Tech Startup Founders: Here’s Your Chance to Win $150K at the 11th Annual CodeLaunch DFW!
By CA Staff Blogger September 7, 2023
Since it’s first event in 2013, CodeLaunchhas provided at least $1.5 million in professional software development and services to startup founders, but it has not seen any active venture capitalists make cash investments on our stages. On Nov 15th that will change.
Cyrannus $150K Investment Challenge
Cyrannus founder Lee Mosbacker announces Cyrannus.IO in dramatic style at CodeLaunch Ohio 2022.
All startup founders who advanced to the semifinal round between CodeLaunch Ohio 2022 and DFW 2023 will be in the running for the Cyrannus $150K investment challenge. Cyrannus founder Lee Mosbacker will announce two winners on Nov 15th, the best Cyrannus score “Commercial” startup will receive $100K and the best “Impact” startup will receive $50K! The Cyrannus platform launches in October and will be debuted at our DFW event.
Cyrannus Founder Lee Mosbacker wants to reward CodeLaunch participants with the opportunity to get real cash into their business. A Cyrannus spokesperson says there could be two separate winners, but if one winner scored the highest for both challenges, they can receive a total of $150K in investments. Cyrannus is back as presenting sponsor of CodeLaunch for it’s 6th consecutive event.
“Not only will they get the cash investment, but the founders will also be introduced to a network that will help them refine their idea and prepare them for a follow on raise.”
– Lee Mosbacker, Founder of Cyrannus
You can learn more about the $150K challenge here.
CodeLaunch Returns to DFW
CodeLaunch, produced by Improving and presented by Cyrannus, is making its way back to the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area for its 11th consecutive annual competition in the Metroplex on November 15th, helping early-stage tech startups accelerate using our unique spin on the seed accelerator model. For entrepreneurs who want to change the trajectory of their startups by competing in CodeLaunch, the application portal will be open from August 23rd through September 24th!
Champions Celebrate at CodeLaunch ATL May 10th, 2023 at the Buckhead Theatre.
CodeLaunch stands as the DFW region’s longest-running annual startup event, merging elements of a seed accelerator startup competition, a professional developer product building competition, a tech tradeshow, a startup conference, and a dynamic networking platform. Over the past decade, this touring competition has provided more than $1.5 million in software development and invaluable services to its finalists and overall champions.
CodeLaunch has helped launch noteworthy startups since its inception in North Texas in 2013. Companies like CharaChorder, ProsRent, StyleRow, KidStrong, Autix, and more were launched and accelerated through the competition. ProsRent’s exit in January of this year proved the CodeLaunch model is for real and sustainable.
CodeLaunch DFW 2023 will be held at the South Side Ballroom at Gilley’s. Improving and Contollo have already signed on to be professional hackathon sponsors, which means these leading consulting brands will provide teams to work with finalists, ensuring their technical products are accelerated and founders can close a seed round of funding.
“We are excited to have CodeLaunch back in DFW for the 11th year and it’s going to be bigger than ever. We are proud to be supporting the startup ecosystem in this way as it aligns with our commitment to Conscious Capitalism, but even more importantly, it’s making a real difference for the folks in the community.“
– David O’Hara, Improving Dallas President
Contollo, one of our professional hackathon sponsors, has partnered with CodeLaunch at every competition since dipping their toes into CodeLaunch in Nov 2022 and plans to continue their fantastic work in the “Professional Coder League” – the moniker given to professional dev teams that enter the competition.
“As a nearshore software development company with a mission to elevate technology professionals in Central America, we found an ideal partner in CodeLaunch, a platform that shares our values of innovation and conscientious capitalism. From Dallas and Houston to Atlanta, and finally to Mexico, every event we’ve attended has been an enriching experience for our team, both professionally and personally. These gatherings haven’t just met our expectations; they’ve exceeded them, enriching us economically, expanding our network, and most importantly, developing our team members into leaders and technical virtuosos.“
– Isaac Carter, Contollo Founder and Chief Technologist
Important Informationfor Applying Startup Founders
CodeLaunch is a free amenity for startups. It costs nothing to apply, and it does not take equity. All you need is a pitch deck, code-ready mockups, and a bucket of passion. It’s important to note that CodeLaunch competitions are open to founders from any geography or market, not just the host market.
