My first and can I say wow! The event itself, held Thursday at the Boulder Theater, was more boisterous, had better music and had more attendees in jeans than past events I covered back at my last gig in Orange County.
It’s difficult not to get excited about the start-ups presenting at the event, as the crowds constantly interrupted speakers with applause, cheers and laughs. And these are folks who, while probably big supporters, also PAID to get in to Demo Day. The event had a lot of interesting tweaks to existing and staid practices (HR, product recalls and manuals, credit cards… ) I hope that they make it. And Techstars does have a pretty good track record. Just check out .
A few of my favorites that I hope to expand upon in the near future:
— With major retailers reporting credit-card hacks, Final offers a credit card with a number that changes when you decide. Use a number once, or let it expire after a certain time. They just started taking signups and already, there are 19,507 people ahead of me.
— Leave it to artificial intelligence to manage your monthly expense report. “Spence” will remind you to take a photo of a restaurant receipt in case itap a business lunch. Or ask if the taxi charge is a business expense. It learns your patterns and ultimately will do your expenses for you so you don’t even have to think about it.
— As a new employee here at the Post, I don’t know how many forms I filled out and signed. At least I was getting paid while doing so! All4Staff wants to minimize paperwork and employer expenses by making the whole process digital. Through an app, a new employee can fill out forms, sign documents and snap photos of their driver’s license while at home before they start work.
— When Jessica Ridgeway was kidnapped and murdered two years ago in Westminster, communities rallied. And the Lassy Project got started. Their app creates trusted communities that parents can reach out to within seconds in case a child goes missing. Apparently, 7,500 users have already downloaded the app. It’s helped with five Amber alerts. And two dozen police departments support it. The app is free, with premium services offered to keep track of your child.
— One of the few hardware startups, Notion turns your house into an Internet home where all your appliances, windows, doors, lights and utilities talk to you. Sensors placed around the house can determine if someone’s breaking into the liquor cabinet, the dishwasher is leaking or if the propane tank is running low before the big BBQ.
— A new investment fund that vets viable solar projects. It also acts as a utility by charging customers for the energy used, which it then pays back to investors monthly.
