existing ways to get from A to B without jumping from app to app. Migo helps riders discover the right ride, at the right time. Options include rideshare, carshare, taxi, scooter, and bikeshare, to specialty transport and public transportation.
Smart B/L Ljubljana, Slovenia
CargoX is the first open, neutral, and independent decentralized blockchain platform for the shipping industry, built with CargoX’s Blockchain Document Transaction System (BDTS). Freight forwarders, platforms exporters and importers can now enjoy superb data security, documentation transaction speed, and comprehensive integrity with CargoX's revolutionary Smart Bill of Lading.
Alternates
Kaizen Health Chicago, IL
Kaizen Health is changing mobility for healthcare and municipalities to ensure every person, regardless of physical ability, has access to transportation that they need to lead healthy and happy lives.
Kilroy Blockchain Austin, TX
Kilroy Blockchain helps innovators disrupt their industries by specializing in building custom integrated systems using blockchain, artificial intelligence, and ecommerce technology to streamline business processes and create a smarter organization.
Millebot, Inc. Orlando, FL
Millebot is a privately held deep-tech company that designs and builds a modular digital-manufacturing platform within the ISO shipping container. Our mission is to accelerate access to sustainable production.
2019 Judges
SXSW Pitch relies on hand-picked judges, qualified to determine the viability of a startup based on their demonstrated business and investment experience. The judging process will determine which of the finalists has the most innovative product or service. The following individuals have agreed to contribute their expertise toward the success of the 2019 SXSW Pitch event.
Qualifying Committee, Coaches and On-Site Coaches
The Qualifying Committee focuses on the intake of all plans submitted and is responsible for the validating the applications for accuracy, completeness, veracity and proper categorization. With their vast experience, Coaches work closely with the finalists in the months leading up to the event to assist them in their onstage presentations. On-site Coaches work with the finalist as they rehearse their presentation on Friday, March 8, 2019.
Facilitators
Pre-Event Qualifiers, Pre-Event Coaches and On-Site Coaches
2018 Winners
Congratulations to this year’s ten category winners as well as Best in Show, Best Bootstrap, and Best Speed Pitch, who were announced at the SXSW Pitch Awards Ceremony after the two-day competition.
Transportation GoKid New York, NY GoKid is the complete carpool solution for schools, teams, and families.
Social and Culture ICON 3D Austin, TX ICON is a construction-technology company currently working toward building the first up-to-code 3D printed home in the United States (using concrete as substrate).
Enterprise and Smart Data DroneSeed Seattle, WA DroneSeed provides precision forestry services to timber companies & non-profits.
Augmented and Virtual Reality ARWall Los Angeles, CA We’ve created an AR display that requires no headset, no goggles, no smart device.
Hyper-Connected Communities GrubTubs Austin, TX GrubTubs solves for the overabundance of food waste coming from restaurants by creating a nutrient-rich animal feed that is affordable for local family farms.
Security and Privacy PolyPort Atlanta, GA PolyPort is 3D asset protection, management, and delivery company, which employs proprietary encryption technology to facilitate an end-to-end solution for 3D designers.
Payment and FinTech FutureFuel.io Boston, MA FutureFuel.io makes student debt repayment easy – for employers, platforms, and users.
Sports and Performance Data Nix Boston, MA Nix is taking the guessing out of hydration with a single-use sweat analytics patch that tells athletes, soldiers, and laborers their hydration status and electrolyte losses in real-time.
Entertainment and Content Vochlea Music London, England At Vochlea Music we’re developing real-time vocal recognition technology for music creation.
Health and Wearables Nanowear New York, NY Nanowear is a New York-based connected-self technology platform for diagnostics and disease management based on proprietary cloth-based nanosensors and analytics.
Best Bootstrap Company (the company who has done the most with least) Leaf Nashville, TN Leaf provides financial services to the stateless and excluded by creating a virtual bank through blockchain technology.
Best in Show Nanowear New York, NY Nanowear is a New York-based connected-self technology platform for diagnostics and disease management based on proprietary cloth-based nanosensors and analytics.
Best Speed Pitch Roots Studio Boston, MA Roots Studio digitizes the creative content of traditional artists from remote areas with the global $32 billion art, interior décor, and design licensing markets.
2018 Finalists and Alternates
More than six hundred companies submitted their web-based products to the tenth annual SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event presented by DASH. The competition was tough, and we're incredibly grateful for all of the great submissions we received this year. Congratulations to the Interactive finalists who will be showcasing their products on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11 at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Austin.
Augmented and Virtual Reality Technologies
Technologies using augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and other novel visualization technologies, including applications for Cardboard, Oculus Rift, and other emerging offerings from industry giants. These applications may address such uses as gaming, entertainment, data visualization, education, medical care, warfare, transportation, and many more subject.
Finalists
AfterNow Culver City, CA
Blocker by AfterNow is changing how creative people communicate. Blocker is an augmented reality director’s viewfinder that allows filmmakers to preview their shots using virtual cameras and set elements. On a film set, testing ideas are expensive; we aim to make planning shots agile and expressive.
ARWall Los Angeles, CA
We've created an AR display that requires no headset, no goggles, no smart device. Our first product, ARwall FX, is poised to disrupt film/TV production. Our second product, AR3D, creates a "virtual window" illusion for businesses and consumers.
CieAR Montreal, Canada
CieAR is a developer of an augmented reality platform, tools and customized interactive and immersive augmented reality content that takes storytelling to a new level, completely changing the cinematic experience. The CieAR AR platform enables unique interactive film experiences with unprecedented interactivity and integration of life-size 3D virtual characters.
eyecandylab Munich, Germany
augmen.tv revolutionizes television by combining first and second screen into one seamless, interactive and highly entertaining experience. augmen.tv is renewing the way of watching TV by bridging the world of the TV with AR to provide additional information and interaction features for direct response to advertisement and broadcasting content.
wrnch AI Montreal, Canada
Wrnch is teaching computers to read human body language. The wrnch AI engine is a real-time AI platform to digitize human motion and behavior from the standard video. wrnch AI is a computer vision deep learning company based in Montreal, Canada.
Alternates
Aris MD Wilmington, DE
Aris MD is mixing augmented and virtual reality with surgery and training. We are as different on the inside as we are on the outside. We provide a map of each patients’ anatomy giving surgeons an individualized guide on where to cut, and more importantly where not to cut.
Future Sight AR Houston, TX
Future Sight provides augmented reality and immersive solutions to equip engineering and construction projects with expert skills, know-how, and support.
Roofr San Francisco, CA
Marketplace for roofing using artificial intelligence to provide instant satellite-based roofing estimates.
Enterprise and Smart Data Technologies
Technologies that facilitate the comprehension and application of informational data through workflows and analytics. These startups seek to improve productivity for businesses and/or individuals by using big data through a number of ways that include (but are not limited to) data collection, management, analysis, presentation, interpretation, and augmentation.
Finalists
Agrarian Labs Phoenix, AZ
Agrarian Lab is a multidisciplinary team building automated business intelligence for farms.Along the way we’ve faced combines catching fire, equipment going missing, and weather devastating freshly planted fields.Our first product, Leaf, combines low-cost sensors & mobile devices with advanced algorithms to automatically generate a history of the farm.
Bluefield Palo Alto, CA
Bluefield's microsatellite sensors will provide global monitoring of emissions of methane, the world's most dangerous and valuable greenhouse gas. Our AI-enhanced imaging and analysis will provide oil and gas customers with the data they need to repair costly pipeline leaks and provide the climate risk disclosures that investors are demanding.
