On Tuesday, Tech Ranch® hosted French Accelerator, 33entrepreneurs, for the Austin stop of their #US33Tour. The goal? To find top technology startups focusing on food, wine/spirits and travel. Nine companies competed for the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to either the Bon Appetech or PhoCusWright conferences, after which, the top three will win equity investments and a three-month acceleration program at the 33entrepreneurs headquarters in Bordeaux. Check out the Austin winners below and follow the tour’s next stops in Bordeaux, Los Angeles and San Francisco!
Food+ Tech Winners:
BYTE – http://mybyteapp.com/
BYTE is creating smarter restaurants and happier customers by providing both with the relevant information to make more informed decisions. BYTE provides restaurants with analytics to understand their customers on a deeper level, in addition to a cost-effective way to create a mobile presence to display and market their restaurant (and menu) directly to their customers’ smartphone. Customers are able to search for restaurants, menu items, or ingredients; view all menu items; earn loyalty points; order food; and give feedback all with a few swipes of their finger on their smartphone. BYTE makes it simple for restaurants and consumers to connect in a new and innovative way.
BYTE is designed for customers to discover, decide and devour easier than ever.
Piq Chocolates – https://piqchocolates.com/
We believe technology should be used to make things better, not just faster and cheaper. We also know how difficult it can be, with our busy lives, to find unique gifts that show our true appreciation. That’s why we started piq Chocolates with the goal of making it simple for you to create something that is one of a kind. We use technology to eliminate high tooling fees and high minimum order quantities, so you can order a single piece of chocolate at a reasonable price. We even built our own online design tool from the ground up so you can design the perfect chocolate gift in minutes.
It’s not just about the technology, it’s also about the chocolate. We get our chocolate from France, chosen because it is some of the best chocolate in the world. It does cost a bit more than other chocolates, but we think it is worth it and know you will too.
Public Vote Winner:
Stretch Recipes – http://stretchrecipes.com/
Lauren Foster is the Founder, CEO/President of Stretch Recipes, Inc. an Austin-based start up. A proud Austin resident & Chicago native, first generation college student and MBA, she is an entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in media, telecommunications, and real estate. Her hobbies include top golf, dancing, hiking, and traveling.
It was recognizing the cyclical budget and nutrition patterns within her own life that led her to found Stretch Recipes, Inc. She created Stret¢h because she wanted to create a tool that actually helps people with tight budgets maximize their dollar and have access to more nutritional recipes. She herself grew up in a low income household without the tools to learn how to budget for groceries or prepare healthy meals.
In August/September of 2013, the answer to providing help came in the idea Lauren had to build an actual tool. Already working in mobile apps, it seemed the best form to create a self-governed solution. In November 2013, she began looking more into the problem and seeking help to pull it off. In March 2013, she began landing partnerships with the SNAP program and local food banks in an effort to ensure the application would work for even the tightest of budgets.