When it comes to product instructions and owner’s manuals, many consumers painstakingly pore over them during assembly, only to stuff them into drawers or in the trash when no longer needed. If Margaret Martin has her way, those print booklets will soon be a thing of the past, replaced by a more portable, visual application that makes following instructions painless.
“It wasn’t so long ago that people kept maps in their cars and pulled one out to figure out their location. Now everything is on a device that’s carried around,” said Martin, the President and CEO of Merlin Mobility. “Right now, you probably have a zillion owner’s manuals that are in a box and you have to hunt around for them. Merlin would allow you to have all of that at your fingertips whenever you need it. We hope Merlin Mobility helps serve a role much like GPS does.”
How does it work? The ATDC Select company utilizes a SaaS platform that enables companies to create, host and deliver step-by-step instructions to iPhone and Android devices. Equipment, devices and parts are viewed “live” through the camera of a mobile device courtesy of Merlin Mobility’s patented Augmented Reality (AR) – also known as the technology that helps create the “yellow first down line” in football broadcasts. According to Martin, studies reveal that more than 80 percent of people struggle making the mental jump from traditional instructions to a physical object they are working on. The startup helps to eliminate this hurdle by presenting a transparent layer that displays instructions directly over the product, enabling tasks to be successfully accomplished up to 56 percent faster than with traditional instructional methods.
Even more important, Martin says, is that Merlin Mobility provides an interactive way for consumers to “try out” a product before purchasing it. Research shows that 88 percent of people log online to research an item before buying. And that’s where Merlin steps in to engage them. When visiting a particular client website, the consumer simply downloads an app to access a life-size, AR version of the product. Prospective customers can test functionality, play with controls, compare items and even interact with a product as if it was in their own house. The objective? To help drive retail for client companies.
The idea for Merlin came about a few years ago, when Martin – a seasoned entrepreneur – decided to offer learning content via mobile device. After joining forces with Maribeth Gandy, a Senior Research Scientist at Georgia Tech with significant AR experience, Martin applied for and received a grant, hired some programmers and began to bring the concept to life in fall 2010.
These days, the buzz over Merlin is building. A successful presentation at Venture Atlanta last fall opened a number of potential doors, while an ATDC networking event resulted in Merlin’s first big client win – Whirlpool. They’ve since signed on Sortimo, the German-based developer and manufacturer of in-vehicle equipment and, more recently, won Harvard Business School’s Alumni Club New Venture Competition for the Southeast.
As the now nine-person startup looks to the future, they plan to continue utilizing ATDC’s resources and guidance as they move into their next phase of growth and seek out more Fortune 500 clients.
“We’re raising our Series A round and we now have a lot of potential customers, advisors and VCs interested in working with us,” said Martin. “We provide a solution for the entire lifecycle of a product, so I really see Merlin becoming a standard in the industry.”
Which annual event brings together hundreds of Georgia entrepreneurs, startups and technology leaders, as well as robots and a solar race car? That would be ATDC’s 2012 Startup Showcase, where the local technology community will gather on Monday for one of Atlanta’s premier industry events.
Held at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center, the showcase is open to the public and will include appearances from Georgia State Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. Each year, the event honors Georgia’s brightest entrepreneurs and emerging technologies, putting a spotlight on ATDC’s graduating companies – all of whom have met rigorous growth milestones. In addition, dozens of ATDC’s most promising member companies – representing industries as varied as information security, financial technology, health care IT, mobile technology, clean tech/energy, and medical devices – will exhibit their innovative technologies during the event.
“This year’s ATDC graduates represent the impressive quality and strength of Georgia’s technology startup community,” said Nina Sawczuk, ATDC’s general manager and Georgia Tech’s director of startup services. “They have each achieved significant success in a short timeframe and contribute to Georgia’s growing reputation as a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity and innovation.”
The 2012 ATDC graduates include:
• 3DM Systems (formerly ShapeStart Measurement Systems) offers an in-ear 3D scanner for the digital design of custom hearing aids and earmolds.
• Asankya (acquired by EMC Corporation) is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service.
• Axion Biosystems developed the first multi-well microelectrode array (MEA) system to provide unprecedented throughput for cellular electrophysiology experiments.