DroneSeed Seattle, WA
DroneSeed provides precision forestry services to timber companies & non-profits. We’re paid per acre to plant tree seeds & spray to protect them -- by drone swarm.
FastVisa US Dallas, TX
FastVisa is the new standard for Immigration workflow. We are re-inventing the current immigration process as an automated process. We are committed to transforming America's broken immigration system into one that is more accessible, safer, and easier to navigate. We help people and professionals manage every part of their immigration journey.
M.io by Message.io Austin, TX
M.io is a universal messaging platform for the workplace. Users of popular chat tools like Slack, Cisco Spark, Microsoft Teams, and Atlassian Stride can natively send each other direct messages or join a universal channel.
Alternates
Next Play San Francisco, CA
We are an enterprise talent development and retention software. Career development is an ill-defined path, and it's left up to the employees to navigate their careers. We developed a mobile chatbot named Ellen that personally connects with every employee, understands their goals, perceives their blindspots and matches them to the relevant mentors and growth opportunities at their company.
Tali Portland, OR
Tali is your conversational productivity assistant, powered by artificial intelligence. With Tali, you can track your time and manage your productivity using nothing more than your voice. Tali even integrates with your existing invoicing and billing system, eliminating the chore of manual time entry.
Unmanned Life San Francisco, CA
U-Life’s AI driven IoT software platform creates a fully integrated autonomous system, operated remotely over WiFi, 4G, 5G LTE that is aimed at boosting the productivity and value added of high Operating Expenditure (OPEX) industries such as the telecommunication, mobility, logistics, and transport.
Entertainment and Content Technologies
Technologies and applications that are reinventing the ways in which we learn, relax and enjoy our time. Examples of included sectors include (but are not limited to) gaming, music, film, television, video, news and publishing, streaming and digital storytelling, as well as new and hybrid forms of entertainment.
Finalists
Antescofo Paris, France
Antescofo is a Mobile Music/AI company in Paris, after an award-winning algorithm by Founders when they were researchers. Our products leverage content you listen, to content that you can perform with thanks to unique AI allowing real-time adaptation to a user, whether for singing Cover Songs or playing with an orchestra.
FanFood App Chicago, IL
FanFood is a mobile ordering platform that provides consumers with technology to receive concessions at any live event via delivery or express-line pick up. FanFood enhances the consumer experience while assisting venue owners in generating higher sales.
Instreamatic.ai San Francisco, CA
Instreamatic.ai is an AI-powered platform for voice-activated advertising. Instreamatic.ai provides audio publishers with tools to monetize their ad inventory with highly engaging voice-activated ads.
Sceenic London, England
The future of OTT & TV viewing re-imagined for today's society. Sceenic's 'Watch Together' SaaS solution enables media companies to create interactive co-viewing experiences for dispersed viewers. "Hidden gem at IBC 2017" by BroadcastProME.
Vochlea Music London, England
At Vochlea Music we’re developing real-time vocal recognition technology for music creation. Imagine beatboxing triggering live drum samples, vocal ‘twanging’ controlling an awesome guitar solo, or applying an effect such as ‘wah-wah’ all using the voice. Liberate your musical ideas quickly, easily and intuitively with Vochlea Music.
Alternates
Crescendo Atlanta, GA
Crescendo helps musicians boost their confidence through interactive performance assessment software powered by Artificial Intelligence.
Hyku Waterloo, Canada
Hyku builds the world's most interactive video technology. Helping television shows, online videos and mobile videos sync relevant content, interactions, social media, and shopping. This patented technology makes videos more engaging for viewers and provides better monetization for content creators and TV stations.
Robin Toronto, Canada
Robin is an AI-assisted personal concierge that is revolutionizing the way you discover, and access live experiences. Engaging via chat and SMS, Robin provides personalized and curated recommendations to the experiences and events you'll love - and secures tickets, bookings and reservations entirely on your behalf.
Health and Wearables Technologies
Technologies focused on human-centric health applications that connect the “health optimizer” and those with illnesses, their care teams, primary and specialist clinicians, inpatient and outpatient facilities, benefit providers, and corporate wellness programs to share timely, relevant health data and drive better outcomes at affordable and sustainable cost levels.
Finalists
Airpop Shanghai, China
AirPop is pioneering the innovation of air wearables for personal and public health. Its line of sensing, high-efficiency air pollution accessories for the 4B+ people living in pervasive ambient air pollution enables insight-based breathing through a connected breathomics platform.
Cambridge Cancer Genomics Cambridge, England
Cambridge Cancer Genomics is developing tools to enable clinicians and scientists to understand therapeutic response in real time. Through the use of artificial intelligence, we can predict a tumor's evolutionary trajectory and what this may mean for cancer treatment.
HealthTensor Santa Monica, CA
HealthTensor uses artificial intelligence to automatically review all patient data, diagnose the most common conditions, and create documentation for physicians. These evidence-backed notes save physicians time, ensure diagnoses are not missed and improve finances for physicians and hospitals.
Nanowear New York, NY
Nanowear is a New York-based connected-self technology platform for diagnostics and disease management based on proprietary cloth-based nanosensors and analytics. This is the first and only cloth-based platform that has been approved by the FDA for remote cardiac monitoring. Nanowear's first product, SimpleSense, focuses on Congestive Heart Failure management.
Sempulse San Diego, CA
Halo applies in seconds to the ear & wirelessly monitors 100+ vitals (pulse oximetry, heart rate, respiratory rate, and core body temperature) non-invasively in non-sterile conditions. Being deployed first with SOCOM/DoD providing triage, cuffless blood pressure, communications and more. Coming to civilians soon for telemedicine & wellness – Sempulse Saving Lives.
Alternates
Fited New York, NY
We create elegant, accurate, custom-fit medical braces, orthopedics, and prosthetics in a fast, safe, accessible process. With machine learning, 3D printing, and our patent-pending AI driven CAD platform; we are bringing digital innovation to the end-to-end process.
Lilu New York, NY
Lilu builds tech-enabled products for the modern mom. They have created the first automated pumping bra, that mimics expert-recommended breast massage and compression techniques, to enable mothers to get up to 50% more milk each pumping session, hands-free and in less time.
Hyper-Connected Communities Technologies
This category showcases new products, services and apps that help hyper-connected communities (such as what occurs on-site at SXSW) better navigate and maximize their engagements. In addition to the kind of technologies that thrive in March in Austin, this category is for any creative and innovative app, product or service that does not fit elsewhere in the Accelerator lineup. Examples of technologies that might fit into this category include (but are not limited to) Internet of Things, energy, space, natural resources, agriculture and robotics.
Finalists
Apptronik Austin, TX
Apptronik is a robotics company focused on creating the next generation of robotic systems for humans to make our lives safer, more productive, and easier. We specialize in the building blocks of advanced robotics, high-performance electric actuators and real-time embedded control circuits optimized for human-robot interaction.
Diwala Oslo, Norway
Diwala is a digital economy platform, powered by blockchain, that enables displaced individuals to build their identity through skills and resources. By digitally documenting and verifying refugee's skills and providing aid organizations with an overview of their activities, Diwala will improve the whole supply chain with data driven reporting.
Ovipost San Francisco, CA
Crickets are efficient at converting food and water into nutritionally dense protein, but outsized labor costs make them expensive to grow. Ovipost builds automation systems that help cricket farmers do more with less.
