The South by Southwest Interactive Festival announced on Friday the finalists, and alternatives for the seventh annual SXSW Accelerator competition presented by Oracle, March 14-15, during SXSW Interactive Festival’s Startup Village.
“The Accelerator competition brings together leading startups from around the world to present their innovations to a live audience and panel of experts that includes successful entrepreneurs, investors and industry influencers.
From the more than 500 applications received this year, 48 finalists and 18 alternatives were chosen across the following six technology categories: Enterprise and Smart Data, Entertainment and Content, Digital Health and Life Sciences, Innovative World, Social and Wearables.”
I took a look at the 48 finalists and 18 alternatives which I guess were runner ups to see what domain extension they were using.
Its interesting to look at the domain extensions that Startups are using because by nature startup being new companies have a huge variety of choices when it comes to domain names, and the general story is that all good .com’s are gone or very expensive to acquire on the aftermarket, yet I found of the 48 nominated and 18 Alternatives or out of 64 startups 51 are using a .com (one company had no site listed)
Out of the remaining 12 startups that were nominate or made it as an Alternative. not using a .com here is the break down:
.io 5
.co 3
.to 1
.jp 1
.us 1
.ch 1
This year’s SXSW Accelerator finalists are:
Enterprise and Smart Data Technologies
Crate.IO
Vorarlberg, Austria
Crate.IO has built a new breed of database to serve today’s mammoth data needs. Based on the familiar SQL syntax, Crate combines high availability, resiliency, and scalability in a distributed design that allows you to query mountains of data in real-time, not batches. Crate.IO is easy to scale and simple to use.Hypori
Austin, TX
Hypori is an enterprise software company providing Virtual Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) – accessible from Android and iOS devices. An enterprise can provide employees with virtual mobile devices running in the cloud – ensuring secure separation between personal and enterprise data for mobile users.Identified Technologies
Pittsburgh, PA
Identified Technologies provides visibility to the energy industry with scalable drones and dock stations. We deliver data hundreds of times faster and more frequently than previously possible. Identified works with industry-leading clients around the world.Kasisto
New York, NY
Kasisto enables enterprises to simplify and enhance their customers’ lives through customizable conversational virtual specialists that utilize artificial intelligence. Kasisto, an SRI International spinout, participated in Wells-Fargo’s startup accelerator and is the winner of the 2014 NYC FinTech Innovation Lab.
Loopd
San Francisco, CA
Loopd provides proximity marketing solutions that prove event ROI, deliver higher quality leads, gather accurate attendee profiles, optimize event marketing strategies, and enhance attendee engagement via three integrated components: a mobile app, hardware including wearable bi-directional beacons, and rich analytics.
Partpic
Atlanta, GA
Partpic is an enterprise visual search solution used to identify replacement parts. Simply snap a picture using your mobile device and let our technology identify the part and facilitate the purchase.
Sapho
San Francisco, CA
Sapho enables enterprises to effortlessly build and deploy secure mobile apps that seamlessly integrate with existing on-premise and cloud-based IT infrastructure. Employees benefit from timely and actionable information on their mobile devices delivered by push notifications and personalized activity streams.
Trendalytics
New York, NY
Trendalytics reveals actionable insights for the $300b+ fashion industry by measuring what resonates with consumers. Trendalytics is the first analytics platform synthesizing social, search and market data to measure trend lifecycles, optimizing decisions around product assortments, regional allocation and timing.
ALTERNATES
Common Form
San Diego, CA
Common Form was founded by former TurboTax employees who realized existing tax software was overly complex and packed with marketing gimmicks and sneaky pricing. Our product solves for simple filers, which make up 2/3 of the market.
GeneStamp
Menlo Park, CA
GeneStamp is a comprehensive food analytics platform that builds consumer loyalty through label credibility. By giving consumers unprecedented transparency into the molecular contents of their food, retailers can differentiate their brands on quality.
Graph Story
Memphis, TN
Graph Story offers fast, secure and affordable access to graph database-as-a-service. Connect through your own app servers or through our add-ons with platforms such as Heroku instantly and scale simply as your app demands.
Entertainment and Content Technologies
FINALISTS
AirDog
Riga, Latvia
AirDog is a foldable drone designed for autonomous video shooting in action sports. The AirDog will capture your movements without any third party assistance allowing you to focus on the action.
