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06/10/14 | Uncategorized

A Look at Past PITCH Winners: Could You Be the Next to Win Our Startup Competition?

Applications are now open for the next Women 2.0 PITCH competition. Check out who’s competed — and won — in the past.

By Jordan Hunter (Editorial Intern, Women 2.0)

Women 2.0’s Fall “How To” Conference is coming to San Francisco September 30 and October 1, which means it is time to gear up for our PITCH competition.

Get inspired by female-founded companies who have been coming out on top at our PITCH competition since 2007. They range from women who invented products designed for doctors to websites that make parents’ lives easier.

We’ve also linked to their Twitter accounts so you can find them and follow them easily online (and maybe DM them for a few tips on how to shape up your application).

Here’s a bit about the startups and founders who won PITCH competitions at our previous conferences. Note: At the time of the competition all of these companies had a female founder. 

San Francisco 2007

1. Judge’s Pick: Laser-Seal, Bahman Guyuron, MD, FACS

Laser-Seal is a product designed to reduce patient discomfort after specific surgeries where the area is difficult to cover. Laser-Seal is a gel dressing that can be formed to wounds to provide protection to the area. It was designed by Bahman Guyuron, MD, FACS, a certified plastic surgeon. Doctors have been using Laser-Seal since early 2004.

San Francisco 2008

*2. Judge’s Pick: Koollage, Mythili Sankaran

Koollage is an online service that allows users to find, create, package and share “pods” among friends by mashing up information into shareable packages on demand. Pods can contain web pages, images, videos, etc. and they can be public or private. Koollage was founded in 2007.

3. People’s Choice: Gaiagy, Margot Eiran

Gaiagy, which was renamed HomeEnergySaver in 2012, is a website with a large selection of eco-friendly home appliances. The products are designed to conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help you save on your utility bills.

4. Web Choice: WebVet, Bill Zaccheo and Hope Schultz

@WebVet_com

WebVet is an online resource for pet owners to assist in providing pet wellness information; think WebMD for humans. The site provides articles, blog posts and downloadable PDF files that are all accessible to users. WebVet launched in 2008.

San Francisco 2009

5. Judge’s Pick/People’s Choice: LumaMed, Mark Samuels

LumaMed, once known as Lumaderm, was founded as a virtual company and developed a business plan to provide healthcare to patients at a distance, otherwise known as telemedicine. Their focus was skin cancer, but now has shifted to breast cancer after receiving clinical results. LumaMed’s mission is to provide a tool to make it easier for surgeons to see the separation in diseased and healthy tissue. The medtech company was founded in 2009.

San Francisco 2010

6. Judge’s Pick: BioLumber, Kristin Kaune

BioLumber is a manufacturing and sales company that produces structural grade plastic lumber with the goal of trying to make the construction of buildings more environmentally responsible. BioLumber was invented in 2002, but the company restarted in 2009.

*7. Web Choice: Apply in the Sky, Emily Chiu and Chiara Piccinotti

@ApplyintheSky

Apply in the Sky is a web platform that simplifies and provides solutions to the MBA admissions process. Their tools are designed to help applicants stay organized and save time. Apply in the Sky was launched in 2009.

New York City 2012

8. Judges Pick: NewlyWish, Amanda Allen and Robard Williams

@NewlyWish

NewlyWish is a one-stop online wedding registry and gifting service. Couples canregister on the site, which partners with small, independent retailers making it simple for friends and family to view your entire registry in one place. NewlyWish was founded in 2010 by a bride who felt her options for registries were limited to larger retailers.

9. People’s Choice: ActivityHero, Shilpa Dalmia and Peggy Chang

@ActivityHero

ActivityHero is a website designed to help parents keep their kids active. Parents can search different camps and classes. The site lists all the information about those activities and allows them to register for them in minutes. Activity Hero was founded in 2011 by moms who were frustrated trying to find different activities to keep their kids busy.

San Francisco 2013

10. Judge’s Pick: Angaza Design, Lesley Marincola

@angazadesign

Angaza Design is a platform that creates and sells high-quality solar powered energy devices. The company aims to target the off-grid world with much of their business in Africa. To pay for these products, Angaza Design offers a pay-as-you-go system in places where it is too expensive to pay for solar energy. Angaza Design was founded in 2010.

11. People’s Choice: Bia Sport, Cheryl Kellond

@biasport

Bia Sport is a GPS watch designed for women. It was Kickstarter funded in 2012 and the product was released earlier this year. While you’re running, the watch displays your current pace, distance and time. The watch tracks your route and has an SOS safety alert system if you’re running solo. When pushed, it text a friend or family member a message for help and your location.

Las Vegas 2013

12. Judge’s Pick: AbbeyPost, Cynthia Schames

@abbey_post

AbbeyPost is an online shop focused on selling clothing that will empower plus-sized women. Each dress on the website can be made specifically to the woman’s measurements and will be delivered to her doorstep in a few weeks. Founder Cynthia Schames described her frustration with not finding fashionable clothing for her size and shape and as a result got the idea for AbbeyPost. AbbeyPost was founded in 2012.

13. People’s Choice: Traveling Spoon, Aashi Vel and Steph Lawrence

@TravelingSpoons

Traveling Spoon is a company that offers in-home dining experiences to global travelers. Currently in 31 cities, travelers can go to a local’s home and enjoy a home-cooked meal to experience local cuisine. Traveling Spoon was founded in 2011.

San Francisco 2014

14. Judge’s Pick: SupportPay, Sheri Atwood

@SupportPayApp

SupportPay is a child support payment platform that allows different types of families to share child expenses in an easy, organized way. Whether you are separated, divorced or a blended family, you can keep track of child support expenses and set up automated payments that make family life easier.

15. People’s Choice: Pretty Padded Room, Bea Arthur

@PrettyPaddedRm

Pretty Padded Room is a web resource for women seeking digital therapy sessions. The all-female team allows clients to fill out a digital diary or consult via video chat, whichever they prefer on their own time. Pretty Padded Room was founded in 2011 after Bea Arthur, the founder and CEO, found it difficult to find a therapist who suited her needs.

About PITCH: PITCH is a bi-annual competition where startups get a chance to pitch their ideas and innovations in front of top investors. We choose 10 finalists from our applicants, each finalist gets 10 minutes onstage and there is a brief Q&A between the finalist and the judges. At the end of the conference, two winners are announced: the overall PITCH winner and the People’s Choice Award, chosen by the audience. Sound exciting? Apply today!

*These startups are now inactive.

Register for the Women 2.0 Fall “How To” Conference today! Get your tickets now.

 

 

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