GoTech Goma, The Democratic Republic of the Congo
GoTech is a tech company based in Congo and Rwanda, resolved to develop, design and implement solutions for its community in response to its fire problems. Pushed by the desire to make a difference, the founders stay driven by the thirst for being the change they want to see.
GrubTubs Austin, TX
GrubTubs solves for the overabundance of food waste coming from restaurants by creating a nutrient-rich animal feed that is affordable for local family farms. By diverting waste from landfills and improving the business economics for small farmers, we are working to reimagine America’s food, energy, and waste cycles.
Alternates
EventQueue Chicago, IL
Smart Apps, LLC is developing EventQueue (EQ), a smart city mobile technology platform that streamlines traffic, navigation, parking, crowd control, and evacuation procedures in real time around events and mass gatherings. EQ will change how cities handle crowds and traffic and will make cities safer and more sustainable.
Homebase Kansas City, MO
Homebase is a connected building and community management platform for multi-family and student housing. We make apartments smarter and more livable.
MailHaven Louisville, KY
MailHaven is a hyper-local logistics startup solving the problem of missed deliveries and stolen packages. Our first products are, a package tracking app and Haven; a smart mailbox that receives packages on behalf of home owners.
Payment and Fintech Technologies
Technologies relating to the consumer and business financial space that include delivering new payment methods, new forms of currency, extending credit and other lending processes, equities trading, transaction processing, asset management, insurance, and/or any other functions traditionally provided by banks and investment banks.
Finalists
Cushion San Francisco, CA
Cushion helps consumers safeguard their hard-earned money. Their first product is a Facebook Messenger bot, called Fee Fighter, that disputes bank fees & interest charges on your behalf - saving you time and getting back wasted dollars. In the future, Cushion aims to anticipate and resolve financial issues before they come up.
FutureFuel.io Boston, MA
FutureFuel.io makes student debt repayment easy – for employers, platforms, and users. FutureFuel.io offers student debt pay down as a service, and refinancing and other value-add products, shaving years off the lifespan of the loan.
Goalsetter New York, NY
Goalsetter is a goal-based savings and gifting platform for kids and their families, combining the best of goal-based savings platforms like Acorns with gift-registries like Zola. In so doing, Goalsetter enables families to save for kids’ goals easily and simultaneously teaches kids healthy financial habits early.
Leaf Nashville, TN
Leaf provides financial services to the stateless and excluded by creating a virtual bank through blockchain technology. Leaf offers a safe way for refugees to protect and transport savings while escaping conflict. By facilitating the movement and storage of assets, Leaf reduces the risk of theft and creates economic identities.
Pawame Nairobi, Kenya
Pawame is lighting up rural communities with our clean, affordable and reliable solar solution. Our use of mobile money platforms for payment gives our customers a means of finance that is not limited by distance, enabling us to access frontier markets. Using the data collected from digital payments, Pawame can create credit profiles for our customers, enabling us to distribute our further financial services.
Alternates
ID-Pal Dublin, Ireland
ID-Pal is a SaaS solution for KYC that enables businesses to onboard their customers simply, securely and conveniently. Using advanced mobile technologies, ID-Pal reduces the cost and risk associated with verifying a customer's identity, while removing any friction from the user experience, resulting in top-line revenue growth for the business.
StackSource New York, NY
StackSource is a tech-enabled commercial real estate loan platform. We connect investors who are developing or acquiring commercial properties with financing options like banks, insurance companies, and private lenders through an easy, transparent process. We’re taking the best of commercial mortgage brokerage and updating it for the 21st century.
Tomorrow Seattle, WA
Tomorrow helps families make future financial decisions today to protect the ones you love. Create a legal will – which includes guardianship for your kids - and living trust for free and then make sure you have enough life insurance to cover financial needs.
Security and Privacy Technologies
Technologies revolutionizing sectors related to data security and privacy on the consumer and enterprise level. With interests rising in this field, examples of innovations include (but are not limited to) cybersecurity, encryption, data storage, infrastructure protection, incident analytics, ad targeting, identity management, and many other forms.
Finalists
Bandura Lake St Louis, MO
Bandura’s Easy, Open, Secure technologies enable organizations to control their cyber risk exposure at a time when threats are increasing exponentially, and existing security infrastructure is overcome. Bandura takes action at scale to stop attacks on-premises and in the cloud-as first mover in the emerging threat intelligence gateway category.
PolyPort Atlanta, GA
PolyPort is 3D asset protection, management, and delivery company, which employs proprietary encryption technology to facilitate an end-to-end solution for 3D designers. Moreover, PolyPort allows designers to use their tools, shortcuts, and capabilities in their environment across all platforms.
14bis Supply Tracking Houston, TX
14bis Supply Tracking provides trustworthy asset tracking, streamlining supply chain processes and combatting unapproved parts. We improve supply chains with exceptional tracking capabilities leveraging blockchain technology and our patent-pending system.
Secure Code Warrior London, England
In a world that depends on software, Secure Code Warrior makes software development better and more secure. Our proven suite of secure coding tools sits within one powerful platform that moves the focus from reaction to prevention, training and equipping developers to think and act with a security mindset.
Storro B.V. Hengelo, Netherlands
Storro is a high-tech software company that contributes to a safer world through enabling secure communication via peer-to-peer and blockchain technology, which allows you to collaborate directly with each other, without the need to trust a third party.
Alternates
Cleo San Francisco, CA
Cleo provides a real-time data gathering platform that enables true information privacy and security for sources and panelists to sell data directly to organizations. Cleo uses advanced encryption and data validation techniques to ensure pseudo-anonymity of sources and quality of information.
Gyomo Atlanta, GA
Gyomo’s PeerPreview(tm) protects against email and web-based phishing attacks utilizing just-in-time training(tm) that combines machine learning, gamification, and crowd-sourcing to deliver training right when people need it most - the exact moment they click on a suspicious link.
SAAVHA Suffern, NY
SAAVHA leverages blockchain technology to enable EU General Data Protection Regulatory compliance through a semi-automated SaaS IT solution that provides EU data subjects with ultimate control over their data and offers businesses with better data security, improved efficiency, and reduced compliance costs.
Social and Culture Technologies
Technologies that push the boundaries on how we navigate and interact in life with ourselves, our community, and our world. Examples of such sectors include (but are not limited to) social media, networking, dating, travel & hospitality, food or dining, fashion, the environment and social good.
Finalists
70MillionJobs San Francisco, CA
70 million Americans have criminal records. They all experience pain in finding a job. We're the first for-profit marketplace for folks deserving a second chance and companies eager to access a vast, untapped pool of labor. Y Combinator S17
ICON 3D Austin, TX
ICON is a construction-technology company currently working towards building the first up-to-code 3D printed home in the United States (using concrete as substrate). The company is working in Austin, Texas on a contract from New Story (YC S15) in bringing to market the promise of robotic home-building.
Moms Can: Code Pittsburgh, PA
Moms Can: Code is a membership-based online community for moms learning how to code. We provide opportunities to connect online and offline, learning resources via our website and community platform, and real-life inspiration by featuring female leaders from around the world.
Samaritan Seattle, WA
Samaritan equips cities and citygoers to elevate their homeless from the street. Small Bluetooth beacons are given to the homeless, enabling citygoers to learn the stories of the people they pass by daily and invest directly into their lives.
Synervoz Communications Toronto, Canada
The Switchboard App enables new styles of voice chat and shared experiences with music and video. The Switchboard Platform makes these experiences available to third-party developers looking to engage users and differentiate their offerings. Switchboard uses patented technologies leveraging deep audio and voice processing capabilities.