Champions celebrate at CodeLaunch Houston 2022 at the Bayou Music Center.
Startups drafted by a PCL team become “finalists”, so the mockups uploaded when you apply should be what you plan to build in your 2-day professional hackathon. This is an example of how CodeLaunch is one-of-a-kind. Each PCL team races to accelerate their drafted startup’s product development hoping to win the PCL team prize money ($2,500 in DFW) for themselves and the coveted Hackathon Championship Belt trophy for their brand. During the pitch competition and showcase event on November 15th, each startup product is demonstrated live for the first time in front of an audience of tech innovators and investors, who then interactively vote to determine winners.
DFW 2022 Winners Jeremy Cate (DamnThatsCheap.com) and Isaac Carter (Contollo) Celebrate Mutual Victories with their Championship Belts.
If all this isn’t enough, CodeLaunch is a loud, flashy and notoriously raucous business party.
“CodeLaunch is a startups and rock-n-roll show like nothing you’ve ever seen before! It’s not like the ‘Pitch Events’ we’ve all been to. Its the greatest startup show on earth!”
Brands who want to support and align with our Conscious Capitalism-inspired mission by Exhibiting, Partnering, or sponsoring CodeLaunch can find out more by emailing our President and Founder, Jason W. Taylor.
The Rising Stars of Innovation: Meet the Finalists of CodeLaunch Mexico 2023!
By Shelby Sansone August 3, 2023
CodeLaunch, the famously energetic startup conference from the U.S. produced by Improving and presented by Cyrannus, is coming to Guadalajara, Mexico on August 30th for its first international event! We are thrilled to be amplifying the voices of six Mexico-based startups through the competition who will compete on stage LIVE at the Tec De Monterey Campus Guadalajara. You can get your tickets NOW!
CodeLaunch is a combination of a seed accelerator competition, a tech tradeshow, a startup conference, and a raucous networking event. The touring competition has given more than $1.4 Million USD in services to its finalists and overall winners since it started over a decade ago. CodeLaunch has helped launch noteworthy startups like CharaChorder, ProsRent, StyleRow, KidStrong, Autix,Evva Health, and more since its inception in North Texas in 2013.
“We are very excited to be the first international host for CodeLaunch. All the Improvers, the tech ecosystem in the city, and even people in other cities are very excited to be part of this amazing event! We are looking forward to showing the amazing talent that Mexico has to the world.”
Ready to meet your finalists who will compete for the CodeLaunch trophies? The following six startups have advanced as Finalists to CodeLaunch Mexico 2023!
Let’s dive in and learn how each finalist describes their startup’s mission.
Norman Cognitive Agriculture: “To feed the world population by 2050 food production must grow 70%. The only way to increase productivity will be with new technologies in the crop fields. In difference to the competition who only focuses on providing measuring stations, we at Norman offer a Decision Support System analyzing correlations between variables that allow us to show the farmer an action to reaction relationship pointing information to the main cost centers in the farm.”
Romio: “Romio is pushing to do something no one has been able to accomplish in Mexico: Create a scalable car-sharing marketplace. Learning from the hardships of founders and companies such as Turo who’ve attempted in the past, Romio brings a solution completely custom to the Mexican market.”
VEX: “VEX is the marketplace of in-person courses, workshops and experiences made for and by the locals. The name is short for Value Experiences and it’s exactly what we provide both to B2C and B2B markets, generating a total revenue of over $25K this past year. We aim to revolutionize the education and entertainment industries in Mexico and Latam while spreading the philosophy behind the brand: generate a positive impact in our communities and having fun in the process.”
Gabu: “For parents that want their kids to have a safe and fun online gaming/social experience, but don’t know how, we provide a platform where they have all the information and tools to keep their kids safe and to help them become good digital citizens.”
Hoko! SalesMatch: “Our mission is to shake things up and make companies more efficient and cost-effective in how they approach sales prospecting. Picture this – tapping into the power of good old-fashioned word-of-mouth, supercharged by the technology of a dedicated social network. That’s exactly what HOKO! aims to do – tackling the everyday challenges faced by millions of salespeople worldwide!”