Cloudstitch
Cambridge, MA
Cloudstitch makes programming and databases unnecessary for creating powerful interactive data-driven websites. Using our open source platform, based on research from MIT, anyone with basic HTML knowledge can create interactive web and mobile apps themselves.
Flixfindr
San Francisco, CA
Flixfindr delights users with a simple way to discover and watch media across dozens of streaming sources. Results are tailored based on personal taste making it fun and easy to share cinematic content with friends and follow important figures.
Inmobly
Columbus, OH
Inmobly is defining the future of mobile video delivery. Through patented predictive analytics, we’re proactively caching the right videos at the right time and to the right people. No waiting, no buffering, anytime, anywhere. Mobile video as it was intended.
Pixbi
New York, NY
Pixbi enables consumers to discover products within any image, anywhere. Beginning with digital and print publications, Pixbi is changing the way people read and shop by allowing consumers to view, save, share and purchase products from images instantly.
SIX
Tokyo Japan
Our Lyric Speaker invites you to a step forward in visual audio experience. SIX is a creative agency producing innovating ideas. As a keyword, update the societal and cultural value.
Weezic
Paris, France
Music practice has not switched to digital yet. Weezic aims at becoming the main interactive music practice platform. Musicians can now use breakthrough web-based tools to practice, with content being “augmented” online and pushed by publishers, composers and teachers.
Zype
New York, NY
Zype is a cloud-based video technology service for premium video content owners to build, scale and manage direct-to-consumer streaming destinations. Zype makes it easy to deliver branded mobile, set-top, and web apps to viewers everywhere.
ALTERNATES
LyteShot
Chicago, IL
LyteShot has developed a sensor-based mobile gaming platform that digitally connects physical play via the cloud using a player’s smartphone or heads up display (HUD). LyteShot takes the latest consumer technology to get gaming out of the living room and into the real world by digitally connecting physical gaming anywhere.
MakersKit
Los Angeles, CA
Get down and dirty with MakersKit. Expert Makers Mike Stone and Jawn McQuade turn you into a maker with DIY project kits paired with entertaining video guides. Learn a new skill in under five minutes!
MediaHound
El Segundo, CA
Powered by The Entertainment Graph, a powerful graph database that catalogs, organizes, and draws meaningful connections between all of the world’s entertainment, MediaHound simplifies the sharing, discovery and consumption of all music, books, games, film and television.
Digital Health and Life Sciences Technologies
FINALISTS
Accel Diagnostics
Pittsburgh, PA
Accel Diagnostics has developed proprietary smart phone enabled blood diagnostic platforms that enable people to self-test and monitor their health conditions, anytime, anywhere – empowering the transformation from a hospital to patient-centered care.
BioBots.io
Philadelphia, PA
20 Years from now, patients with organ failures are going to be able to receive custom replacement organs built on 3D bioprinters and constructed out of their own cells. We allow people to print living tissue and build with life.
Eko Devices
Berkeley, CA
Eko Devices is introducing the world’s most intelligent stethoscope – Eko. After simply connecting Eko’s digital attachment to their analog stethoscopes, clinicians will be able to securely record, share, and analyze patient heart sounds from the convenience of any smart device.
Litesprite
Bellevue WA
Litesprite builds games to help people manage chronic health conditions like stress, anxiety/depression, cancer, or diabetes. We collect data from our games, phones, and biosensors, and provide predictive recommendations to patients, their support networks, clinicians, and health organizations.
MobileOCT
Tel Aviv, Israel
MobileOCT uses mobile phones to detect cancer. It’s first product is the mobile colposcope, a smartphone based device used by health workers in low resource settings to identify cervical cancer, a global health priority that requires upwards of 700 million screenings per year.
Smart Temperature Patch
Sherman Oaks, CA
Smart Temperature Patch is the thermometer reinvented for the 21st century. The STEMP sensor, medical-grade adhesives, and smartphone apps work together seamlessly to provide immediate, accurate, continuous body temperature measurement. Think of it as the thermometer meets the band-aid.
Tinnitracks
Hamburg, Germany
Tinnitracks is a multi-awarded audiology technology offering a tinnitus treatment based on clinical trials. Developed by German-based Sonormed, the solution transforms everyday music into a targeted neuroacoustic treatment for tinnitus patients. Come and see the new mobile solution!
Tute Genomics
Salt Lake City, UT
Tute Genomics is a cloud-based software platform for healthcare that enables Predictive, Preventive, and Precision medicine through genomics, using machine learning to quickly go from DNA to diagnosis and discovery.