Alternates
BBy - Milk Sharing New York, NY
BBy is a physician created a peer to peer marketplace for android and ios that connects nursing mothers with new parents to buy and sell breast milk in a safe and reliable manner. Leading the way with revolutionary milk sharing technology to nurture the next generation of humans.
Envested New York, NY
Envested’s workplace engagement product is a next-generation solution that takes a social approach to building community and culture at work. Their enterprise SaaS solution allows employees to seamlessly self-organize around leisure activities, workplace events and local volunteer opportunities. Envested was named an Inc 30 under 30 company in 2017.
Roots Studio San Fransico, CA
Roots Studio digitizes the creative content of traditional artists from remote areas with the global $32 billion dollar art, interior decor, and design licensing markets. We have digitized hundreds of unseen art from 1200+ artists (India, Indonesia, and Syria), and licensed them onto stationery, and clothing, amidst other products.
Sports and Performance Data Technologies
Technologies impacting the before, during, and after in the sports and athletics sector. Whether geared towards novices or elite professionals, innovations in this field include (but are not limited to) the way we experience, prepare for, and participate in sports and outdoor recreation by using hardware or software applications focused on data-centric intelligence, measurement, and other analytical forms.
Finalists
DashTag Rotterdam, Netherlands
DashTag introduces the Dash Soccer League. Leveraging technology and the online nature of new generation soccer players, we offer a sports experience that doesn’t feel outdated. The Dash, a wearable sensor, turns field performance into FIFA like stats to participate in competitions, challenges and pave the way to global recognition.
KidzToPros Fremont, CA
KidzToPros is leading platform for Child enrichment sports and activities. Our technology makes us a leading provider for parents to enroll their kids in an after-school program at school facilities.
Nix Boston, MA
Nix is taking the guessing out of hydration with a single-use sweat analytics patch that tells athletes, soldiers, and laborers their hydration status and electrolyte losses in real-time.
Tellyo Helsinki, Finland
Tellyo is a web-based video platform for near-live video production, editing, streaming and distribution. It allows rights holders (sports federation, leagues, event organizers or broadcasters) to easily create unique stories from live content and share them to engage fans on social media in real-time.
UPGRADED Walnut Creek, CA
UPGRADED converts event tickets into secure interactive digital assets protected by the Blockchain. These tickets work with existing entry systems (no hardware upgrades necessary) while delivering encryption, sales restrictions, stored value, loyalty data, and other dynamic elements that turn a ticket into a "smart ticket".
Alternates
Hustle Pittsburgh, PA
Hustle is the most comprehensive collection of sports drills and practice resources for youth coaches and players, packaged in a convenient and user-friendly smartphone application. We've created a marketplace for professional coaches to distribute and sell premium content, letting anyone learn from the pros.
myKicks Perth, Western Australia
myKicks is a mobile application built on world first sports vision technology to enable any soccer player with a smartphone to film their kicks, analyze their kicking performance (speed, placement, and trajectory) and simulate real-world scoring situations against virtual goalies, enabling users to become better soccer players.
Torq Labs Madison, WI
Torq Labs created smart leggings for injury prevention, called K-Tech Smart Leggings. Using lightweight, low-power sensors, Torq Labs helps professional athletes & triathletes prevent knee and hip injuries. Torq Labs’ proprietary movement mapping software identifies asymmetries & gait imbalances that are known precursors to developing lower body injuries.
Transportation Technologies
Technologies transforming and optimizing the transportation industry on a consumer and enterprise level. These innovations create efficiency in the way we move from point A to point B through (but are not limited to) the connected car, data routing applications, on-demand or ridesharing services, autonomous vehicles, and other new disruptive means.
Finalists
Commutifi Boulder, CO
Commutifi is a wellness platform that optimizes mobility for commuters, enterprises, business districts, campuses, and cities. It captures holistic commuting data, measures time, cost and carbon efficiencies, generates recommendations, and administers benefits and subsidies that inspire optimum commuting.
Goin Seattle, WA
Goin’s integration platform introduces ridesharing companies to the markets of flexible transit, ADA paratransit, and medical transportation so smart cities can fund greater access and equity. Goin is an FTA Mobility on Demand grant partner. Customers include first transit agency to partner with Uber, government organizations and medical facilities.
GoKid New York, NY
GoKid is the complete carpool solution for schools, teams, and families. Easy-to-use apps enable families to set up and manage carpools with people they know and trust. GoKid is an alumnus of Techstars Mobility backed by Fontinalis Partners and InMotion Ventures. GoKid is headquartered in New York.
Gridwise Pittsburgh, PA
Gridwise is a mobile platform that increases rideshare drivers' earnings 39% by helping them know when and where to drive. Through the unique data models it has developed, Gridwise can help improve the efficiency of existing and new multimodal transit solutions for fleet operators and cities.
Ushr Livonia, MI
Ushr is a software and technology company offering HD mapping data and software to autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle manufacturers. Ushr has the most accurate, comprehensive and advanced high-definition mapping technology in production today. Ushr’s technology is critical for safe vehicle operation and is transforming the transportation industry.
Alternates
Ion Motor Company Austin, TX
ION is a team of experienced electric motorcycle enthusiasts who came together in the Fall of 2017 in Austin, Texas to make the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world … under $10,000. ION transforms your daily commute into a thrill you look forward to every day. No loud noise, no vibrations, no shifting, just twist the throttle and feel the G-forces pull a smile across your face.
Mogol Portland, OR
Mogol has invented Connected Traffic Management(TM), a virtual traffic management platform that uses the vehicle as sensor and communicates to the driver via dashboard, navigation or smartphone instead of expensive roadside sensors and digital message signs for traffic management.
Tripgrid Portland, OR
Tripgrid was built to help teams of all shapes and sizes better organize their travel. Powerful technology coupled with an intelligent interface provides our customers with a workspace that is a part spreadsheet and completely customizable. Teams can organize all of their travel information any way they want.
2018 Judges and Emcees
SXSW Accelerator relies on hand-picked judges, qualified to determine the viability of a startup based on their demonstrated business and investment experience. The judging process will determine which of the finalists has the most innovative product or service. The following individuals have agreed to contribute their expertise toward the success of the SXSW Accelerator event.
Co-Emcees for our Awards Ceremony
Meet the world’s top startups that have emerged as the best of the best at the 2018 SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event. After two days of pitches our judges will select a winner from each category and we will honor them at the SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event Awards Ceremony.
Sunday, March 11, 2018 7:00pm-9:00pm Hilton Hotel (4th Floor: Salon AB)
Andrew Hyde Origin Protocol Head of Community
Andrew is a technologist that has roots in design. He started Startup Weekend which reached half a million participants and 162 countries around the world. He works in cryptocurrency
Bob Metcalfe University of Texas Professor of Innovation
Bob Metcalfe is Professor of Innovation and Murchison Fellow of Free Enterprise at The University of Texas at Austin. An Internet pioneer starting 1970, he invented Ethernet 1973, founded 3Com Corporation 1979. He was a journalist in 1990s, venture capitalist in 2000s, awarded 2003 National Medal of Technology.
Robyn Metcalfe Food+City Director
Robyn Metcalfe is a Visiting Scholar and Lecturer at The University of Texas at Austin. She is also the Director of Food+City, an innovative project that explores the future of feeding cities. She is an author of two books, a recovering farmer of heritage livestock, and the producer of the Food+City startup competition.