BizBat: “Musicians spend about 30% of their time and income in developing their career with little results, mainly due to the lack of connectivity: access to the right people and visibility to job opportunities. 9/10 musicians and industry professionals quit their careers. BizBat is a digital community that enhances professional interactions between every occupation within the music spectrum (B2B2C), providing tools for an organized and self-manageable career. Our end game is to become the much-needed LinkedIn for the music industry for millions of unattended professionals and businesses!”
CodeLaunch Mexico 2023 PCL Hackathon Teams
The six professional hackathon teams will be provided by these leading software consulting brands:
These six startups will be provided 24 hours of professional software development work on their product by their hackathon team, then they’ll go on stage to present their product to a live audience who will vote for who they believe should be named “Best Startup in Mexico”!
Cyrannus 150K Investment Challenge
All startup founders who advance to the semifinal round of CodeLaunch will be in the running for the Cyrannus $100K investment challenge, as well as the $50K challenge for Impact Startups!
Cyrannus Founder Lee Mosbacker wants to reward CodeLaunch participants with the opportunity to get real cash into their business. A Cyrannus spokesperson says there could be two separate winners, but if one winner scored the highest for both challenges, they can receive $150K in investments in total.
“Not only will they get the cash, but also be introduced to a network that will help them refine their idea and get ready for their first big fundraiser.”– Lee Mosbacker, Cyrannus Founder
The unwavering support of these incredible groups has played a pivotal role in spreading the word about CodeLaunch. Each will be supporting our efforts through Conscious Capitalism to foster the growth of Mexico’s startup community during CodeLaunch on August 30th. They have helped amplify our message far and wide, helping us reach a broader audience and empowering aspiring entrepreneurs across Mexico.
“CodeLaunch is exactly what our startup had been missing, it represents combining our vision with the technical ability necessary to build something rock solid. We’ve been leading this movement for 2 years now and it’s time to take the next step, and CodeLaunch gives us the chance to do so.”
– Laura G. Furber, Co-Founder, VEX Experience
Join Us at CodeLaunch Mexico 2023!
CodeLaunch Mexico 2023 will be held at Tec De Monterey Campus Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico on August 30th! Get your tickets now!
Media, Exhibit, and Sponsorship Inquiries
You and your brand are invited to CodeLaunch. There is still time for your brand to align with CodeLaunch and Conscious Capitalism. Parties interested in exhibit space, media, and sponsorship may contactJason W. Taylor.
CodeLaunch is on Tour!
Meet the CodeLaunch ATL 2023 presented by Cyrannus Finalists!
By CA Staff Blogger April 28, 2023
Learn about each final startup before the final competition on May 10th!
Wise Assistant is disrupting local marketing and public relations with a multichannel marketing platform used by franchisors, agencies, and local businesses. For far too long, PR agencies have hijacked the local marketing game, charging increasingly costly retainers, nickel-and-diming local businesses out of their last dollars, while delivering less and less value. Wise Assistant is the only turn-key hyperlocal marketing platform cost-effectively connecting local businesses with social media influencers and media outlets for local marketing campaigns that drive awareness and sales for their business. Wise Assistant helps businesses to rapidly source local media talent to plan, launch and measure marketing campaigns at the neighborhood level.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
CodeLaunch provides a local platform for Wise Assistant to reach a diverse audience and discuss the exciting new features we’re launching. Through the CodeLaunch family, we’ve been connected to incredible engineers, entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners. We’re excited about developing these connections into mutually advantageous relationships for years to come.
FundHub is the premier AI-powered fundraising platform and an educational social network marketplace. It connects grant seekers with grants and professionally vetted grant writers all in one place. As a social enterprise, FundHub helps businesses and nonprofits challenged in accessing capital get high-ROI funding by focusing on Founder education. This will shrink the wealth gap and provide access to funding for founders from historically underrepresented communities. After nearly 20 years as a Certified Grant Writer, I’ve raised millions with as high as a 93.75% success rate. My clients have received as much as $35 for every $1 they spent on my services. Combining my grant writing experience with tech, FundHub is the vehicle for transitioning from a direct services lifestyle business to a scalable company.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
At CodeLaunch Atlanta, we look forward to competing for cash and in-kind services; creating awareness of FundHub on a larger scale; building critical tech for our platform; connecting with VCs, ecosystems, founders, and networks needing our services; and recruiting beta testers for our platform.
