Cyber Security, EdTech and Ecommerce Among Top Industry Sectors Represented
Arjun Aggarwal, NEA and Mourad Yesayan, Paladin Capital Group Serve as Selection Co-Chairs
As part of MAVA’s ongoing commitment to foster seed and early-stage company growth, the latest group of 20 startup companies have been selected from a range of industry sectors to be showcased on stage at the final installment of MAVA’s year-long TechBUZZ program for 2016. Since the program was launched in 2011, TechBUZZ presenting companies have received more than $550M in aggregate disclosed funding, with many more investments and acquisitions made under undisclosed terms.
The TechBUZZ Fall program will provide an unparalleled opportunity for these 20 selected companies to share their company launch and fund-raising pitch, in a four-minute format, along with their demo with an audience of hundreds of business leaders, fellow innovators, experienced company-builders, corporate strategic partners, potential acquirers and active investors. The event will be held on November 2nd at the National Geographic Grosvenor Auditorium in downtown Washington, DC.
“By consistently presenting promising, fundable and market-ready business start-ups, TechBUZZ provides a uniquely independent platform and one of the most recognized of its kind in the country, attracting both promising tech and tech-enable companies, along with investors and collaborators who follow companies that have earned one of the coveted spots on the program to present at TechBUZZ,” said Julia Spicer, Executive Director, MAVA. “In addition to hitting the radars of potential investors, selected companies benefit from increased visibility and industry interest which helps to secure new customers, hire talent and garner important market mind-share.”
The fall line-up of companies represents some of the latest in emerging tech trends from education technology to healthcare data management to security solutions. Featured TechBUZZ presenting companies were selected because of their innovative technology, approach to a commerce or enterprise problem, or perhaps a new twist to a market maker’s approach, making TechBUZZ a nationally watched platform by industry and investors, from seed to later stage interests. Collectively the presenting companies provide a representative showing of industry start-ups and businesses being launched across a broad range of sectors including software, ecommerce, cyber, and many others.
Each of the startups chosen for the 20 formal presentation slots will take the stage for four minutes to describe their respective company, business vision, and product or service. Presenting companies were selected from a highly competitive pool of diverse startups by a review committee of more than 20 MAVA member investors and business advisors. The Review and Selection Committee for the TechBUZZ Fall edition was co-chaired by Mourad Yesayan, Principal, Paladin Capital Group and Arjun Aggarwal, Associate, NEA.
Ranging in development from nascent to seed stage, the startup companies presenting at TechBUZZ Fall reflect the strength of the East Coast as the birthplace of game-changing innovations. The 20 companies on stage for this edition of TechBUZZ represent startup communities across Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Washington, DC.
TechBUZZ is a uniquely independent platform followed regularly by industry and investors across the US and is recognized by business leaders across the country as one of the premier venues for credible early companies coming to market. Having showcased more than 280 competitively-selected companies in six years, the TechBUZZ program surfaces some of the latest industry trends to watch.
