Credit: Photo: Mike Peters
Ralph Vacca, CEO of SeekChange delivers his presentation at TechLaunch's Demo Day.
Entrepreneurs Pitch their Start-ups at TechLaunch Demo Day
Nine teams of New Jersey entrepreneurs looking to stimulate interest and investment in their start-up tech companies introduced themselves and their products to an audience of business advisors, sponsors, investors, professors and technology experts at TechLaunch’s Demo Day at the Montclair State University Conference Center on September 19.
The culmination of a 16-week business development “boot camp” called LaunchPad, Demo Day gives each team a chance to pitch their company to potential investors, demonstrate their products and network with entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and technologists.
During LaunchPad, the budding entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to learn from seasoned pros and academics, improve their products and refine their business plans and pitches. Under the guidance of mentors and advisors, they get a crash course in product development, operations, and sales and marketing, as well as seed money of up to $25,000 from TechLaunch and The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Among the nine companies presenting at Demo Day were SeekChange, a personal wellness company; Inbox, a start-up that offers a “smarter messaging experience” for text messages; BeautyStat, which runs a retail website that gives consumers alerts of beauty product deals; and HAZARAI, which has developed an online portal into “the universe of all things geek and pop culture.”
The large turnout for the event was evidence of the success of the program, now in its second year. TechLaunch Founder and CEO Mario Casabono partnered with Montclair State when he began LaunchPad and has benefitted from the use of the University’s state-of-the-art facilities and its proximity to New York City, which he regards as the tech and investment hub of the East Coast.
For a complete list of the Demo Day companies and their products, go to Portfolio Companies.
Read media coverage of the event in The Record and NJBIZ.