Check out the Twitter hashtag #MIN15 for more!
If you want really be in on the startup scene, we suggest that you head out I-90 West to the IBM Innovation Center every second Wednesday of the month to experience the hottest and most innovative startups that Massachusetts is rolling out. Bobbie Carlton, the founder of Mass Innovation Nights (MassInno), is hoping that MassInno will help to make some noise for Massachusetts companies and, in turn, generate more community support for these early-stage products and services. Last night, MassInno held their 15th monthly product launch event.
As we all know, June is Innovation Month here in Mass. Mass Innovation Nights found a little innovation synergy last night with yesterday’s IBM SmartCamp, which also took place at the IBM Innovation Center. Among the five SmartCamp finalists was the winner of SmartCamp, Sproxil, which also demoed at MassInno. Sproxil, you’ll remember, is on a tear after taking home a PwC Promise Award at Wednesday’s MITX Technology Awards.
IBM is a powerhouse of innovation around the world, and the company has acquired 14 Massachusetts companies — seven since 2003. It seems obvious IBM believes it is important for the Massachusetts startup community to foster startup product launches like Mass Innovation Nights to cultivate the startup renaissance in the region. IBM SmartCamp is on a seven-city tour. It’s mission is to solicit proposals from startup companies focusing on creating a smarter planet. IBM SmartCamp attracted over a dozen top VC’s as well as other influential figures in the Boston community.
So who presented?
MassInno 15 Presenters:
IBM Smartcamp Winner: Sproxil
Founded by Dartmouth PHD candidate Ashifi Gogo, Sproxil is providing software in cash-based markets using cell phones to protect against counterfeit medicine. With nothing more than cell phones, users can protect themselves from being swindled and potentially ingesting lethal drugs. By simply text message an item-unique code, these users can confirm if a drug is legit. According to the Sproxil team, counterfeit drugs are a real problem in many corners of the world, but many of these regions already have cell phone service. Sproxil is helping to keep people in emerging markets safe from counterfeit drugs while providing a trusted communication platform and demographic information to companies interested in reaching customers and learning about buying behaviors.
Jumper Networks
When most people think of searching a topic on the Internet they think of a search box, which is powered by algorithms. Steve Perry, the CTO and co-founder of Jumper Networks is enabling a new kind of search. He claims that we need human intelligence behind our searching. By figuring out what makes you as a person unique, the search will bring back better matches specific to your needs. What is the problem Jumper is solving? Search results often bring you back a lot of the same content and you are not getting results with new ideas and content. “Content is growing by 200% each year. Search must evolve to meet the problem,” said Perry. The solution is Jumper Networks. Search can now be powered by knowledge specific to what you are searching, bringing out new content and new insight. With Jumper, there are individuals and project teams that are ultimately working for your search behind the scenes. Users will tag information and these tags are collected into profiles. From here you will be able to share content among users creating a search community with value added services like comments and opinions.
Rate it Green
Started by Allison Friedman after a “failed” personal attempt to “go green,” Rate it Green is an online community for people interested in green building. This website’s community is for anyone interested in reviewing and sharing information. The goal is to build the largest community of people interested green building by creating a lasting impact on the reviewers and sharers of information. Rate it Green even has compiled and built a Green Building 101 book with over 900 resources to “help people go from zero to sixty in green building knowledge,” according to Friedman. Rate it Green is looking for people to use the site as an open directory on green building and green building components. They are looking to expand throughout the summer through marketing initiatives, programming, sales, and finding the best interns to help them grow!
thebuyersNET.com
The founder, B. Satyamurti (Satya) started his presentation out by asking the crowd how much wine we drink each week. Have we ever thought about buying wine or products in general in a group format? ThebuyersNET.com has created a website where you can create buying groups to negotiate prices at a discount. By bringing people together, thebuyersNET.com can manage a discount and negotiate prices. The company was launched only a month ago and is already forming buying groups in major Massachusetts’s cities like Boston, Cambridge, Quincy and Waltham. Get together, buy together!
MassInno 15 Table Demos
Founder Institute
A 4-month long entrepreneur training program for new and experienced entrepreneurs will be launching in Boston July 1. We told you about Founder Institute last week. Program benefits: 1. Founder equity exchange 2. Structured Thursday evening training classes led by leaders in the startup community 3. Mentorship opportunities by seasoned CEOs 4. Introductions to investors 5. Access to discounted services. This teamwork-approached concept is bound to form the next generation of world class Boston companies.
Laxy
A new lacrosse company specifically providing women’s footwear, t-shirts, hoodies and hats with lacrosse themes. The products are taking off in the high school market and the company is now expanding to the college market. The name is flashy and strikes their core consumer market. Laxy are currently working on developing their website, but if you want to follow their next moves visit their facebook fan page.
As Carlton put it last night, “there are always unusual products at Mass Innovation Nights.” If you would like to launch your company or product at the next launch party sign up on http://MassInnovationNights.com.
To learn more about Mass Innovation Nights, be sure to check out their site: MassInnovationNights.com. (Or you can just click the link on the right side of BostInnovation’s page.) You can also follow them on Twitter @MassInno. For more insights on the event, be sure to check out the hashtag #MIN15 on Twitter.
Tags: IBM, IBM SmartCamp, Mass Innovation Nights, MassInno, MIN