What Recent Presenting Companies Have to Say
Becoming a TechBUZZ company helped to put Agewell Biometrics’ name on the map in the Mid-Atlantic region. As an early stage company, the exposure and experience was invaluable. Joshua Wies, CEO, Agewell Biometrics (Summer 2016)
TechBUZZ is a great stage for entrepreneurs to learn and grow their ability to connect with strategic partners and investors. TechBUZZ provides an awesome and nurturing platform to refine the message and pitch for higher stakes. Gaurav Pal, CEO and Founder, stackArmor (Summer 2016)
TechBUZZ is a great pitch event, offering entrepreneurs terrific exposure to the local investment community. The pitch process forces you to work through the challenging – but extraordinarily helpful – process of distilling your message to its critical points. Oron Strauss, Chairman and Co-founder, Babel Health (Summer 2016)
Best organized start-up event with lots of investors, great energy and immediate results. Gene Eidelman, CEO and Co-Founder, GamePlan (Spring 2016)
The TechBUZZ Summer Presenting Companies Are:
| Company | Headquarters | Industry | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ataata | Arlington, VAataata.com | Security / Cyber | Ataata is the next generation security awareness platform for today’s workforce. As the antidote for human error, Ataata gives employees a compelling reason to care about security. Through interactive security awareness videos via a data-driven web and mobile platform, Ataata reduces risks, time, and costs associated with security breaches that result from human error. |
| BigSpool | Rockville, MDthebigspool.com | Consumer / Ecommerce | BigSpool is an ecommerce platform that consolidates marketplace gaps using big data and rapid manufacturing. Our data engine identifies what customers are searching for, but can’t find; our product development engine launches thousands of products to fill in gaps, and our market penetration engine ranks for underserved and long tail keywords. |
| Breezio | Rockville, MDbreezio.com | Software / SaaS (Online Community) | Breezio’s online community software helps foster and implement a strategy, culture, and operational tactics that create the experience of online collaboration with a purpose. |
| bThere | Tysons Corner, VAbthere.io | Software / SaaS | bThere is a virtual reality and 360 video management, streaming and editing platform. We are a mixed reality storytelling platform for videographers, agencies, studios, and brands. |
| Dark Cubed | Alexandria, VAdarkcubed.com | Security / Cyber | Dark Cubed is a cyber security product focused on helping companies monitor and protect their networks ‘cheaper, faster, and better’ than anything else available on the market today. Utilizing our real-time anonymous, information sharing network we can achieve significant economies of scale for real-time threat intelligence correlation and predictive analytics for companies of all sizes. |
| EdConnective | Richmond, VAedconnective.com | Education Technology | EdConnective is a staff outsourcing platform for K12 schools. Our virtual staff fills vital gaps for school leaders at a fraction of the cost of FTEs by providing principals with low cost access to world-class coaches. Through virtual coaching, we deliver up to 11 one-on-one observation and feedback sessions in just six weeks. Our virtual coaches review recorded lectures of the educator and virtually meet with them twice a week to give consistent feedback and specific recommendations for improvement on targeted skills. |
| ePurchasing Network, Inc. | Ashburn, VAepurchasingnetwork.com | Software / SaaS | ePurchasing Network (ePN) is the Market Network for Complex Equipment. Complex products have complex channels, and complex buyers. “Amazon doesn’t sell this Stuff!” ePN’s core competency is commercial equipment and is targeted to the undeserved mid-market companies. We provide B2B Marketplaces for Dealers and Product Information Management Solutions for Manufacturers. |
| Goodshuffle | Washington, DCgoodshuffle.com | Ecommerce (Special Events Rentals) | Goodshuffle is a transactional marketplace and platform for the events industry enabling consumers to get inspired, shop, and book rental supplies online. |
| Hill Top Security, Inc. | Herndon, VAhilltopsi.com | Security / Cyber | Hill Top Security provides customers with advanced security incident response capability with its Vaubon Incident Management and Response System. Vaubon correlates and enriches security events, providing on-the-fly business impact analysis to help security analysts prioritize resources to address security incidents. |
| lazy | Rockville, MDthelazycompany.com | HealthIT / HealthTech | Lazy offers a web service to help software vendors who sell to healthcare practices and hospitals offer quality reporting and submission using our quality measure library. |
| MARi LLC | Alexandria, VAwww. mari.com | Education Technology (K-14) | MARi is a Fitbit for school and career. It’s a personal learning platform that is eliminating the skills gap between what a student is getting in the education system and what employers are requiring in the workplace. |