• BioAutomaton Systems Inc. (BSI) designs and manufactures patented automation systems for cost-effective propagation of transgenic tree seedlings.
• Celtaxsys is focused on the discovery and development of therapeutics to treat inflammation by controlling innate immunity. The company has phase I clinical trials planned for its lead compound, CTX 4430.
• Digital Assent provides award-winning PatientPad® technology that delivers personalized health information and advertising to consumers in doctors’ waiting rooms.
• Preparis provides organizations with a new way to protect their people, operations, brands and shareholder value from 21st century threats.
• SimpleC utilizes proven technologies to help seniors of all cognitive abilities engage with those around them and cope with changes in their lives.
Interested in attending? The Showcase runs from 2 to 5 pm, followed by a cash bar after-party from 5 to 6 pm. Although regular registration has closed, walk-ins are welcomed and tickets cost $20 at the door. For more information, visit www.atdcstartupshowcase.com.
Like many startup stories, socketware began as little more than a sketch on a napkin – the result of a discussion on “big data” between entrepreneurs dining at an Atlanta-based Waffle House. The concept: to create applications that can help businesses find, store, organize and integrate the vast amount of living data created each day.
“The world has become so digital, which helps to generate ‘living’ data – text messages, Facebook posts, tweets,” said co-founder and COO Joe Reger, Jr. “From a commerce standpoint, there are a lot of opportunities to learn, educate and act based on that data. So our goal was to find a way to organize this information and make it accessible and actionable for businesses.”
Fast forward 10 months and that mission is a reality. Earlier this week, the ATDC member launched its first product – called bmbleb – at Imagine eCommerce in Las Vegas. The premiere global conference draws hundreds of merchants, partners, developers and fans of Magento, the industry’s fastest growing eCommerce platform.
So far, the buzz over bmbleb has been significant, says Allen Nance, an experienced entrepreneur serving as an advisor and angel investor for the company.
“All early signs are that people love it,” said Nance. “The feedback on the brand and the design has been impeccable. Bmbleb is fully integrated into the largest eCommerce system in the world. If you’re a Magento user, you can install bmbleb and it will enhance all of your existing customer records, but even more important, it will drive specific recommendations in the form of alerts.”
Through the application, bmbleb users have access to social media, demographic and proclivity-to-buy data such as: age, gender, employment, demographics, income, social media and homeowner information. The idea is that better data equals more revenue. If, for example, one of your customers moves or gets married or has a baby, you would be alerted and market to them accordingly.
Socketware recently began beta testing for the product and is set to launch a funding round for the official product launch this spring. They hope to have 100 beta users within a month.
Now focused on product development, the startup plans to utilize ATDC’s resources and technology guidance as they move into their next phase of growth. Their goals for the future? To integrate with other leading platforms such as Shopify and ShopVisible, as well as continue to innovate how e-commerce websites use data to drive more revenue.
“Our hope is that socketware as a big data engine starts to spawn numerous other products and in other verticals beyond eCommerce,” said Reger.
When Tim Dorr launched a monthly coworking initiative at ATDC last fall, he intended to eventually make it a more regular occurrence. Thanks to the permanent use of a new space – the Entrepreneurs Resource Center (ERC) on the first floor of Centergy One – that goal is now a reality.
“When I started the coworking program, I did it without knowing there was this available resource,” said Dorr, an Entrepreneur in Residence for ATDC. “Once I realized members weren’t taking advantage of ERC, I pushed to take over the room and basically rebrand it into a coworking space.”
The ERC has long been an under-utilized resource at ATDC headquarters, despite its vault of articles, tools and research materials designed to guide young entrepreneurs and veterans. Although space is tight and limited to about 10 people, Dorr said the room is ideal for ATDC members looking to enjoy a dedicated and collaborative working environment. From Monday through Friday, participants can now network, compare stories and collaborate on solutions with other fledgling entrepreneurs, as well as receive advice and feedback from ATDC mentors.
The co-founder of Ignition Alley, a popular in-town coworking space, Dorr has seen the benefits of the coworking movement first-hand – touting a synergistic working environment where the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship can be shared.