2018 SXSW Accelerator Qualifying Committee, Coaches, and On-site Coaches
Facilitators
Qualifiers, Coaches and On-Site Coaches
2017 Winners
Enterprise and Smart Data
Deep 6 Analytics Pasadena, CA
Deep 6 AI applies artificial intelligence to medical records to find more patients for clinical trials faster, getting cures to the people who need them more quickly.
Transportation
SPLT Austin, TX
SPLT is a transportation platform changing the way people commute worldwide through enterprise carpooling in a closed network and in partnership with Lyft, providing non-emergency medical transportation.
Social and Culture
Lily San Diego, CA
Lily helps women discover and buy clothes that make them look and feel their best.
Entertainment and Content
Laugh.ly San Francisco, CA
Laugh.ly is the first and only streaming app dedicated to stand-up comedy.
Health and Wearable
Sound Scouts Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sound Scouts utilizes game-based technology to deliver an accessible, reliable, low cost hearing screening solution to eliminate undetected hearing loss and elevate life outcomes.
Sports
Brizi Toronto, Canada
Brizi automates and monetizes fan content in stadiums.
Payment and FinTech
CNote Oakland, CA
CNote earns you a 40x better return on your savings with 100% social impact.
Security and Privacy
UnifyID San Francisco, CA
UnifyID revolutionizes authentication by discovering what makes us unique.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Lampix San Francisco, CA
Lampix is a software, hardware and cloud platform that makes augmented reality without glasses by transforming surfaces into smart surfaces.
Innovative World
Thimble.io Buffalo, NY
Thimble teaches beginners a basic understanding of building electronics through a monthly kit with carefully curated and easy to follow instructions.
Best Bootstrap Company – "The company who has done the most with least"
Kymira Reading, United Kingdom
KYMIRA have developed a disruptive business model do deliver medical innovation through their Sportswear brand.
Most Innovative Company
Helixworks Technologies Cork, Ireland
Helixworks makes synthetic DNA for research in Biotech and has developed a technology to store digital data in DNA.
Best One Minute Speed
Lexody New York, NY
2017 Accelerator Finalists and Alternates
Augmented and Virtual Reality Technologies Finalists
Fibrum Moscow, Russia
Fibrum Platform is a VR-platform designed for the purpose of involving a user into virtual reality, making it understandable and interesting, analogue of Steam for mobile VR.
Holojam New York, NY
Holojam is developing technology that works with VR / AR headsets to enable groups of people who are in the same location to share a mixed reality – where the virtual world is blended over the physical world.
Lampix San Francisco, CA
Lampix is a software, hardware and cloud platform that makes augmented reality without glasses by transforming surfaces into smart surfaces. This makes AR much simpler.
Teleporter VR Istanbul, Turkey
Teleporter VR is the new generation live event experience company focused live sports, music and e-sports events. The company is building a magical platform using VR, AI and AR technologies.
3dRudder New York, NY
3dRudder is a foot-powered movement controller, providing the most natural way to move in VR for gamers, designers, architects, and other professionals who work in 3D digital environments.
Alternates
izmocars Long Beach, CA
Leading provider of automotive imagery, including CG created assets, virtual reality, and other automotive solutions.
VIAR Seattle, WA
Viar360 is an enterprise focused VR publishing platform that reduces the time, effort and knowledge required to create highly engaging interactive cinematic virtual reality experiences for business use.
Enterprise and Smart Data Technologies Finalists
Deep 6 AI Pasadena, CA
Deep 6 AI applies artificial intelligence to medical records to find more patients for clinical trials faster, getting cures to the people who need them more quickly.
Helixworks Technologies Cork, Ireland
Helixworks makes synthetic DNA for research in Biotech and has developed a technology to store digital data in DNA.
LivingLens Liverpool, United Kingdom
LivingLens captures and analyzes video content via speech, actions & sentiment, translating human behavior & attitudes into data & insights
Metadata San Francisco, CA
For marketing managers in B2B/tech, Metadata amplifies your content marketing campaigns by pairing predictive scoring + programmatic advertising to generate qualified, opt-in conversions.
Speechmatics Cambridge, United Kingdom
Speechmatics provides the world’s smartest speech recognition technology, harnessing the latest advances in AI and deep learning. With broad language coverage our technology enables enterprises to surface valuable customer insight.
Alternates
ArbiClaims Los Angeles, CA
ArbiClaims is an online dispute resolution platform. We use court enforceable, binding arbitration to resolve and settle $15k and under disputes remotely via video chat and other online tools.
Pluto AI Palo Alto, CA
Pluto is an AI-powered analytics platform that water companies use to prevent water wastage, predict asset failures, and minimize operating costs.
Skycision Pittsburgh, PA
Skycision provides actionable decision support services to farmers that aids in diagnosing crop stress, disease, fertilization needs, and other issues farmers face on a weekly and seasonal basis.
Entertainment and Content Technologies Finalists
Haste Atlanta, GA
Haste is software that optimizes the internet for people engaged in live, interactive experiences. Haste is currently beta-testing its esports accelerator service which reduces network lag for gamers.
Laugh.ly San Francisco, CA
Laugh.ly is the first and only streaming app dedicated to stand-up comedy. We have the largest catalog of comedy from over 600 comedians - everyone from Aziz Ansari to Kevin Hart.
MuuseLabs Brussels, Belgium
MuuseLabs is a family tech consumer electronics company. It develops Jooki - The Jukebox for Kids - a wireless speaker with a figurine-based interface targeted at kids without a smartphone.
Novel Effect Seattle, WA
Novel Effect makes story time magical by using voice recognition to sync special effects as you tell a story, creating an immersive, interactive and engaging experience.
Triseum Bryan, TX
Triseum creates high-quality learning games, empowering players to learn through fun, engaging and immersive experiences. Our games are meticulously handcrafted, fully tested and evaluated to provide the ultimate educational experience.
Alternates
Bigvu New York, NY
BIGVU is the fastest and easiest way to create authentic and captivating videos for social media, education, corporate communications or content marketing.
CogniToys New York, NY
CogniToys are learning companions in dinosaur form that play games, tell stories, lead guided meditations and more to provide the kind of personalized play experience every child deserves.
Magic Instruments San Francisco, CA
Magic Instruments is transforming how people play, learn and experience music. Our first product is revolutionary digital guitar that anyone, including people with no musical background, can play in minutes.
Health and Wearables Technologies Finalists
Presented by 
Bloomlife San Francisco, CA
Bloomlife is a women’s health company designing the future of prenatal care. We combine wearables with data analytics to reassure moms and provide doctors with better information to improve birth outcomes.
iSono Health San Francisco, CA
iSono Health is democratizing breast cancer screening by developing a platform that combines automated ultrasound with AI to empower women with regular and accessible breast health monitoring to help with early detection.
Litmus Health Austin, TX
Litmus Health is a clinical data science platform focused on health-related quality of life. We help researchers make better go and no-go decisions from patients’ environment, lifestyle, diet, and activity.
Saathi Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Saathi takes a cradle-to-cradle approach to women’s menstrual health. We’ve developed a fully biodegradable sanitary pad from waste banana tree fiber, which don't need to be burned when disposed, thus helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Sound Scouts Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sound Scouts utilizes game-based technology to deliver an accessible, reliable, low cost hearing screening solution to eliminate undetected hearing loss and elevate life outcomes.
Alternates
Antelope.Club Frankfurt, Hessen
ANTELOPE.TECHWEAR is the world's first performance enhancing sportswear that stimulate each of your major muscle groups. With ANTELOPE you can work out wherever and whenever you want in the most effective way.