| NormShield | McLean, VAnormshield.com | Security / Cyber | NormShield provides a cloud-based solution that continuously detects cyber threats & vulnerabilities, analyzes the risk levels and simplifies the remediation process. NormShield’s continuous vulnerability scanning and management technology prevents potential hacking attacks by enhancing the capabilities of IT security personnel and enabling them to continuously detect and fix vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. |
| PermitZone | Myrtle Beach, SCpermit.zone | Software / SaaS | PermitZone informs contractors if they need a construction permit and provides them the ability to pull a permit online, from anywhere. |
| PrepMagic | Rockville, MDprepmagic.com | Education Technology | Prepmagic is an interactive and experiential STEM education platform that offers a large and growing repository of interactive simulation-based resources that make science teaching and learning, both fun and engaging. Through its highly engaging and customizable simulations, Prepmagic helps students develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, using real-world connections to science. |
| Pype | Chantilly, VApype.io | Software / SaaS | Pype leverages technology and builds software for streamlining construction business processes. Our products automate construction business processes in a manner where productivity is realized in a few clicks within our software. |
| Shevirah Inc. | Herndon, VAshevirah.com | Mobile Security | Shevirah simulates what hackers are doing to the mobile targets so organizations can find their weaknesses before the hackers do. Shevirah’s software takes the successful models of penetration testing, continuous monitoring, and user awareness testing and extends it to the new computing paradigm of anywhere, anytime, mobility. |
| ShipLync | Columbia, MDshiplync.com | Software / SaaS (Logistics & Trading) | ShipLync is a platform for the logistics and trade industry. Leveraging a powerful two-sided digital business model, ShipLync enables SMBs and logistics service providers (“LSPs”) to come together in real-time on a single platform to transact at the most competitive prices. |
| Snag-A-Slip | Annapolis, MDsnagaslip.com | Software/ SaaS (Marine Service Technology) | Snag-A-Slip connects transient boaters through its cloud-based booking system to available slips and allows them to book online with no additional fee. A boater can go from Canada to the Caribbean booking with Snag-A-Slip. It’s the Hotels.com for boaters. |
| The Redkomodo, Inc. | Alexandria, VAhaveyouagreed.com | Software / SaaS (Consumer and Enterprise) | The Redkomodo is an enterprise and consumer software company that lets users attach time & date stamped digital media to their signed documents. |
| Vocoli | Boston, MAvocoli.com | Software/SaaS (Employee Communication) | Vocoli helps companies capture the voice and improve internal communications among employees and other stakeholders. We do this by fixing some tired, old-fashioned tools such as the suggestion box and employee surveys. Our digital ideation platform allows employees to suggest small ideas for improvement, and to easily direct those ideas to evaluators, as well as larger product innovation ideas. |
Piloted in Baltimore in 2010, TechBUZZ has become a year-long program providing a continuous platform for early stage companies by showcasing 16-20 companies at three events per year. Today TechBUZZ is one of MAVA’s annual flagship programs and routinely attracts between 300-400 attendees to each pitch event hosted at a variety of venues. TechBUZZ shines a well-deserved light on the visionary innovators and company-builders who are actively pursuing a path toward market entry, and can exhibit customer validation.
About MAVA: The Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) brings together company-builders from across the country and at every stage of development, providing a trusted public showcase to promote these enterprises, from promising startups to publicly-traded success stories. TechBUZZ in particular offers a public platform for community partners and their companies and helps shape a supportive ecosystem for the earliest of start-ups.
For 30 years, MAVA has served the full community of innovators, companies, corporate partners, private capital, suppliers, and key advisors needed to build successful businesses from start-up to exit. From venture to private equity, angel to growth equity, and family office to strategic corporates, MAVA brings together the full spectrum of capital and key resources necessary to accelerate the growth of companies across industry sectors and stages of development. MAVA provides a wide range of programs designed to stimulate revenue and company growth, create efficiencies for conducting business, facilitate quality deal flow, encourage collaboration and foster relationships among entrepreneurs, corporate decision makers, investors, strategic partners and customers.
- To join us as a partner, or to learn more about MAVA, MAVA’s members and the services and programs the association provides, visit www.mava.org
- For TechBUZZ Fall (November 2nd) Event Information & Registration: http://mava.org/programs/techbuzz/fall-2016/
- For Past TechBUZZ Companies, Keynotes and Statistics, visit: http://mava.org//techbuzz
