I just got back in the office from DEMO Spring 2010 in Palm Springs, CA. Fortunately, I missed the two feet of snow we had in Denver, and saw 74 interesting companies at DEMO. This is also the first DEMO that I have been to since IDG began running the event. My last DEMO event was one year ago, and it was pretty bleak, with only about 40 companies, half of which were corporate product launches.
DEMO and the energy behind it, seems to be back, as well as plenty of early stage companies seeking visibility and investors. I wanted to see more, edgier, concepts and companies; but most of what was at DEMO was pretty mainstream, but, some good demos and decent variety. I also like the Alpha Pitch's which are super early stage companies that may not quite be ready for DEMO yet, but still need some visibility.
So now for Dave's Top Five from DEMO Spring 2010: just click on name to see the DEMO video.
Solvate: Simply a fantastic demo by Julie Ruvolo and Jun Simmons and my clear DEMO Spring 2010 winner. If you have a project, and need to hire some talent to get it done, Solvate is your solution. If you are like me, LinkedIn is your social networking tool of choice. I connect with people that I want to connect with. With Solvate, you can leverage the content, and connections, in LinkedIn, to search and pivot your way to a small batch of contacts. One of the first tools, of many I am sure, that taps into the power, data and connections in LinkedIn.
GlideTV: First time I have seen a demo at DEMO and immediately went to web site and bought the product. Combines a keyboard, a mouse, a remote control and a touchpad into a small device that fits in the palm of your hand. I have a Windows 7 machine connected to my 55 inch Samsung in my den. I also have a keyboard and a mouse and an XBOX controller on top of the coffee table to control it. Now, all I need is one device. Plug in the dongle, use the easy touchpad navigation, use the pop-up on-screen keyboard, and Media Center navigation is a breeze. Thank you!
GreenNurture: I have seen dozens of green solutions across all of the events that I go to. Many are interesting but fall short on a clear monetization scheme. Where there is money in green is by helping the global 2000 corporations both sponsor and engage conservation initiatives and my making the resulting cost savings visible to executives. GreenNurture does exactly that in an engaging, socially enabled, manner. It also helps that Derrick Mains, the GreenNurture CEO has fantastic stage presences and won the DEMO Idol karaoke contest as well. Green + Enterprise + Monetize = great startup.
Phone Halo: This one is in my top 5 because every single person that I told about this product said, I need that. Granted, I was in Palm Springs visiting my in-laws after DEMO, but in spite of this opportunistic demographic, Phone Halo is an elegant combination of pervasive technologies and a simple solution. You attach a small, Bluetooth enabled dongle to your keys (or whatever else you don't want to lose), if you get out of range, your phone beeps, helps you track back to your keys. Even gives you a map if you leave your keys way behind. Could work for power tools, wallet, money clip, you get it.
Rentalic: Actually, rentalic was not a DEMO demo, but they were the winner of the PayPal X Developer Challenge. But, they are so cool, that I could not resist putting them in my top 5. In my cul-de-sac my neighbors and I share stuff all the time, but sometimes it is tough to track down. I work on cars, so I have a battery charger, a MIG welder, and lots of tools that come in handy, for cars. My neighbor has a big air compressor I use to blow my sprinklers out. Another neighbor has a wood shop in his basement. It would make it much easier if we could keep track of who is using what, when, and perhaps pay a little bit in the deal. That is what rentalic does. Like e-bay for rentals. Punsri – I hope it goes well for you because I can't wait to rent Ken's ski-boat.
Comments