Are you tired of the constant struggle to manage claims and ensure effective communication between clinical staff and billing departments in your dental practice? It’s time to embrace change and revolutionize the way your office operates. Introducing our groundbreaking, HIPAA-compliant app—an innovative solution designed to modernize communication, streamline the billing process, and significantly enhance both efficiency and profitability in dental practices. Get ready to experience a new era of dental billing and leave the outdated methods behind.
Our innovative app provides a centralized, HIPAA-compliant platform that allows billing departments and clinical staff to effortlessly communicate and collaborate on claim statuses. With real-time updates, notifications, and an intuitive interface, our app eliminates the need for outdated tracking methods and cumbersome communication, empowering office staff to focus on enhancing the patient experience and improving collections for dental offices.
The future of dental billing is here. Our groundbreaking app is set to revolutionize the way dental practices communicate and manage their billing process. By offering a centralized, secure, and user-friendly platform, our app not only streamlines communication but also boosts efficiency, profitability, and overall practice performance. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your dental practice with our innovative app.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
We have come a long way and this is a chance to celebrate our progress and success. At CodeLaunch, we can celebrate that win and invite attendees to join us as we grow. There is more to do and an industry to disrupt. We can do it. Together.
The PracticeQuest founders are experienced college STEM educators who are working to solve major problems in higher education. Every year hundreds of thousands of college students are derailed from career goals in science and medicine by poor performance in foundational introductory STEM programs. Many of these students have the potential to be successful but are unprepared for the demands of college-level chemistry and biology.
With the perfect storm of ever-increasing costs of higher education, the rise of online instruction accelerated by the COVID pandemic, and the pressure to succeed in highly competitive fields, many students resort to using online “study” sites that sell homework and test answers and AI chatbots that can solve problems for them. Educators have struggled to adjust to the resulting massive increase in academic dishonesty and express growing alarm at the future of assessment in education.
PracticeQuest addresses these issues by leveraging the skills of experienced assessment creators and algorithmic design to generate an unlimited supply of questions for learning and assessment in chemistry and biology. With unique questions created on demand, we limit the incentives and opportunities for student cheating and provide educators with a valuable time-saving tool that ensures fair and equitable assessment.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
We look forward to the opportunity to present our vision to the CodeLaunch audience and connect with other entrepreneurs and developers interested in unlocking the potential in millions of young people who might otherwise never become the health and STEM professionals we need.
UnicornForms is the next-generation electronic signature and document management system focused on exponential efficiency gains. Bad data due to documents is a trillion-dollar problem and document data is doubling every six months. The industry can’t keep up. This problem is both manifestly mundane as it is important to solve. Our product makes the cost of regulatory compliance, security questionnaires, documentation, or contracts negligible by eliminating redundancy and making documents, forms, and PDFs interoperable. What is unique about our product is that it gracefully solves both complex industry problems as well as simple contract signatures that anyone can use. We’re super mobile-friendly and exceptionally well-designed. One of our early adopters is using our product to automate education benefits, so that when low-income children enroll they automatically enter into food or other programs that can both improve educational outcomes and alter the course of that child’s life. What previously would take days, weeks, or months to complete can now take minutes or hours. It’s remarkable to see it in action.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
I can’t wait to build with the Improving Nearshore team and show the world our work. They are pumped. I am pumped. We’re going to blow away the field! We’re excited to kick off our summer marketing push with CodeLaunch and raise our seed round.
CASTU is a mobile platform designed to connect talented professionals in the film and television industry with productions that need their skills. The platform aims to streamline the hiring and collaboration process for both employers and employees, ultimately making it easier for everyone involved to achieve their goals. The problem that CASTU solves in the film industry is the difficulty that professionals face in finding work and connecting with potential employers. The industry is highly competitive, and it can be challenging to stand out and find opportunities without a strong network. CASTU aims to bridge this gap by providing a platform that allows professionals to showcase their skills and connect with a broader range of potential employers. As filmmakers ourselves, we understand how hard this process is and continues to be. We hope that by creating CASTU we are opening the opportunity for all those people with no access to Hollywood a more direct route to getting their careers off the ground. We affectionately consider CASTU a dream-maker.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
With CodeLaunch we are looking forward to getting our message out there. We believe that CASTU is a great opportunity for so many who need access. CodeLaunch is a great place for us to finally showcase all the exciting possibilities that await anyone who is looking for a chance to have their moment.
