I’ve been to many demo days at other accelerators, and 500 Startups is the most fun and festive. The theme for Batch 17’s demo day was Beauty and the Geek. (Many of the startups fit in the categories of beauty or B2B). 500 Startups co-founder Christine Tsai kicked it off by doing a dance dressed up as Napoleon Dynamite (these people know how to party). Not to be outdone, another 500 Startups co-founder, Dave McClure, wore a rainbow-colored unicorn wig as he spoke to the crowd.
You can view Demo Day in its entirety. With that said, I’ve highlighted eight startups that stood out in my mind in this article.
Startup Best at Catching My Attention
As I parked my car, I was approached by the Fuel Panda team that offered to fill my car up for $1.99 while my car was parked. How could I say no? Its business model is to offer a subscription service providing fuel trucks that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work.
Startup with Coolest Technology
Pair3D had the coolest technology. Its builds 3-D models of furniture, with an app that allows users to see what the furniture could look like in their home or office by using augmented reality on a smartphone or tablet. You can get a better sense of what the technology does in this video.
Startup with a Service I Would Buy for My Business
There were several business-to-business (B2B) startups at the demo day, but the startup that had a service I would probably buy is InDinero. InDinero consists of accounting software supported by bookkeepers and CPAs. I spoke to them at the demo table, and I found that the solution addresses my pain points as a startup. (I actually asked them to follow up with me.)
Startup That Could Become a Unicorn
Simless has created a product that replaces SIM cards with software. Honestly, I don’t know the advantages or disadvantages this offers, but there are a lot of cellphones (7 billion plus) out there. If this startup can execute and capture some of that market, I can see the potential of Simless becoming what the tech world calls a “unicorn” (with a valuation of more than $1 billion).
Startup with Weirdest Product Line
I did a double-take as COIEO CE, Jae Rhim Lee, who was dressed in a black-hooded burial suit (made from mushrooms) described her company’s green funeral product line. Definitely weird in my book. However, with death and taxes being the few certainties in life, they might be on to something.
Startup with the Best SWAG
Baby Mori touts itself as the world’s softest baby essentials. This startup also had the best SWAG at Demo Day. I shamelessly took the last boxed baby blanket (which was very soft, indeed) for my newly born nephew.
Startup for the Bay Area’s Housing Crunch
The biggest display at the demo day was from Montainer Homes. On display in the parking lot was one of its affordable homes made from recycled storage containers. They are currently targeting Bay Area homeowners that want to add a second house on their property (and rent it out on AirBnB).
Startup with a Product I Would Buy for My Kids
Jewelbots makes a smart programmable bracelets designed for kids in the 7- to 14-year-old age group. It’s something I can see my daughter using and, best of all, it teaches the basics of programming. I’m actually eyeing this for my daughter as a Christmas gift.
It remains to been seen how well the Batch 17 companies will. 500 Startups does have an excellent track record; producing three unicorn companies (valuation over $1 billion), 37 centaurs (valuation between $100 and $999 million), and more than 300 ponies (valuation between $10 and $99 million). Coming from such a pedigree, the future for the Batch 17 companies is bright.
If I piqued your interest in 500 Startups, it’s looking for applicants for Batch 19. Good candidates should have a:
- Balanced Team
- Product Launched
- Traction with Good Metrics