NeuroFlow Philadelphia, PA
NeuroFlow is a digital health software company co-founded by Army Veteran, Christopher Molaro, and Penn bio-engineering PhD, Adam Pardes. Using real-time biometric data, NeuroFlow quantifies and improves mental health assessment.
QuiO New York, NY
QuiO provides smart injection devices and connected software for monitoring, engaging and supporting patients taking injectable therapies at home.
Innovative World Technologies Finalists
AnyQuip Calgary, Alberta, Canada
AnyQuip is Canada’s trusted B2B equipment sharing platform and marketplace. We connect companies that own under-utilized heavy equipment directly to qualified contractors looking to rent it. Largest selection, lowest prices.
envi Los Angeles, CA
envi has perfected detailing a car without water, without scratching. envi is empowering the deaf community with a real income/business opportunity that promoted saving time, water and the planet!
FishViews Wimberly, TX
FishViews creates 360o HD waterway maps delivered to desktop, mobile, or VR devices. We get you on the water without putting you in the boat.
Makerarm Austin, TX
Makerarm is the world's first factory on a desktop. A robotic arm with 20 snap-on heads including laser, milling and 3D printing, Makerarm allows you to make anything, anywhere.
Thimble.io Buffalo, NY
Thimble teaches beginners a basic understanding of building electronics through a monthly kit with carefully curated and easy to follow instructions. Examples include a wifi-robot, weather station, quadcopter, etc.
Alternates
Centaur Ventura, CA
Centaur is the first full-stack IoT provider of solutions for stored agricultural products. Our wireless sensors and cognitive analytics enable spoilage detection and precision pest management of crops.
Inirv Durham, NC
Inirv has developed an innovative smart kitchen device that uses a combination of sensors and electronics to prevent house fires by turning the burners off before a hazard arises.
Maidbot Austin, TX
Maidbot is a robotics company on a mission to revolutionize the way humans clean - starting with the world's very first housekeeping robot for hotels.
Payment and FinTech Technologies Finalists
AssetVault London, United Kingdom
AssetVault helps consumers to catalogue their physical and digital assets in a secure register, protect assets through insurance products and fully digital wills and unlock value of assets through advanced AI.
CNote Oakland, CA
CNote earns you a 40x better return on your savings with 100% social impact.
Envudu Springville, UT
Natural biases are hard to overcome. What if our biases could work for us instead of against us? Envudu is a "mind hack" that fundamentally changes how you manage money.
Hip Pocket Lincoln, NE
Hip Pocket’s newest FinTech app, Hip Money, helps you save more money and prepay debt all with a simple swipe right on your phone.
Kickfurther Boulder, CO
Kickfurther is the first online consignment platform in the world. We connect growing brands with individuals across the United States where both are able to grow their wealth.
Alternates
Claimbot Austin, TX
Claimbot transforms the way insurance companies interact with customers. We deflect inefficient calls to self-service bots that increase satisfaction, reduce costs and defend revenue put at risk by claims.
FundPaas San Francisco, CA
Paste anywhere Crowdfunding plug-in - fully functional, end-to-end, Portal-as-a-Service solution. Our "Fund Me" button converts any website into a funding portal. FundPaaS also provide APIs for crowdfunding portals and broker dealers.
Latipay Auckland, New Zealand
Latipay, enables global business to receive live payment from Chinese consumers through WeChat, Alipay JDPay and 19 Chinese Banks.
Security and Payment Technologies Finalists
Cyber Warrior Network San Antonio, TX
First Career and Workforce Matching Software that helps companies find, hire and retain the best transitioning military cyber talent. Think of it as a hybrid of match.com for the candidates and LinkedIn for recruiters seeking cyber candidates.
Emergent Network Defense Washington, DC
Predict and prevent hacks before they start. Emergent uses existing enterprise systems and swarming artificial intelligence to explore millions of loss scenarios; identifying hacks that make Fortune 500 executives nervous.
SAASPASS San Francisco, CA
The world’s only Full stack Identity & Access Management. MFA, SSO, Password Management, Endpoint Access Management all in one. Security in the background, passwordless convenience for the user
umboCV San Francisco, CA
A neural network based artificial super intelligence that sees the world as we do.
UnifyID San Francisco, CA
UnifyID revolutionizes authentication by discovering what makes us unique. We’re getting rid of passwords by combining machine learning and sensor data to maximize the user experience while reducing fraud.
Alternates
Daplie Provo, UT
Started in 2015, Daplie is a technology and hardware company that manufactures 'Cloud' - an easy to use server for the home. Cloud stores data and controls connected devices via its own infrastructure and is accessible from an owner-chosen domain name. Rather than data passing through and being stored on service-provider servers, subject to terms of service, Cloud is the first infrastructure to put the owner in absolute control of the services they use and devices they own in the next step of the internet of everything.
Guardian Zone Colleyville, TX
Guardian Zone is a woman-owned security software-as-a-service company. Our mobile app and software allow smartphone users to immediately connect with venue security in medium and large venues during emergency situations.
Thumbs Up! Austin, TX
Thumbs Up! is a trust network for the new economy. We help you confidently work with, buy from, and share with peers everyday.
Social and Culture Technologies Finalists
4Gifters Milan, Italy
4Gifters is the first social e-gifting platform allowing users to Gift, Group Gift and pick up from luxury brand stores all over the world.
Envy San Diego, CA
Envy is a visual search engine, based on your location. Rethink the way you find the services and products you want. Swipe right if you love it, left if you don’t.
Lily San Diego, CA
Lily helps women discover & buy clothes that make them look & feel their best. It’s first ever perception engine technology understands a woman's emotions, perceptions & aspirations about clothing.
Module Pittsburgh, PA
Module is reimagining home for the 21st century. Our incremental housing technology and interactive design platform provide affordable, well-designed homes that change as your needs do.
NextBillion Vancouver, Canada
NextBillion.org is a community where people with visible and invisible disabilities connect with industry leaders for personalized mentorships, and get access to jobs and resources.
Alternates
Dip Los Angeles, CA
Dip allows users to buy access to specific hotel amenities, instead of having to buy a room.
Lexody New York, NY
Learning a foreign language? Go on a lex (language exchange)! Practice any language with a native speaker, in person, at one of Lexody's suggested local meeting places.
Unboundly San Francisco, CA
Enabling more people to experience the world for less. Unboundly’s groundbreaking technology creates customized flight routes, saving travelers time and money.
Sports Technologies Finalists
Brizi Toronto, Canada
Brizi automates and monetizes fan content in stadiums. Augmented Reality robotic cameras are remote-controlled by fans to instantly snap & share photos of themselves.
HorseAnalytics GmbH Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany
HorseAnalytics empowers horse enthusiasts to monitor and improve health and training of horses by applying reliable technologies from health and sports supervision and combining constant and real-time scientific analytics.
Kymira Reading, United Kingdom
KYMIRA have developed a disruptive business model do deliver medical innovation through their Sportswear brand. They’re developing the smart clothing of tomorrow for a cleaner, safer and healthier planet.
Season Share Los Angeles, CA
There are 3.2M season ticket holders in the US, 70% share with other sports fans. Season Share is a proprietary mobile technology for buying & sharing season tickets.
Wyp Aviation Huntsville, AL
Passionate, inspired, with just a touch of crazy. From design to prototype to flight test, Wyp Aviation has the knowledge and flexibility to take aviation to the next level.