ALTERNATES
Big Health
San Francisco, CA
Delivering personalized behavioral medicine via web and mobile to the highest standards of clinical evidence. Big Health’s products include Sleepio, the digital sleep improvement program clinically proven to help overcome even long-term poor sleep without pills.
Gobiquity Aliso Viejo, CA
Gobiquity Mobile Health brings innovative specialty diagnostics to primary care providers, allowing them to acquire clinically significant data and improve clinical decision-making. Gobiquity’s products are focused on data driven preventative care and are built on a transformative mobile platform, broadly deployable at a low cost.
Stride Health
San Francisco, CA
Stride Health is the first health insurance recommendation engine. Using Stride Health, Americans can accurately forecast annual medical expenses in a few minutes and a dozen clicks. Stride also filters a plan recommendation with preferred doctors, prescription drugs, and clinical efficacy of doctors included.
Innovative World Technologies
FINALISTS
CreoPop
The Central, Singapore
CreoPop is an innovative 3D drawing pen with a large selection of cool inks including different colors, elastic ink, magnetic ink, glow-in-the-dark ink, temperature sensitive ink, conductive ink and body paint ink.
GroundFloor
Atlanta, GA
Groundfloor is the first microlending community for real estate. Together we back independent builders with secured loans that pay 6-26% annually. Founded by Brian Dally and Nick Bhargava, Groundfloor is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ledger Wallet
Paris, France
Ledger is bringing the best of the smartcard industry to the Bitcoin world. The Ledger Wallet is a simple and affordable way to store and use your bitcoins with maximum security.
ProtonMail
Geneva, Switzerland
ProtonMail is building the secure online communications platforms of the future, starting with email. We believe that privacy matters, and we are developing the tools to allow anyone to reclaim their digital privacy.
RapidSOS
Cambridge, MA
RapidSOS replaces our 1960 emergency communication infrastructure with a suite of advanced technologies. From One-Touch-911 which provides first responders with a host of advanced data in seconds to geolocalized mass notification and predictive analytics—RapidSOS is transforming emergency communication.
SLANTRANGE
San Diego, CA
SLANTRANGE makes farming more productive. Our sensors and analytics tools provide new insights on crop health for improving yields while reducing costs, uncertainty, and global environmental impacts. SLANTRANGE is the intelligence system for the low-cost agricultural drone.
SmartyPans
Oakland, CA
SmartyPans is a smart cooking pan that connects to our recipe app and gives step-by-step cooking instructions. The pan has three sensors that measure weight, temperature and humidity which the app uses to alter instructions based on your cooking environment.
ZUtA Labs
Los Angeles, CA
At ZUtA Labs, we invented the first robotic Pocket Printer.
This unique handheld printer moves across the paper and prints as it rolls across the page. This allows the small printer to work on any size and type paper.
ALTERNATES
AnchorID
Kingston, NY
Anchor ID sells an enterprise-grade smartphone app, which allows any sized enterprise to easily authenticate user access to websites and mobile apps. Our login process has fewer steps, provides better security, and utilizes biometrics, geo-fencing and more for multi-factor authentication.
ThinkVoting
Austin, TX
ThinkVoting is working with leading civic organizations to bring mobile technology to the democratic process. Our platform connects voters and candidates, and revolutionizes how citizens interact in a 21st century democracy.
Final
Mountain View, CA
Final is issuing a credit card that gives consumers total control over their merchant relationships. Rather than a single, static 16-digit card number, Final generates multiple card numbers the consumer can restrict, and manages them automatically.
Social Technologies
FINALISTS
Cooler
Venice, CA
There’s a fundamental problem between social media and television: social media is about discussing it now, TV’s about watching it whenever. Cooler resolves this crisis by re-sequencing your social feeds, eliminating spoilers and making social media safe for TV again.
Peepsqueeze
Austin, TX
Unite everyone’s videos into one video with our app. Record your video, designate a recipient and delivery date – then, invite your friends to join you with their own videos. Peepsqueeze unites them all into one seamless, downloadable video.
Platypus TV
Camillus, NY
Platypus TV is a second screen social experience for television audiences. Through the smartphone app users can play friend and community conversations that are timed to episodes. No matter when users watch, relevant conversation and audiences are always available.
Polsie
Nuevo León, Mexico
Polsie is a fast way of creating an online store regardless of its size. The platform is fed by Instagram and based on a trigger action ecosystem that allows you to go from none too full in a few minutes.
