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This weekend I spent a day with Rebecca Lovell (on right in photo) and a group of 60+ University of Washington Technology Management MBA students who were doing their final project prior to graduating – a venture capital investment competition. The Tech Management MBA is designed specifically for technology industry professionals and the venture capital competition (with Rebecca teaching) was a component added recently to give them some exposure to entrepreneurs in fund-raising mode and to give them a better understanding of the issues early stage tech investors consider. Although the students were only playing at being VCs, they did so with four real startups, giving the entrepreneurs a half day of practice pitching their companies and answering questions a potential investor might ask. UW TMMBA VCIC June 2012 TVA.jpg

The four companies that took time out of their busy startup schedules to present to the students were:

  • Relaborate, makers of software to simplify the process of creating quality content for business blogs;
  • SkyFu, with tools and data to assist a business with online reputation management;
  • Saltbox, creators of a sales force communication and learning application; and
  • Booktrope, with a book publishing model that offers more support than self-publishing.

Continue Reading UW Tech MBA Venture Capital Investment Competition

Had the chance to be a judge for the UW Business Plan Competition yesterday.  Some terrific companies.  Out of 104 entries, the initial screening team narrowed it down to 38 companies.  Those companies spent yesterday pitching to 280 “judges”, trying to convince each judge of the merits of their idea, their business plan and their ability to execute on their plan.  As judges, we had $1,000 of pretend money to “invest” in the companies.  The 16 companies who received the highest investment amounts now move on to the next round of the competition (plus two alternates).  There was a wide variety among the contestants – with medical device ideas, e-commerce, cleantech and a couple of potato-related companies (no kidding).2010 Winner Brown.jpg

Darien Brown, CEO of last year’s winner YongoPal, was in attendance and served as a judge (shown at right with Rob Salkowitz (left), writer and social technology consultant with MediaPlant, and this contributor, Megan Muir).

All of the advancing companies are listed after the break, together with a short description of their business plans.Continue Reading Seattle Startup Sweet 16 – UW Business Plan Competition