Tech Ranch Austin

Startup Bazaar Recap

“Democratize entrepreneurship” is the organizing principle behind the Austin Startup Bazaar. Anyone willing to take the first steps to get a business off the ground deserves the ear of someone and the support of the community.

Startup Bazaar played a key part in Tech Ranch® member company, Engine’s ability to pitch before the Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) for a beta round of $500,000. “Because I took Venture Forth,” said CEO, David Johnston, “we were able to accelerate our launch from late December to early October – when we presented at Startup Bazaar.” During Startup Bazaar 2012, CTAN partnered with Tech Ranch® to allow a select number of companies to pitch before their members as well.

Press Release: Startup Week

We are excited to report that MadeInAustin, the City’s tech fair, is now the kick-off for Austin Startup Week. That means we will be expanding the fair to include tech professionals, in addition to the CS, Engineering, and MIS students and recent grads from last year’s event. Tech stars will be coming from around the world for Austin Startup Week, and they will be joining us at the MadeInAustin fair. We hope you will too.

MadeInAustin is Austin’s tech fair hosted by campus2careers, Austin Startup Week, Capital Factor, CIO Magazine, Startup America, the City and Mayor of Austin, Tech Ranch® and more. This event will connect the fastest growing tech firms in Central TX with students, recent grads, and young professionals in the tech field across the State and around the world (attendees are flying in from as far away as Australia to participate).

Press Release: Itography at DEMO

Itography today announced the launch of support for branded virtual item collections at DEMO Fall 2012, world-renowned for launching the most innovative companies in enterprise, mobile, cloud computing, consumer, social media and disruptive technologies.

Itography is a virtual item collection game for Android and iOS. Itography provides brands with an alternative to mobile ad campaigns for marketing new or existing products. Items are simply virtual representations of real products. Brands leverage item collections to engage and reward players. Using the mobile app, players pick up and drop items at real places, socially share them, and win prizes from brands.

“Itography is putting products on the map,” said Co-founder and Chief Item Officer Melissa Tyree. “I am happy to announce that Itography is now available for brands as an alternative to mobile ads that smartphone users overwhelmingly ignore. The team has had fun exploring the concept of virtual representations of real products found at places players visit every day. We are looking forward to working with brands to add more diversity to our item universe for our players.”

From Napkin to Revenue

Over 80 percent of new products fail! The #1 cause for this is because companies and entrepreneurs
jump to creating new products or services before they understand if anyone other than them thinks it’s a good idea and is willing to pay for it. In the “From Napkin to Revenue” workshop, you’ll learn a proven step-by-step process that helps you discover needs that people are willing to pay to solve, significantly increasing your odds of transforming your entrepreneurial dream into a successful product or service.

Throughout this highly interactive workshop, you’ll have opportunities to apply the principles to your own idea, ask specific questions and interact with other aspiring entrepreneurs who bring a wealth of knowledge from their individual experiences.

Press Release: Startup Bazaar

On Wednesday, October 10th from 11:30-3:30, The Stage on Sixth will become a bustling exchange of economic opportunity as the 3rd Annual Austin Startup Bazaar showcases 30 technology startups to pitch, demo, and network. The event is free and open to the public.

“This is where the jobs will be created in our town and for our children. This is the next-generation economy,” says Mike Rollins, president of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. “The next great company to come out of Austin will come out of these accelerators and incubators.”

Austin Startup Bazaar began as Venture Pitch in 2010, when Tech Ranch® founder Kevin Koym noticed, “All these diamonds in the rough.” Big businesses can easily raise funds and hire quality employees. But, “If you’re not from the polished diamond industry,” Kevin asks, “how do you get exposure?”