At the first Built In Chicago Launch to start in daylight hours in recent memory, five companies took the stage at Rockit Bar & Grill to bring their products to light. They pitched to a packed house of entrepreneurs, developers, investors and more, who came to the event to share successes and meet like-minded people.
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In fact, one Northern Illinois University professor, Debra Zahay Blatz, brought five of her students introduce them to Chicago’s startup scene, and vice versa.
Made up of a large and diverse group of people, the crowd upstairs at Rockit was practically raucous – so much so that they had to be asked several times to quiet down before the pitches could start. Several people I spoke with complained good-naturedly about struggling to get from one end of the bar to the other because there were so many people there. For them, though, that was their whole reason for coming.
“This seems like the perfect place for us to be, it ties everything together,” said David Pick of Closet in the Cloud, “We love Chicago, and this is just right down the street from our office.”
Shortly after 7 p.m., Built In CEO Maria Katris announced the new member search features that debuted on the site yesterday. She followed that up by introducing the five companies who were there to pitch.
First up was Motlee, a mobile app that allows users to create photo albums for specific events that can be shared and collaborated on with Facebook friends. Motlee CEO Nick Cromydas said it is “a global app, both iPhone and Android, that allows people to capture any moment or event from the perspective of not just one person, but from the vantage point of everybody there.” Cromydas asked for users to download and try out the app the next time they are in a group setting.
Next was Ox&Pen, a loyalty program that allows users to earn points redeemable across its entire network – not just individual stores. Checking in and spending money at partner locations allow users to earn points. In addition to new users, the Ox&Pen team is seeking funding.
Fashion-meets-Freakonomics startup Closet In The Cloud came up next to pitch their algorithm-based online personal shopping site. Currently in beta, the team has found algorithm-predicted dresses to satisfy customers more than randomly chosen ones. The team asked for more users so they could accumulate data and improve their algorithms.
SerenadeMe creates custom-made songs that can be ordered by anyone. Songs can be customized based on preferences for lyrics and music, which the SerenadeMe team will take into consideration while creating a finished MP3 the user can use or gift to anyone. Over the next six months, the team plans to roll out many features, including partnerships with new musicians and an Android app.
Finally, the husband-and-wife team behind GetLusty for Couples pitched their product, an online tool intended to help couples build a sexual relationship. Currently, the site offers advice articles and discounts at featured merchants. Starting in April, GetLusty will have special date experiences for couples in Chicago. The team is looking for users, as well as new employees and investors.
The program ended on a high note, with six companies sharing success stories from the past month to applause and cheers from the crowd.
See you next month at Rockit Bar & Grill for April’s BIC Launch
See videos of the pitches here: http://www.builtinchicago.org/blog/built-chicago-launch-videos-march-2013
