A Match.com for startups, PitchCastr seeks to connect investors with entrepreneurs

WRITTEN BY TIM SAMPSON, NEWSCASTIC 

Rejection is hard enough in the business world. But do you really need to fly across the country just to be told “no?”

The folks at ThinkBigPartners.com don’t think so, and they’re poised to soft launch a new service at South By Southwest this year aimed at cutting out the time startups waste courting the wrong investors while making it easier to connect with the right ones.

“It’s a frustrating process,” said Herb Sih, co-founder and managing partner of Think Big. “We watch a lot of our entrepreneurs spend money to get on a plane, fly across the country to meet with investors who may not even be interested in what they have to say, just to get a rejection. There has to be a better way.”

Sih and his partners hope they’ve found a better way in the form of PitchCastr. Something of a Match.com for start-ups and venture capitalist, the site lets financial backers browse through a catalogue of pitch videos posted by nascent business owners looking to secure capital.

Online for nearly a month now, the Kansas City-based entrepreneurial incubator hopes PitchCastr can break away from the pack at SXSW Interactive this week in Austin, Texas. The key to doing this, Sih said, is to distinguish the new service from similar funding-based operations like Kickstarter.

“The scope is a lot bigger than Kickstarter,” Sih said. “We’re not just looking to raise funds for our entrepreneurs. We want to connect them with serious investors who will make a commitment.”

The promise of PitchCastr is two-fold. It’s designed to let entrepreneurs cast the widest possible net for funding, while simultaneously helping investors sort through just the pitches that interest them.

Start-ups post a brief video pitch online (no more than 10 minutes). From there, financiers look through and select the ones that pique their interest. If enough investors show interest in the same idea, the entrepreneurs can then schedule a live “demo day” in which they can teleconference with all the interested backers simultaneously.

“I think this is going to cut down on a lot of travel time and a lot of wasted time,” Sih said.

PitchCastr is a logical extension for Think Big, a company that prides itself on moving startups quickly from the incubator stage to financial self-sufficiency. The National Business Incubation Association reports that most startups spend an average of 33 months in a business incubator or accelerator firm.

But from its inception in 2010, Think Big has been focused on revving up the process. Based out of a 20,000 sq. ft. office in downtown Kansas City, the firm has already served nearly 400 clients, with an emphasis on establishing revenue streams within 90 days.

“On average, start-ups are spending 2-3 years inside incubators,” Sih said. “That may have been fine at one time. But in the tech world, your market could be gone in 2-3 years.”

In addition to helping investors, Think Big is also helping to boost the profile of Sih’s hometown of Kansas City as a hotbed for technology startups. Though it may seem like an unlikely location, Kansas City has been integral in nearly doubling the number of start-ups in the Midwest, according to Venture51. The town was also chosen as one of the pilot cities for Google’s fiber optic program because of all the startup activity. Think Big also partnered with the city’s chamber of commerce last year to host its first startup conference. PitchCastr is a Microsoft Bizspark company, using the Windows Azure platform.

“There’s more going on here than people might realize,” Sih said. “And in this day and age, it’s easy to connect and start a tech company from just about anywhere.”

And with the arrival of PitchCaster [sic], that’s just the point that Sih and his partners are hoping to make.

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark providing Software, Support, and Visibility to Software Startups. Visit microsoft.com/bizspark for more information.

Read the original story: http://www.newscastic.com/news/a-match-com-for-startups-pitchcastr-seeks-to-connect-investors-with-entrepreneurs-227168/ 

Follow PitchCastr: @PitchCastrTips 

Sign Up for The Windows Startup Challenge, Deadline January 29th

Do you have an innovative app idea? If so, entrepreneurs, startup and developers who use build on Windows 8 tablets, laptop and PCs are encouraged to register for The Windows Startup Challenge by the January 29, 2013 deadline!  Only 1 week left to apply!  

So what do you get if you win?

Up for grabs is the chance to launch your startup on stage at DEMO Mobile on April 17, 2013 and gain immediate visibility to top press outlets, seed and VC companies in attendance. Also, if you qualify, you are eligible to win scholarship money. To be eligible for scholarships, participants need to register before January 29, 2013 and submit a 2-minute app demo video or relevant screen shots.