RealSavvy
Austin, TX
RealSavvy is Pinterest for Real Estate. Consumers pin homes to boards they share to help organize their online home search. Agents get a CRM built to simplify client collaboration.
Reveal Chat
Seattle, WA
Reveal is an anonymous chat app that lets you build rich, one-on-one relationships with people next door or around the globe.
Verie
Chicago, IL
Verie, LLC began in 2014 with the idea to turn a user’s smartphone into a virtual online ID card. Verie will create a secure social network of ID-verified individuals, interacting confidently with one another and with our Enterprise Customers.
Vhoto
Seattle, WA
Vhoto is an iOS app that allows you to record create and share amazing video highlights. Vhoto uses machine learning and computer vision technology to quickly find the best images and clips all from the palm of your hand.
ALTERNATES
Artifact Technologies
Seattle, WA
Artifact Technologies is a Seattle-based software development company specializing in location-based technologies. A pioneer in content-rich beacon programming and integration, Artifact Technologies partners with events, attractions and entertainment/education industry leaders to build world-class experiences on the company’s proprietary Mixby platform.
Shout
New York, NY
Shout is a place where any passionate group can build their own marketplace. We call them streams and each stream is led by a moderator. Moderators receive a percentage of each transaction processed in their marketplace. Imagine eBay meets Reddit.
Weaver
Round Rock, TX
With just a few quick taps, Weaver creates beautifully illustrated cards to add context to your conversation. Weaver is ideal for platforms where you are on-the-go so you can share moments without leaving them.
Wearable Technologies
FINALISTS
embr labs
Cambridge, MA
At embr labs, we believe thermal is personal and are on a mission to return temperature control to the individual. Our first product, Wristify, lets people make themselves comfortable by providing heating or cooling, anytime and anywhere.
Feetz
Chattanooga, TN
Feetz provides custom fit shoes with our patented SizeMeTM technology solution. Take photos of your feet, design your shoes, we’ll 3D print them with custom materials, and deliver them to your door within 7 days.
FitBark
Kansas City, MO
FitBark is a beautiful activity monitor that helps you better understand your dog’s health and behavior. The rich data sets we seamlessly generate help veterinarians, animal pharmas, food and insurance companies better target or validate their products and services.
Kohana
Canton, MA
Kohana is developing the Gala Pump, a first-in-class compression breast pump. Our innovative design uses simple inflatable bladders to compress the breast, simulating the age-old art of hand expression. The Gala Pump is a more natural, discreet and efficient product than the vacuum breast pumps currently on the market.
SolePower
Pittsburgh, PA
SolePower is turning you into your own power source with their EnSoles: energy harvesting insoles that charge your mobile devices using your footsteps. Every step you take is a step closer to a full battery!
Spire
San Francisco, CA
Spire is the only wearable to track movement and state-of-mind throughout the entire day. By measuring breathing patterns, Spire brings awareness to levels of focus, tension and calm, prompting users to modify behavior in real time to achieve their goals.
Tinitell
Stockholm, Sweden
Tinitell is a wristphone and GPS-tracker for kids. It’s durable, water-resistant and designed in Sweden. Our mission is to enable outside play with a connected device. Tinitell is a back to basics phone for kids that like to play outside!
Waverly Labs
New York, NY
Waverly Labs is developing a smart earpiece for the connected professional, designed as a personal assistant, advanced communication tool for groups and teams, and a universal language translation device.
ALTERNATES
Moonlab
New York, NY
Softspot by Moonlab. We engineer soft wearable technology. It is a patent pending, networked, sensing and actuating fabric patch that can be integrated into any textile-based product. It is controlled with a mobile APP.
ShotTracker
Overland Park, KS
ShotTracker is a wearable device that measures basketball players’ performance. The wristband or compression sleeve sensor, net sensor and app work together via BLE to track shot attempts, location, makes and misses.
WiActs
Sunnyvale, CA
WiActs offers a stylish multifactor authentication wearable device (in a form of a ring) that provides unique authentication credentials for the bearer. This local authentication solution extremely enhances security while improving user experience and respecting users’ privacy.
KC says
Surprisingly this is also true when you read Techcrunch’s Startup page about startups outside the US. The majority prefer .com. My speculation is that Internet enables even small companies to go global easily (remember the story of Line in Japan?), and .com means global.