Startups in the spotlight at Techstars Demo Day

BOULDER — Members of the 2019 Boulder Techstars class were rockstars for the night Tuesday, taking the stage at the Boulder Theater to pitch their products in front of a capacity crowd.

Techstars Boulder Demo Day is the culmination of the startup accelerator’s 13-week program. The cohort’s 10 firms celebrate their successes and look ahead to the future. They present their vision and mingle with fellow entrepreneurs, potential investors and future customers.

Founders are introduced by mentors and step into the spotlight riding a wave of applause and pounding music. Then they take about five minutes to describe how their products and services will change the world, disrupt industries and make mountains of cash.

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Itamar Zur was the first founder to present at the 13th annual Techstars Boulder Demo Day. His company Veho is building a platform to revolutionize shipping for e-commerce firms. Rather than rely on traditional shipping operations such as FedEx, Veho connects online retailers with a fleet of crowdsourced drivers who deliver packages at lower costs to the shipper.

Atomos, led by Vanessa Clark, aims to make it easier and more economical for telecommunications firms to get satellites into orbit. The company is developing “space tugs,” vehicles that link up with rockets in the lower atmosphere, grab their payloads and tow them into the proper orbit.

Sheets & Giggles, a direct-to-consumer brand of sheets and bedding founded by Colin McIntosh, makes its textile products from eucalyptus rather than cotton. That process is more sustainable and uses less water than traditional textile manufacturing, McIntosh said.

Joust, an app-based banking company led by Lamine Zarrad, helps freelancers and independent contractors gain access to banking and invoicing services.

Spectatar, led by Brantley Pace, is developing a system that allows users to broadcast and watch video game matches and events through an augmented reality headset. The company’s goal is to revolutionize the way people interact with e-sports.

Jeff Whitlock’s Unbird is a software platform that analyzes and aggregates the feedback customers provide through online product and service reviews. The platform is used to help product managers make better-informed decisions on what features customers care about.

Ramp, founded by Mel Jack Du, is a light-weight electric wheelchair that allows users to be more mobile on terrain that is typically difficult for wheelchairs to traverse. It’s like “an electric mountain bike for your butt,” Du said.

Founder Jamie Bianchini said his company Ludela seeks to disrupt an industry that has seen virtually “zero innovation in the last 5,000 years”: candles.

Ludela makes real flame candles that can be lit and extinguished with a remote or with voice commands. In addition to the candle system, the company offers fuel refills and scent add-ons through a subscription service.

CometChat, a Mumbai company that recently moved its headquarters to Boulder, enables users of mobile apps to engage in video and voice chats with customer service and IT representatives. The company is led by brothers Anuj and Anant Garg.

Elizabeth Giorgi’s Soona is giving companies access to professional photo and video-marketing services without all of the production expenses. The company recently launched their first studio in Denver. Clients come to the studio, which is stocked with all of the production equipment and props needed for quality photo and videos, decide what they want their marketing campaign to look like, and within a day or so they are provided with content for their websites and social-media accounts. Giorgi said the company aims to do for digital marketing services what Kinkos did for paper marketing products.

Demo Day concluded with a bittersweet moment courtesy of Boulder Techstars director Julie Penner. She closed out the event with an announcement that she would soon be leaving Techstars for a new position with Boulder-based BubbleIQ. That company, which recently rebranded as Halp, was part of the Techstars 2018 class.