“If I have a problem with something, I might spend hours researching possible answers and trying each one before finding the solution,” said Dorr, who recently moved his office to the first floor space to better accommodate coworking participants. “But with coworking, I might wind up interacting with someone who has already experienced the same or similar struggles and who might have expertise and insight to offer.”
Although details of the ATDC coworking initiative are still being finalized, the ERC is now available to members between 7 am and 7 pm on weekdays. And for those in need of mentorship, Dorr is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so stop by the space for more information.
It’s been a good year for SalesLoft. In recent weeks, the sales intelligence software company has cracked the Technology Association of Georgia’s annual list of Top 40 Innovative companies and impressed a tough panel of judges with a second place finish at Startup Riot 2012. In addition, revenue has skyrocketed and the B2B software application was voted #1 Customer Choice App in January through Salesforce.com’s AppExchange.
Not bad for a six-month-old startup with deep roots in the Atlanta technology community.
“We have been very happy with the growth,” said Kyle Porter, SalesLoft’s President & Co-founder. “Before our second month, we had a working model product and we were able to generate revenue in our first 100 days. We’re adding new customers weekly…and all without cold calling or advertising.”
Of course, much of the success is due to the strength of the product. SalesLoft provides technology aimed at easing the ability to research and identify sales prospects and rank them according to their likelihood to buy. The goal is to increase effectiveness, reducing the time sales pros spend on research so they can focus on the important task of closing deals instead. From job change alerts to company spend predictions, news tracking and technology tracking, SalesLoft offers tools that can capture dynamic data on customer targets and deliver measurable results.
“We’re leveraging the concepts of big data and we’re scanning information on 10 million companies every 24 hours,” said Jon Birdsong, SalesLoft’s Sales and Marketing Executive. “We’re finding crucial data about those companies and prospects, such as which technology they use, how fast they’re growing from a social media or website traffic perspective, how much money they’re spending on products and advertising and other important news and information alerts. It’s like an intelligence engine for your CRM.”
The idea for the startup came about last year, when Porter joined forces with David Cummings, a seasoned Atlanta entrepreneur behind the creation of several local companies including Pardot and Hannon Hill. Determined to find a way to provide deeper sales intelligence for industry pros, the pair bootstrapped their way to a successful start in September. They were also able to benefit from their own product, utilizing SalesLoft software to generate leads and develop a customer base.
Also playing a key role in the company’s growth? ATDC. Prior to launching SalesLoft, Porter worked around the incubator for more than five years, building the skills, professional network and business acumen needed to manage a successful venture.
“My career has been heavily influenced by ATDC. I owe a lot of my mentorship to the people there,” said Porter, a Georgia Tech graduate.
With eyes on the future and the next phase of growth, members of the four-person startup are determined to secure 100 paying customers by year’s end – a goal that is more than feasible due to a rising interest in sales intelligence.
“The whole concept of SalesLoft is that companies are spending billions of dollars on CRM systems, but they’re getting mixed results,” said Porter. “Now, just about every week we hear from a customer that is further in a sales cycle or closed a deal based on our product. We’re bringing life to their CRM and changing the way that businesses sell.”
Want a taste of the software? SalesLoft recently unveiled a free micro product: http://jobchangealerts.com/.
This Friday, a contingent of Atlanta technology industry representatives will head to New York’s Times Square to promote the city’s emerging tech industry cluster – and perhaps flaunt their bell ringing skills. The group – which includes ATDC members – was invited to join Invest Atlanta President & CEO Brian McGowan as he rings the opening bell for NASDAQ.
“Atlanta is home to some of the country’s leading tech companies, but it is also a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity,” said McGowan. “The city offers an ecosystem that supports young and creative tech companies to emerge as the next generation leaders…We want to set the pace for the country, for this sector.”
Atlanta is currently ranked third in the country for cities with the most Fortune 500 headquarters, ranked first in innovation in Zipcar’s Future Metropolis Index and is the home of technology leaders including First Data Corp., AT&T Mobility, CNN and Dell SecureWorks. In addition, a Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity report released last year shows that Georgia led the nation in new business startups in 2010, while Atlanta tied for the second-most among the 15 biggest metro areas.