The challenge will test your startup’s ability to prototype a Windows Store app, rapidly iterate to design and bring your app to life. Judging will consist of two rounds. The first will conclude on February 5, where prototype entries will be judged. From there a minimum of 20 teams will enter the second round, known as the app design and development round. During this round the top 20 teams will receive an engineer and design resource to help support the team for round two.

The top 5 teams from round two will receive their own marketing package which includes banners, marketing and PR support. One grand prize winning team will receive a trip for two to San Francisco to present and launch their company at DEMO Mobile. 

Full contest guidelines are available here. Don’t miss this opportunity to launch your startup and gain immediate traction while doing so! 

Think Big Partners Hosts Two Startup Events During Kansas City’s Global Entrepreneurship Week

KANSAS CITY, MO—November 7, 2012—Kansas City-based startup accelerator and business incubator Think Big Partners has teamed up with Microsoft Windows 8, Startup Weekend and Global Entrepreneurship Week to host two entrepreneurial events on November 16, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. Think Big Partners’ two events taking place during Global Entrepreneurship Week feature networking opportunities for startup entrepreneurs as well as a chance to learn how to use Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8.

Think Big Partners first Global Entrepreneurship Week event is Startup Waffles, a popular breakfast networking event open to all attendees of Global Entrepreneurship Week and Startup Weekend. The event is free (requires registration) and will be hosted by Think Big Partners at the bizperc coworking space (1800 Baltimore Avenue, 6^th floor, Kansas City, MO 64108). Startup Waffles starts at 7:30am on Friday, November 16 and lasts until 9:30am.

“In the past, Startup Waffles has always had a great turn out,” says Sarah Snyder, Think Big Partners meeting planner and event manager.  “It’s an event that Kansas City entrepreneurs look forward to because it’s an outstanding networking opportunity.  We look forward to bringing together KC’s most well-connected entrepreneurs during Global Entrepreneurship Week.” 

Following Startup Waffles, Think Big Partners will host Microsoft Windows 8 Kansas City Bootcamp on the 6^th floor of the bizperc loft space.  Led by Microsoft startup evangelist Taylor Cowan, the technology-focused bootcamp will concentrate on educating attendees on how to effectively utilize and build on the new, highly-regarded Windows 8 platform.  The free event is open to Global Entrepreneurship Week attendees as well as the Kansas City startup and entrepreneurship communities. Though it is free to attend, space is extremely limited and registration is required. Midwest-based developers, entrepreneurs and startups interested in learning more about the highly-regarded Windows 8 platform are encouraged to attend.

Starting at 10:00am on Friday, November 16, startup evangelist Taylor Cowan will give a presentation that will highlight how to navigate Windows 8, the user-experience patterns, the inherent async design and integration features.  In addition to great learning opportunities during the Microsoft event, attendees will also receive access to Microsoft BizSpark accounts for free as well as access to Microsoft software.  Attendees will also have hands-on access to demonstrate and intact with four touch devices loaded with Windows 8, including two of the brand new Microsoft Surface tablets and two Microsoft slates.

In addition to the bootcamp portion of the event, attendees will have the chance to speak with Taylor Cowan about both Windows 8 and Azure during private office hours from 2:00pm-4:00pm on Friday, November 16. 

Potentially interested attendees are encouraged to sign up for both events as space is limited and is expected to fill up quickly.  To learn more about Startup Waffles, Microsoft Windows 8 Kansas City Bootcamp and other Global Entrepreneurship Week events, please visit KCSourceLink’s GEW Calendar of Events. 

Think Big & Microsoft Reveal Windows 8 & Azure Cloud to KC Developers

This week, Think Big Partners and Microsoft hosted a 3-day event to introduce Kansas City developers, founders and entrepreneurs to the world of Windows 8 and Azure Cloud.  The event, known as Azure Cloud & Windows 8 App Kickstarts, gave Midwest entrepreneurs a first-look some of Microsoft's newest products and services.  According to attendees, the takeaways from the event were extremely beneficial...especially for those who want to learn how to develop on the new Windows 8 platform (there were even Apple fans raving about the new Windows 8!).

