tektrak named victor of Vator Splash LA (May)

Find your phone, lock your phone or wipe your phone, all with this startup's inexpensive service

And the winner of the inaugural Vator Splash LA is... tektrak!

After competing alongside 150 other startups, tektrak and nine other startups made the final cut, earning a chance to duke it out on-stage at the Highlands in Hollywood on Thursday. Each of the 10 startups was allotted three minutes to pitch their business to a panel of four investors hailing from firms like Greycroft and Rustic Canyon and, in the end, the best startup was selected by popular vote.

tektrak, a provider of phone security solutions, won that vote handily.

Maybe it’s because so many people--entrepreneurs, investors and the rest of us--can relate to the horrible experience of losing a phone. (Actually, tektrak says that 20 to 30 percent of phones are lost every year.) Today, more than ever, losing a phone has become a pretty big deal, allowing highly personal data to fall into anyone’s hands.

Available for both Android and iPhone, tektrak basically empowers you to find your phone whether it was lost or stolen. Built-in location tracking and location history means you can find the device no matter where it is. Once in the vicinity of the phone, turn on the remote ring to pinpoint its exact hiding spot.

In the meantime, some might feel a little paranoid about all their data being available so readily, which is why tektrak also lets you remotely lock or even wipe the entire device.

Want to know how legit tektrak is? Following the most recent 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that rocked Japan on March 11, a family in Tokyo, Japan used the tektrak app to locate their daughter.

Anyone can try tektrak for free two times, but if you’re more hardcore in your mobile mishaps, you’ll need to cough up $4.99 per year for tektrak pro, which allows for unlimited uses.

The company is based in Los Angeles, which I guess is nice if you believe Shawn Colo when he says that startups there are much more likely to be profitable sooner. tektrak raised seed funding back in December.