This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is it summer in Seattle, but I also get to announce the 10 companies who made the cut for the Techstars Seattle program. This year we received over 600 applications for just 10 spots, making it harder than ever to get accepted. We generally saw more companies that were further along, who already had customers and revenue, but there were also a lot of companies who were just two founders and a great idea - no product, no revenue, no customers. Both are great. We accept all stages and we have.
I want to make it clear to all of those who applied and didn’t get accepted, that this it isn’t a vote against your team or your idea. In fact, we don’t refer to those companies as rejections, but as non-selections. There are many teams that will apply several times before getting in. For this reason we always encourage companies to apply again.
But let’s cut to the chase. This is what we are all here for, the Techstars Seattle class of 2014 and what they do:
Stand In (Portland, OR):
Stand In redefines how mobile apps are designed. Stand In takes design beyond static screens with tools for designing mobile experiences.
Crowsnest (Syracuse, NY)
Crowsnest is a software platform for the real world - simple code for controlling air conditioners, light bulbs, cameras and everything in between.
Garmentory (Seattle, WA)
Garmentory offers curated collections and rich shopping experiences from independent fashion boutiques across the world.
Colátris (Mountain View, CA)
Contextual Localization as a Service for mobile apps.
Live Stories (Seattle, WA)
LiveStories builds data tools for non-technical people.
Streamline (Stanford, CA)
Streamlining customer service: No more speaking to machines, no more wait time.
Touchbase (Seattle, WA)
TouchBase is a mobile platform that helps sales representatives manage and present the most effective marketing material.
Exploration Labs (San Francisco, CA):
Exploration Labs is making a tool for B2B sales teams that provides a cheat sheet on leads.
MagikFlix (Seattle, WA)
Magikflix is a safe, curated edutainment video service for kids, 12 years and younger available across all smart devices including iOS, Android, Microsoft app stores and leading kids tablets.
TrueFacet (New York, NY)
TrueFacet.com is the authenticated luxury marketplace where you can shop and sell jewelry and watches with confidence. TrueFacet differentiates itself by offering buyers and sellers a trusted authentication process and best value guarantee.
You can read more about the teams and their backgrounds here.
Demoday
Our three month program culminates with our Demo Day where the founders will pitch their companies to a room full of investors. This will take place on November 6th at Showbox SoDo. The tech community is invited to celebrate the class at the Techstars Demo Day Launch Event on November 6th at Showbox SoDo from 6pm. Early bird tickets can be bought now for $5, the prices will increase weekly until they reach their nominal value of $50.
I hope to see you there.
- Andy