CodeLaunch is Coming to MEXICO! What You Need to Know About the First International CodeLaunch Competition
By CA Staff Blogger April 13, 2023
You read that right, CodeLaunch, produced by Improving and presented by Cyrannus, is going global! We are headed to Guadalajara, Mexico on August 30th for our first international CodeLaunch competition. The event is open to Mexico-Based startups who want to succeed and evolve through our unique spin on the seed accelerator model. Our application portal will be open from May 10th until June 16th for startup founders and teams to apply at no cost.
CodeLaunch is a combination of a seed accelerator competition, a tech tradeshow, a startup conference, and a raucous networking event. The touring competition has given more than $1.4M in services to its finalists and overall winners since it started over a decade ago.
We are excited to have Contollo and Improving Nearshore already on board as Professional Hackathon Sponsors, and Cyrannus as our Presenting Sponsor.
“We are very excited to be the first international host for CodeLaunch. All the Improvers, the tech ecosystem in the city, and even people in other cities are very excited to be part of this amazing event! We are looking forward to showing the amazing talent that Mexico has to the world.”
Winners of CL HOU 2023 e-360 ( startup ) and Honeycomb Software ( dev team sponsor ) Celebrate with their trophy
CodeLaunch is a free amenity for tech startups. It costs nothing to apply, and it does not take equity. All you need is a pitch deck, code-ready mockups, and passion. It’s important to note that this CodeLaunch competition is open to Mexico-based startups only. The competition process will be in English only, which means pitch decks and presentations need to be written in English and everyone will be speaking the English language during all meetings, and for a lucky few, on stage at our venue host Tecnologico de Monterrey GDL campus.
If you are selected as a finalist, your mockups should be what you hope to build in your 2-day professional hackathon. This is one way that our competition stands out from the crowd. Each finalist is drafted by a professional software development team that accelerates product development and builds out as much of the product as possible. During the pitch competition and showcase event on August 30th, each startup product is demonstrated live in front of an audience of innovators, STEM students, VCs, and Angels, who then interactively vote to determine winners.
“I was fortunate to find out about CodeLaunch way back in 2015 when CodeLaunch was a new social experiment and attended CodeLaunch in Dallas, TX. I am thrilled this innovative take on accelerating tech startups is making its way to Mexico, especially in Guadalajara Jalisco. I will bring my VC and Angel Investor networks to see the early-stage deal flow that CodeLaunch produces in person.”
“Cyrannus is aligned with CodeLaunch because we are both changing the landscape of early stage tech startup ventures. I have seen how CodeLaunch positively impacts startup ecosystems and founders now in Ohio, Dallas, Houston and soon to be Atlanta. Mexico based startup founders and investors should take a serious look at aligning with and supporting CodeLaunch GDL.MX.”
Our application portal will be open from May 10th through June 16th!You can also learn more about CodeLaunch GDL.MX here!
Align with CodeLaunch
We are seeking companies and organizations who want to help accelerate Mexico’s startup ecosystem. Are you a Guadalajara technology mover and shaker? Or are you an American company with Mexico interest or presence? Then, email jason@codelaunch.com to start a conversation about aligning with CodeLaunch with the President and Founder of CodeLaunch, Jason W. Taylor.
What you missed at CodeLaunch HOU 2023
By Shelby Sansone March 9, 2023
CodeLaunch, produced byImproving and presented by Cyrannus, made a tremendous mark on the Houston startup community.
Congratulations to E 360 for winning CodeLaunch HOU 2023! E 360 worked with their hackathon sponsor Honeycomb Software throughout the week to claim the title of “Best Startup in Houston”. They also went home with the Judge’s Choice award.
“CodeLaunch is such an amazing event. The production quality was just out of this world. The stage, the lights, the music, it was all just so professional, I felt like a rock star. We are so honored to have been both the judge’s and voter’s choice winners. I would highly recommend any startup or early-stage business to apply for CodeLaunch.” – E 360 Founder Matt Bonasera
Our judges were The ION Senior Director of Ecosystems, Joey Sanches, Continuum Solutions Founding Partner Allison Hardy, GCC/HOME DEPOT VP of Software Development Tim Coonfield, and Cyrannus.IO CEO Michael Camp.
