Speakeasy wins i.e.* Start-Up Competition, DragonGrips takes People’s Choice

14 young companies pitched their ideas to judges at the i.e.* Start-Up Competition, but only one walked away with $10,000.

April 17, 2013; 6:31 AM • by Nathan Cushing

Update #2 — April 17, 2013; 6:29 AM

On Tuesday night judges named Speakeasy winner of the 2013 i.e.* Start-Up Competition and its $10,000 grand prize. Along with the prize money, they also won over $3,000 in IT consultation, six months of free office space, and mentorship from 804RVA.

The fledgling company was one of 14 businesses pitched to a panel of judges at a public event inside the Carpenter Theatre. Speakeasy allows people to submit complaints and recommendations via their phones directly to businesses–instead of through social media.

DragonGrips, a company that hopes to build pedal-powered heated bicycle handlebar grips, won the People’s Choice Award, securing $2,500 in prize money.

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Update #1 — March 29, 2013; 12:49 PM

Organizers of 2013 i.e.* Start-Up Competition have announced the fourteen finalists, five of which were selected by entrepreneurs from Lighthouse Lab Mentors and 804RVA, with the remainder chosen by an online public vote held earlier this week (see below).

The finalists are:

These finalists will compete before a panel of judges on April 16th at Richmond CenterStage for a $10,000 cash prize, along with mentorship from 804RVA and free IT strategy and implementation worth $3,500.

The event will be free and open to the public.

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Original — March 26, 2013

Over 100 local start-ups are competing for a $10,000 cash prize in the 2013 i.e.* Start-Up Competition, in which online voting began this morning. Members of the public may vote for a single contestant once per day. Voting ends at 11:00 PM on Thursday.

In addition to the cash prize, the winner of the competition will receive free office space at New Richmond Ventures for six months, $3,500 worth of IT strategy from Imagine Simplicity, and mentoring from 804RVA.

A People’s Choice winner will receive $2,500.

This year’s contestants include the Richmond Food Co-op and Feast RVA. Last year’s recipient of the inaugural Start-Up Competition prize was InLieu.

Vote here. Good luck, contestants!

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