The big day has arrived and tonight’s finalists are hot. Ten startups have made it to the final judging round, and in a few minutes they’ll take the stage to pitch their companies to some of the top tech VCs in California, including Javelin Venture Partners, Hatch Labs, KPMG, Anthem Venture Partners, Rho Capital Partners, Science, Start Engine, DFJ Frontier, Amplify, MuckerLab, LaunchPad, and more. And the finalists are…
AllowanceTree.com: a personal finance site for kids and parents that allows both to track allowance, spending, and more. Parents can automate allowance payments and monitor their kids’ purchases, while kids can transfer their money to savings accounts, invest, or donate to charity. They can even request a loan from their parents and negotiate an appropriate interest rate.
Blueseed: a startup with an ambitious goal, Blueseed is looking to launch an offshore incubator that will gather the world’s top tech talent on a floating campus strategically located in international waters 12 miles off the coast of Silicon Valley so that visas and other travel restrictions need not get in the way of innovation.
Credential Protection: something of an online reputation management system for healthcare professionals. The startup only works with what it calls “solid practices” and makes sure that their positive reviews make it to the top of Google search listings.
DogVacay.com: an AirBnB for dogs, DogVacay.com allows travelers to board their dogs with other dog lovers, who can charge a fee of their choice. The site allows boarders and hosts to get info on one another first and then meet before agreeing to a boarding arrangement, and DogVacay.com provides an initial screening process as well.
Flipgigs: a talent-based skill sharing network that connects businesses and consumers with high school and college students looking for odd jobs and experiences that will pad out their resumes and portfolios. For example, students looking for tutoring or babysitting jobs can post their services on the site or browse available positions.
MergeLocal: a service that allows mobile phone users to earn money for their check-ins. Users need only check-in and share their experiences with their friends to earn points from local businesses. Those points then translate into real money.
OpenStudy: a global peer-to-peer studying platform that connects students from around the world. Users can find answers to their own questions or gain status by helping others. Most questions receive answers within five minutes, and the company says 80% of students who have used the platform report improved learning outcomes.
Plink: an online-to-offline loyalty program that allows consumers to earn Facebook credits for making purchases from participating businesses. Users need only create a Facebook Connect account and then register their credit or debit cards, and then whenever they make a purchase from a Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, Red Robin, or other participating business, they earn Facebook credits.
RidePal: a service that provides state-of-the-art commuter buses equipped with Wi-Fi to pick up and drop off employees. Businesses can share the cost with employees or take on the full cost themselves to expand their recruiting reach and retain employees. Businesses and riders only pay for the capacity they need.
Yatown: a social network for neighborhoods. Yatown lets neighbors connect to find out what’s going on in their neck of the woods. The startup currently operates in 193,000 neighborhoods in 25 cities nationwide.