CodeLaunch Founder Jason W. Taylor and Host Raheel Malik with E 360 Founder Matt Bonasera
This CodeLaunch was unique because it was the final event for Houston Tech Rodeo, which is a series of events organized by Houston Exponential. The Rodeo corrals the greatest minds in the global and local tech community. Because of this, a mayoral debate took place before our competition.
Audience members enjoyed being entertained by comedian Josh Stramiello before the competition began as the show opener. This was Josh’s third time opening for a CodeLaunch competition.
There were 47 exhibitors at CodeLaunch. They were a blend between startups and CodeLaunch community partners and sponsors. So, there was an extensive amount of networking before and after the main competition.
A major thank you to our presenting sponsor, Cyrannus for their support during this CodeLaunch HOU 2023. The show would not have been such a spectacular success without you!
Also, thank you to our Professional Hackathon Sponsors who worked tirelessly with our finalists to ensure their technical products were accelerated and that they can close a seed round of funding.
CodeLaunch is a traveling seed accelerator and startup expo that connects early-stage startups with invaluable seed services critical to stimulating their business. Unlike many startup accelerators, CodeLaunch is completely free to apply, and there is no equity surrendered.
The professional hackathon is one way that CodeLaunch is truly unique. Each finalist is paired with a professional development team that accelerates product development and builds out as much of their MVP as possible in a 2-day time frame. During the pitch competition, the product is demoed live and for the first time in front of a live audience, who then votes for the overall winner.
CodeLaunch HOU 2023 went above and beyond our expectations! We are thankful for everyone who came out to support the event and the Houston startup community.
CodeLaunch ATL 2023 is Around the Corner
CodeLaunch is heading back to Atlanta for its second competition there. Our application portal is open now through Friday, March 10th at Midnight! Click this link to learn more and then apply here if you are a founder who wants to change the trajectory of your startup.
After Atlanta, we are going international! Guadalajara, Mexico will be our third stop of the year. Learn more here.
CodeLaunch is going on tour!
Meet the CodeLaunch HOU 2023 presented by Cyrannus Finalists!
By Shelby Sansone February 23, 2023
Learn about each final startup before the final competition on March 2nd!
Drivingo is the world’s first completely automated Drive-Thru system. It uses ASL-based gestures trained by machine learning to take users’ orders without ever needing to speak with an employee. As it stands, many companies within the quick-service-restaurant industry are suffering from a multitude of lawsuits, as a direct result of their gap in accessibility and lack of sensitivity training. Companies know this is an issue, but don’t know how to solve it; that’s where Drivingo comes in. We offer much-needed sensitivity training as well as our own software that allows anyone to order quickly and easily. In addition, our software also eliminates some identified issues within this industry, such as inaccurate sensors, leading to faulty data when reviewing lead times.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
Codelaunch provides an amazing stage for us to present Drivingo to such a diverse audience. We’ve also been given access to incredible resources, pushing us further along our goals than we could have ever done ourselves at such an early stage in our start-up. Being a member of the Codelaunch family gives us an opportunity to make meaningful and impactful connections with potential partners and investors.
Inpathy is a social app creating empathetic communities through transparency, normalizing moods, and recreating the social media experience to better serve people’s well-being and digital identity formation.
Inpathy’s mission is to create a social platform that promotes emotional intelligence and mental wellness, rather than contributing to the increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and dissatisfaction among young people. At Inpathy, we believe social media has connected us for a greater purpose beyond use as a tool for entertainment, networking, and monetization. Therefore, we believe social media is not in its final form. Inpathy will be the future of social tech that uses social media and AI to provide digital mental health solutions.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
Team Inpathy is looking forward to taking the stage and showing Houston, Texas why we set out on this bold initiative to #SpreadInpathy! We are excited to display all the hard work that Contollo and our Founding team have put into making sure that we deliver passion, entertainment, and vision to Codelaunch HOU 2023. We have no doubt that we will leave this event with the tools, direction, and resources needed to accelerate Inpathy toward our next successful milestone.