Community Catalyst Jen Bonnett will be among those in attendance tomorrow, representing both ATDC and StartupChicks. She said the spotlight on Atlanta is proof of the city’s growth into becoming one of the nation’s hotbeds of technology and innovation.
Other past and present ATDC members in attendance will include representatives from Blinq Media, Emcien, Digital Assent, Oversight Systems, Pardot, Preparis, ScanTech Holdings, Suniva, Synergy America Inc., Team Fenom, The Weekend Collection, Urjanet and Vitrue.
The bell ceremony will air on www.nasdaq.com, so fire up your computer before 9:15 a.m. EST to watch it live.
With a background in law and a passion for music, Marshall Seese, Jr. isn’t your typical social gaming entrepreneur. In fact, he is a bit of an industry outsider – a label he says fits most of the members of Mowgli, the startup he helped launch in 2010.
“I’m not a game designer by background,” said Seese, who serves as Mowgli’s founder and CEO. “I don’t think there’s a single person on my team that has deep Facebook social gaming experience. Yet we have managed to create a product that solves a problem inherent in all other social games: we give players the ability to create something they can take outside the game.”
Named after the protagonist in Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book,” Mowgli is based around a simple concept: connecting people through social creation. The startup’s inaugural product – Songster – will be the first social game dedicated to music creation on Facebook. Currently in private beta, the game allows players to create songs by building music with layers of instrument and vocal loops. Players can then download their completed musical creations as well as share it on Facebook.
In addition, Songster users will follow a storyline that features a fledgling musician working his or her way up the ranks of the music industry. As players progress through the game, they will unlock achievements ranging from playing larger venues to hiring a manager to signing record deals.
“We have a few hundred people playing the game right now and the feedback has been very positive,” said Seese, adding they will publicly launch Songster at the SXSW Interactive Accelerator competition on March 12-14. “The core of the game is that we, as people, are innately inclined to create things. Players can make really cool songs in this game, so there is a lot of sharing going on.”
The idea for Songster began in fall 2010, when Seese read an article detailing how FarmVille, a popular farming simulation social network game, had become a literal cash cow for creator Zynga. Then serving as Corporate Counsel for the North Highland Company, Seese began brainstorming ways to successfully combine music with social gaming. “I had a lightbulb moment and realized I wanted to build something that would enable anyone to create music and connect that way,” he said.
Shortly after that, he joined forces with co-founder Adam Kunz – a digital media specialist – and the rest is history. Now focused on product development, the nine-person startup recently got a financial boost courtesy of $550,000 in angel investments. Once Songster is available next month, the ATDC member company hopes to see significant consumer interest in the game.
“Ideally, I would love to see Songster become a top 5 Facebook game within the next year, drawing 40 million monthly users. I’d also like it to go viral and produce the next big music success,” said Seese. “Realistically, I’d be happy if Songster was a top 25 game, with five to six million active users.”
Interested in checking out Songster? Plug in user code MGS808 to play.
February 24, 2012 by
kateWhen it comes to pitching business before an audience of peers, investors and judges, ATDC members proved they can compete with the best of them yesterday.
Member companies took three of the top five spots at Startup Riot 2012 and made up nearly half of the exclusive participant list, proving ATDC’s reputation as the hub for technology entrepreneurship in Georgia. The all-day event featured presentations by 30 of the region’s premier startups. Entrepreneurs spent three minutes pitching their businesses, then took three minutes of questioning from a four-judge panel. Audience members were able to help pick the winners.
ATDC’s own viaCycle took the top prize, which includes 4.5 hours of meetings with the region’s top angel investors, a $25,000 cash investment, nearly $50,000 in services and a chance to win a $100,000 cash grant. Kyle Azevedo, viaCycle CEO, said participating in Startup Riot provides great value to any early-stage company.
“The atmosphere and strict presentation rules force you to hone a razor sharp pitch, and the audience is a diverse cross-section of investors, unique companies and really smart people,” he said. “The connections we made during the event will serve viaCycle long into the future. Plus, we simply had a great time and got to be inspired by amazing ideas.”
Member SalesLoft earned second place, winning four hours of investment meetings and almost $24,000 in services for their successful pitch.