Alternates
Matchday Dublin, Ireland
Live sport gaming company. Sports viewers make predictions in real time about a live game, earn points and redeem prizes.
Player’s Health Chicago, IL
Player’s Health is a risk management platform for sports organizations that reduces the health liability for youth athletic programs, and coaches by entrusting “return-to-play” decision-making to the athlete's caregiver/medical professional.
SportsGuru New York, NY
SportsGuru offers broadcasters, publishers, brands, and teams improved fan-engagement, by combining a user-friendly video capture and curation technology, creator community, and video distribution, to be the hub for sports-fan opinions.
Transportation Technologies Finalists
Driver Watchdog Buffalo, NY
Driver Watchdog is The Smart Driver's Companion. Assisting in proactively avoiding unsafe situations with on demand behavior correction capabilities. We are Intelligent Driving.. Reinvented.
Fingertips Lab San Francisco, CA
Fingertips Lab's first product is O6, an IoT device and mobile app that allows you to engage with your phone while driving, without looking at or touching a screen.
HAAS Alert Chicago, IL
V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) platform delivers real-time preemptive safety information to motorists, smart cities, connected and autonomous cars. Helping drivers and vehicles make smarter decisions by informing them of the road ahead.
Spatial.ia Detroit, MI
Artificial intelligence location platform and API that enables vehicles to answer location questions only a local would know using real-time social data.
SPLT Austin, TX
SPLT is a transportation platform changing the way people commute worldwide through enterprise carpooling in a closed network and in partnership with Lyft, providing non-emergency medical transportation.
Alternates
BlyncSync Broken Arrow, OK
Designed to assist in minimizing the risk of accidents in the trucking industry, the BlyncSync platform hosts multiple biometric devices, and provides real time & projected fatigue levels of drivers.
Parade Berkeley, CA
Parade is a software company that produces big data and artificial intelligence solutions for transportation companies to enable faster communications, smarter decision making, and increased freight opportunity optimizations.
Toposens Munich, GA
Toposens is a sensor company from Munich providing robust, ultra-low power and low-cost 3D sensors for the Internet of Things and autonomous vehicles to enterprises.
2017 SXSW Accelerator Emcees
Andrew Hyde Techstar Boulder, CO
Andrew Hyde has a passion for community, writing, travel and startups. He founded Startup Weekend, three other startups and was employee #1 at Techstars. Most recently he wrote a book named This Book is About Travel which reached the #1 sales slot for iBooks and Amazon’s travel sections. He is a co-owner of his favorite cafe in the world in Trident Booksellers and Cafe in Boulder, Colorado.
Yiying Lu 500 Startups San Francisco, CA
Yiying Lu is an award-winning designer with more than 10 years of experience in the creative realm. Her projects have been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, NBC News, TIME, and more. Notable projects include the official Dumpling Emoji, the Twitter Fail Whale, Conan O'Brien's Pale Whale, and the SXSW Interactive Big Bag Art.
2017 SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event Judges
SXSW Accelerator relies on hand-picked judges, qualified to determine the viability of a startup based on their demonstrated business and investment experience. The judging process will determine which of the finalists has the most innovative product or service. The following individuals have agreed to contribute their expertise toward the success of the SXSW Accelerator event.
2017 SXSW Accelerator Advisory Board
The individuals listed below were instrumental to the success of the 2017 SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event. Their hard work, diligence, and support in bringing together the future of the technology industry to the SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event is greatly appreciated.
2017 SXSW Accelerator Qualifying Committee & Coaches
SXSW Accelerator Qualifying Committee, Coaches, and On-site Coaches contribute significantly to the success of SXSW Accelerator. The Qualifying Committee focuses on the intake of all plans submitted and is responsible for the validating the applications for accuracy, completeness, veracity, and proper categorization. With their vast experience, SXSW Accelerator Coaches work closely with the finalists in the months leading up to the event to assist them in their onstage presentations. On-site Coaches work with the finalists as they rehearse their presentation on Friday, March 10.
Facilitators
Qualifiers, Coaches, and On-Site Coaches
2016 Winners
Enterprise and Smart Data
Presented by Rackspace
Parknav San Francisco, CA
Parknav provides real-time on-street parking availability data to automotive, fleet, real-estate and internet companies. Its service covers over 70 cities 24/7 in the US and EU, and its customers embed this data into navigation systems, maps and real estate listings.
Entertainment and Content Technologies
PopUp Play Austin, TX
PopUp Play creates experiences for kids that blend screen time with play time.
Health and Wearable Technologies
Presented by Allscripts
MUrgency San Francisco, CA
MUrgency is using the power of mobile technology and networks to make emergency medical response available to anyone, anytime, anywhere with just one tap on a mobile phone or through auto alerts from sensors / wearables for high risk population.
Innovative World Technologies
Presented by Brother
Rorus Pittsburgh, PA
Rorus makes the Filter Pack, the first comprehensive solution for carrying and instantly purifying drinking water, removing both biological and chemical contaminants. We use new nanotechnology and user-centered design to make the simplest filters in the world for humanitarian relief.
Payment and Fintech Technologies
Chroma.fund Portland, OR
Chroma.fund is a blockchain-based exchange for trading stocks and bonds issued by early stage companies. Our software is used by financial firms who wish to build and trade software-defined ETFs. We're a Techstars company based in Portland, OR.
Virtual Reality Technologies
Presented by Google Cloud
Splash Berlin, Germany
Your reality. Shared. Capture a 360 degree videos on your mobile in seconds, share it to any social network & view it in VR.
The winner of the Best Bootstrap Company (the company who has done the most with least): Hearken
The winner of the Most Innovative Company: Vantage.tv And the winner of the One-Minute Pitch among alternates: Knocki
2015 Winners
Enterprise and Smart Data Technologies
Partpic Atlanta, GA
Partpic is an enterprise visual search solution used to identify replacement parts. Simply snap a picture using your mobile device and let your technology identify the part and facilitate the purchase.
Digital Health and Life Sciences Technologies
Tinnitracks Hamburg, Germany
Tinnitracks is a multi-awarded audiology technology offering tinnitus treatment based on clinical trials. Developed by German-based Sonormed, the solution transforms everyday music into targeted neuroacoustic treatment for tinnitus patients.
Innovative World Technologies
SLANTRANGE San Diego, CA
SLANTRANGE makes farming more productive. Our sensors and analytics tools provide new insights on crop health for improving yields while reducing costs, uncertainty, and global environment impacts.
Wearable Technologies
Tinitell Stockholm, Sweden
Tinitell is a Swedish designed wrist phone and GPS-tracker for kids. It is durable, and water resistants. Our mission is to enable outside play with a connected device. Tinitell is a back to basic phone for kids who like to play outside.
Entertainment and Content Technologies
Zype is a cloud-based video technology service for premium video content owners to build, scale and manage direct to consumer steaming destinations. Zype makes it easy to deliver branded mobile, set top, and web apps to viewers everywhere. Social Technologies
RealSavvy Austin, TX
2014 Winners
Enterprise and Big Data Technologies
Trustev Cork City, Ireland
Trustev provides real-time, online identity verification to eliminate fraud and increase revenues for retailers in a simple-to-integrate, low-cost platform.
Entertainment and Content Technologies
Waygo is a service that enhances your travel experience by easily translating printed language. With Waygo, simply point your smartphone camera and translate images instantly without a data connection.
Health Technologies
ThriveOn San Francisco, CA
ThriveOn is a mobile platform that assesses user need, and delivers a tailored evidenced-based program, paired with a remote mental health professional.
