Another year, another MassChallenge class. The sophomore edition of the startup accelerator and $1 million business plan competition did not disappoint. Nor did the final event of the program. Tonight was the big awards gala, held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in South Boston—a cavernous and sprawling, impersonal space—but it did the job.
I’ll have more on the ceremony tomorrow. But in the meantime, here’s the news from the evening:
Three of the MassChallenge finalist teams won $100,000 each. They are:
—Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company working on new treatments for blindness
—Sanergy, a green tech company developing sanitation services for urban slums
—Tinfoil Security, a startup working on Web security software for small businesses
And 14 teams won $50,000 each:
—Artaic, a custom tile mosaic company
—ArtVenue, a marketplace that connects artists with local businesses
—Casa Couture, which makes shoes for pregnant women
—Cocomama Foods, a gluten-free food brand
—Drync, a wine search and ordering service
—EverTrue, a startup that connects schools and organizations with donors
—Her Campus Media, an online magazine and marketing firm targeting college women
—Invup, which makes a Web platform for managing volunteer and donation programs
—Lynx Sportswear, which makes better-fitting sports bras
—Resolute Marine Energy, a seawater desalination company
—SmarterShade, a window-darkening tech company
—SocMetrics, a Web startup that helps businesses engage key influencers
—Therapeutic Systems, a company developing a sensory vest for autistic kids
—UberSense, which makes video software to analyze sports techniques
Rounding out the field of 26 final startups:
—ARO Medical, which makes an implantable brace for back surgery patients
—Bioarray Therapeutics, a cancer diagnostics company
—Circumventive, a stealthy security tech startup
—Driveway, which connects drivers with auto insurance providers
—Finalta, a company specializing in software for institutional asset managers
—PK Clean, a plastic waste-to-energy company
—Privy, a Web marketing platform for local merchants
—Pintley, a beer website and app for brewers and consumers
—The Tap Lab, a mobile location-based game startup.
Congratulations to all the finalists and participants, whose journeys are really just beginning. All in all, this is becoming a pretty cool tradition for the Boston startup community. We’re looking forward to next year already…