“I’ve been to a lot of startup events but never anything like Startup Riot,” said Kyle Porter, founder of SalesLoft. “The energy, community support and quality of attendees exceeded our expectations. We’re honored to receive our award and are confident that we’ll benefit many times over from participating in this event!”
Rounding out the top five finishers were Body Boss Fitness, ATDC member CubeVibe and Driverly.
Congratulations to all of the current and former ATDC members who rocked the Tabernacle yesterday, including Badgy, CallRail, Evoca, ExtraFeet, GetOne Rewards, HugeCity, Kanjus/Jajavy, Scholrly, Synkup, Team Fenom and We&Co.
February 16, 2012 by
kateWith more than 25 years of experience specializing in high dollar sales in the computer industry, Bill Kunz knows a thing or two about the sales process. He will share his insight with young entrepreneurs during ATDC’s next Lunch-N-Learn on Feb. 21.
Topics will include how to identify early adopters and successfully get alpha and beta customers, as well as what methods to use to generate leads and close sales with these customers. The primary subject matter, however, will involve closing the first five sales – which is usually the point when a startup has typically proven successful enough to hire a sales team.
“The first sale is basically finding someone to pay for the product’s beta testing,” said Kunz. “By the third one, you’re starting to get an idea of where the market might be for your product. By the time you get to the fifth sale, you might be in a position to hire a salesperson, rather than handling it yourself. And then the question becomes, what type of salesperson should you hire?”
Now retired and serving as a long-time mentor at ATDC, Kunz had a long and successful sales management career at IBM, Stratus (a small startup), and Cisco Systems selling directly to end users at “Fortune 1000” firms. His experience includes guidance on big ticket, long-cycle sales, hiring and managing sales people and new account sales.
During the upcoming luncheon, he will help participants determine what they can realistically achieve in early sales, as well as discuss how to close the sale once a prospect has been identified. And for those entrepreneurs who have found a potential customer but have been unable to close the deal, Kunz can help.
“If you’re stuck, come see me for one-on-one counseling,” he said. “We can draw up the specific sale and figure out next steps.”
Registration is now open for the event, which runs from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the ATDC Community Room. Bring your questions and be ready for a dynamic discussion!
When Jason Dyer was studying law at Georgia State University, he noticed how frustrated teachers and students would get while using the standard legal technology. The software was needlessly complex, causing user headaches and delays rather than efficiency.
“Studying law and using legal technology made me realize how much better it could be,” said Dyer, who received a Juris Doctor degree from GSU. “I’ve seen attorneys become so frustrated with the state of legal technology. It’s a profession that’s too complex and too important for clunky software.”
Dyer took those experiences and founded Eggplanter, LLC in spring 2011. The ATDC member startup pairs technology with simple, usable designs to deliver maximum value to law practices. Today’s economy demands that law firms operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. At the same time, the pressure to build relationships with new clients – and help existing ones – means attorneys must work faster than ever. The goal of Eggplanter is to partner with attorneys to create an array of unique product solutions for law students and legal firms of all sizes.
CaseCurrent, the company’s flagship product, is a professional network and attorney-to-attorney referral platform. The web-based software leverages existing networks to find new clients, build key contacts and analyze a practice’s unique business drivers all in real-time.
“Right now, you have people going on daytime television and doing advertisements to find new clients or cases,” said Dyer, who serves as Eggplanter’s CEO. “Instead, you should target referrals to attorneys that could do a good job for the client. This product provides a better way of structuring your contacts.”
Eggplanter recently began private beta testing for CaseCurrent with licensed Georgia attorneys and is set to launch a funding round for the official product launch this spring. Another solution currently under development is NoteSprout, a rapid note taking app specifically designed for law students to organize lecture notes and course outlines.
Now focused on product development and strategic partnerships, the five-person startup plans to utilize ATDC’s resources and technology guidance as they move into their next phase of growth – which will have a national scope.
“ATDC provides invaluable resources to accomplish our goal of becoming a premier legal technology incubator,” said Dyer. “We have some pretty awesome strategic partnerships that are in the works, so I’m excited to see what happens next.”