Innovative World Technologies
Synbiota
Synbiota is a collaborative open web-platform that allows anyone to safely and sustainably create new.
Social Technologies
Samba.me Tel Aviv, Israel
Samba is video messaging with reaction shots. Recreating the warmth of face-to-face interaction, it infused digital video communication with genuine, authentic response.
Skully Helmets is pioneering augmented reality solutions for the head protection industry. Founded in Silicon Valley in 2013, Skully’s human-centered engineering approach has led to the Skully’s human-centered engineering approach has led Skully AR-1, the world’s first fully integrated augmented reality motorcycle helmet.
2013 Winners
News Technologies
Phone2Action Kansas City, MO
We amplify people’s voice to effect change. We help interested groups, trade organizations, and advocacy groups engaged supporter’s in the moment they are ready to act.
Social Technologies
Plotter San Francisco, CA
Ever thought typing on your touch-screen is frustrating? Our revolutionary keyboard technology. Fleksy, is powerful enough you can type without even looking at the screen. Wave goodbye to typing frustrations and welcome Happy Typing on mobile.
Innovative Web Technologies
Wanderu is the simplest way to find a book bus and train travel between Point A and Point B. Wanderu is a new travel startup by young people for young people.
Entertainment and Gaming Technologies
MakieLab London, England
Makie Lab uniquely combines games, toys and 3D printing to provide creative entertainment properties. Our virtual goods produce physical goods on demand.
Music Accelerator
ROLI London, England
ROLI is a music technology start-up using intuitive design to create integrated hardware and software interfaces that increase the bandwidth of interaction between humans and computers.
Neurotrack Richmond, VA
Neurotrack has developed technology that can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms appear, creating the potential to transform the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
2012 Winners
News Related Technologies
Funf Project Cambridge, MA
Funf, the Fun Framework for Mobile Sensing is an extensible sensing and data processing framework for Android devices developed at the MIT Media Lab. Funf provides an open source, reusable set of functionalities, enabling the grassroots collection, dissemination, and sense-making of rich data about individuals, their devices and their environment.
Innovative Web Technologies
Viztu Technologies Cambridge, MA
Viztu Technologies is a leading provider of custom, multi-dimensional scanning and imaging solutions. Our first product, hypr3D, uses advanced computer vision tools to transform user-generated photos or videos into unique3D models that can view online, shared, downloaded, or even printed in 3D.
Social Media and Social Networking Technologies
Thrist Labs San Francisco, CA
What are your friends talking about right now? Why are they talking about it? What does it mean? Thirst is a mobile app that understands status updates (from Twitter, Facebook, etc.) using our custom Natural Language algorithms to help you simplify, organize, and understand your social streams.
Mobile Technologies
Condition ONE is a technology company developing next generation immersive video applications. Our flagship product is an embeddable immersive video player for the iPad, which we license to media companies and brands. Condition ONE creates powerful emotional experiences of being there.
Entertainment Technologies
Wemo Media
Wemo Media is a next generation digital studio with a world-class team of Academy Award-winning artists, technology innovators and veteran execs from film, games and the web. This team is pioneering a new form of globally shared art and entertainment on the Web. Their first product is theBlu.com.
Health Technologies
Ginger.io Cambridge, MA
An MIT Media Lab spinoff and TechStars alum, Ginger.io provides a behavior analytics platform that uses big data from mobile phones to model user behavior and make inferences about health and wellness.
Ovelin Tampere, Finland
WildChords by Ovelin is an iPad game that makes learning to play the guitar fun, addictive and motivating. It is played with any real guitar, and requires no additional equipment. Ovelin is the #1 music app in 34 countries, iPad game of the year (Tilt TV), Best European Learning Game 2011 (LUDUS).
2011 Winners
News Related Technologies
Storify San Francisco, CA
Storify is building the future of storytelling, enabling journalists, bloggers or anyone to tell stories from social media by assembling Tweets, photos and videos. We help readers find meaning amid the noise of social media.
Social Media and Social Networking Technologies
POPVOX Redwood City, CA
CEO Marcy Harris refers to it as a Deal Room for Legislation and says now we can all be in on the deal. Popvox is giving everyday people the opportunity to participate in the lobbying process by automatically posting any bill introduced to Congress, allowing it to be publicly commented on, and returning it to the appropriate Congressperson. Legislators and their staff can also upload a bill position. The system, which uses “business intelligence for bills,” aggregates public input and outputs a consumable report that elected officials and their staffers can act on. Popvox believes that independent, verifiable metrics are a key, missing element in current constituent communication systems
Innovative Web Technologies
Hipmunk takes the agony out of travel search. Its unique interface shows you only the sensible results, making it easy to understand the tradeoffs between your options. And because we know how much of a pain it can be to fly, Hipmunk sorts its results by “agony,” not price.
Entertainment Technologies
Tango Palo Alto, CA
Paul Berberian says Orbotix uses an open-source platform for developing the apps that power their robotic balls. That means anyone capable of creating a mobile app is also capable of developing an app that powers a Sphero ball. Allowing people to create their own experiences and games around the device is the same (very successful) strategy employed by Android. Not coincidentally, the little round robots are smart-phone driven.
2010 Winners
Innovative Web Technology
Siri San Jose, CA
Imagine talking to your phone and asking "What's the phone number for Hilton Austin?" or "Get me a table for two with steak." Siri, an app that relies on speech recognition and artificial technology, turns search and voice to action. Siri is a spin-off from the largest artificial intelligence program in the world at Stanford Research Institute. Siri relies on open platforms like OpenTable, Yelp, and Google Maps, to help users book restaurant reservations, find weather forecasts, buy movie tickets and more.
Entertainment Technologies
ShopSavvy Dallas, TX
Already a popular mobile application, ShopSavvy, puts a tech solution in the consumers’ hands allowing them to comparison shop by scanning product bar codes on the spot and make a purchase all without leaving the simple application interface. The questions from the judges, who were already familiar with ShopSavvy and impressed with its success, focused primarily on why ShopSavvy needed their help as much as the lesser known start-ups.
Business Social Media
Mobile Roadie puts the power of mobile apps in the hands of any small business. It's a highly customizable way to easily and cost-effectively create an iPhone or Android app. Prices start at $500 plus monthly hosting fees. Mobile Roadie's app for Taylor Swift had 40 million installs
Personal Social Media
Bump Technologies
Phones are becoming the access point to our lives, with music, calendar, social networking, games, contacts, and more. Bump, an app that has been downloaded over 10 million times, allows people to connect in the physical world with a simple bump of their phones. Bump is expanding to license their technology and announced a partnership with PayPal. You can now bump phones to make a payment, along with other uses such as sharing photos, music, friending on Facebook.
2009 Winners
Music Related Technologies
Popcuts Berkeley, CA
We give fans a stake in the music. So, you get store credit (and street cred) when the songs you buy become hits. Trendsetters get the biggest rewards.
Video Related Technologies
Tubemogul Emeryville, CA
TubeMogul is the first online video analytics and distribution company serving publishers large and small who need independent information about video performance on the internet and automated upload to the web's top video sharing sites.
Social Networking Applications
Weardrobe Palo Alto, CA
Weardrobe provides a platform for people to share reviews of their own clothing, post photos of their looks, catalogue their closet and search for style inspiration.
Ribbit.com Mountain View, CA
Ribbit brings together the internet, voice and data to form a new world of intelligent, integrated communication solutions — where rich voice and data travel seamlessly across devices, networks, and carriers.