Check out some of the pictures from our Microsoft event!

The event kicked off with a Monday night Happy Hour. 

On day 2, developers were welcomed into the world of Windows 8.

Midwestern developers & entrepreneurs learning the ins-and-outs of Windows 8.

Attendees were asked to bring laptops for an interactive experience.  

Microsoft <3s Startups (and vice versa).

Azure Cloud & Windows 8 App Kickstarts will conclude today with private office hours with Taylor Cowan, Microsoft's director of startups.  Attendees are invited to schedule a complimentary one-on-one question-and-answer session with Taylor to learn more about how Windows 8, Azure and BizSpark can maximize their businesses.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Think Big and Microsoft BizSpark Offer Startups $60,000 in Cloud Services on Windows Azure

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Think Big Partners, a technology-focused startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative coworking space for entrepreneurs, and Microsoft BizSpark Plus have collaborated to offer startups $60,000 in cloud services on the new Windows Azure program.

BizSpark Plus is an extension of the Microsoft BizSpark program, designed to accelerate the success of startups around the world. The program works through select incubators and accelerators such as Think Big Partners to provide value-added products and services to high-potential startups. The BizSpark Plus package will provide startups up to $60,000 of compute and storage per startup for up to two years.

Microsoft BizSpark has selected Think Big Partners among 40 other incubators and accelerators to become a part of its BizSpark Plus Partners global network and will provide exceptional Microsoft offers to the high-growth startups undergoing the Think Big accelerator process. The 40 accelerators and incubators involved in this program have been chosen by Microsoft based on their ability to attract and work with world-class startups. Over time, Microsoft plans to extend additional offers to startups through the BizSpark Plus Partners.

"We are excited about this opportunity," said Herb Sih, Co-Founder of Think Big Partners. "Microsoft BizSpark is a valuable and proven technology solution for entrepreneurs and startups when they need it most. In addition, BizSpark Plus has given Think Big Partners the opportunity to be faster and smarter when it comes to building profitable companies."

Think Big Partners has worked with high-growth tech startups from across the nation that use cloud computing services. According to TechStars, cloud applications are driving the new startup ecosystem and provide startups the ability to drive user adoption, scale their businesses and generate financial returns faster than ever before. Windows Azure will offer a simple and powerful platform for the creation of Web applications and services.

By providing Windows Azure, Microsoft and Think Big Partners hope to help startups grow their businesses by offsetting cloud computing costs so that they can focus their efforts on other business challenges including research, development, investment and promotion. For more information about the BizSpark Plus program, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/plus.

Follow Think Big! @thinkbigKC

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Microsoft Strengthens Kansas City Entrepreneurship and The Gigabit Challenge

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
Every so often, a product comes along that completely changes the face of entrepreneurship.  In our opinion, Microsoft BizpSpark is this product.  Microsoft BizSpark is a global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players (including investors) and providing marketing visibility to help entrepreneurs start a business.  Without a doubt, it's products like these from companies like Microsoft that are improving the startup world and enabling entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams.  


But Microsoft has gotten involved with entrepreneurship specifically in Kansas City as well.  As a partner for The Gigabit Challenge, Microsoft has offered much more to the entrepreneurial environment in KC.  In fact, Microsoft's own Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Design Startup Director and Advisor Chris Bernard has joined the judging panel and has helped to determine the top 19 Finalists to compete in the Finale event on January 18, 2012. 


With the Microsoft partnership, The Gigabit Challenge is better and stronger than ever before.  The global business plan competition is set on impacting the nation in a positive way and bringing more entrepreneurial ideas and aspirations to the Kansas City area.  Microsoft is helping The Gigabit Challenge do just that. 


A huge thanks to Microsoft for partnering for The Gigabit Challenge.  To read a full list of our partners, please visit http://www.gigabitchallenge.com.


Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC    #GBFinale