DrinKicks is a sneaker-themed consumer packaged goods company that is focused on repurposing food waste and recycled materials into sustainable goods such as shoes, sports equipment, and clothing all while educating consumers on the power of the circular economy. Our approach will provide exposure to an important topic through the lens of sneaker culture. Our motto is Mind-Body-Laces. The users will benefit by changing how they think about consumption (Mind). Users will learn about healthy products and habits for both themselves personally and the Earth (Body). Users will be more educated and have the threads (Laces) to tie everything together.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
We are looking forward to working with BJSS and creating amazing technology that will help shift how people think about recycling and sustainability. We are so excited and grateful to have this opportunity and we cannot wait to experience the entire CodeLaunch process.
Gophr App Inc. is a marriage between Software as a Service and Delivery. We are a delivery technology platform that provides same-day and expedited shipping, and a simple delivery solution for any business. From pharmacies and machine shops to construction sites, to flower shops and more, we offer seamless delivery innovation. Snap a photo, instantly receive a quote and submit. Let Gophr handle all the headaches and costs of logistics for you.
We believe Gophr is the ultimate one-two combination of local marketplace and delivery solutions. For customers, our mobile app combines convenient local shopping with same-day delivery from their favorite local retail businesses. For commercial and industrial merchants, our platform connects them with a fleet of vehicles that spans from compact cars to big rigs for affordable on-demand deliveries. Gophr is focused on helping local businesses thrive, while also having a nationwide long-term goal.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
We are looking forward to pitching in front of potentially thousands of people and introducing them to our services.
E 360 is a holistic building solution. We monitor both the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of commercial buildings and help customers save energy, greenhouse gas emissions and cost all while also dramatically improving the indoor air quality. We do this by monitoring vast sums of IOT data and then using Machine Learning and real-time monitoring we adjust the building to optimize its performance. This is a revolutionary way to look at commercial buildings. The vast majority of buildings are both incredibly inefficient as well as dangerous to their occupants; due to the dangerous levels of compounds in the air. We solve both these complex problems at the same time. This is unheard of in our industry.
What are you looking forward to when it comes to CodeLaunch?
We are looking forward to meeting industry leaders and investors who can help take the product to the next level.
5 Tips For First-Time Startup Founders
By CA Staff Blogger December 1, 2022
Our Global Community Partner Project 10K gives great tips for startup founders so their ideas can become thriving, successful companies.
In recent years, there’s been a boom in the number of tech startups. The US tech market is $1.6 trillion, making it the largest in the world, prompting many entrepreneurs to start tech companies. Small technology startups have developed as a result of this, which offer clients innovative solutions or build software they can use.
Starting a tech company is a fantastic way to bring your innovative vision to life and make a real impact on the world. Our Global Community Partner, Project 10K, is committed to helping transform your idea into a successful tech company. They take a hands-on approach with their entrepreneurs. They provide the experience, resources, and network necessary to turn your concept into a thriving business.
Earlier this month, Project 10K launched the first-ever Project 10K Elite event in Brickell, Miami, and co-founded 11 companies in two days. Babson College, the number one school for entrepreneurship in the world for the past 26 years, has given us this incredible opportunity to partner with them in this historic event. The ideas have been mind-blowing, and we are more than excited to help these new tech companies build, scale, and see them through impactful exits.
But where does everything begin?
Below, Project 10K has outlined some critical steps to take when starting a tech company.
1. Develop a Compelling Idea
A compelling and unique idea is the first step in starting a tech company. Most of the time, what seems like a crazy idea turns out to be something GREAT that can change lives forever. Project 10K helps transform napkin ideas into meaningful exits and helps entrepreneurs make the perfect pitch that gets the yes for their business.
2. Create a Minimum Viable Product
In their Validation Challenge, Project 10K goes ALL-In with an entrepreneur to validate the overall viability of a tech idea by launching a Minimal Viable Company that can and will make money and begins to scale. Your minimum viable product (MVP) is the first version of your product or service that you’ll release to the public. Creating an MVP will help you save time and money in the long run, as it’s much cheaper and faster to iterate on an existing product than creating something from scratch.
3. Find the Right Team
As they say, it takes a village to raise a child and a strong team of talented individuals to build a successful tech company. Project 10K takes ideas written on napkins, pitch decks, or minimal viable tech products and transforms them into stable, viable, and highly lucrative tech companies. By combining a world-class software development team with a top-notch go-to-market and sales division, financing, legal support, and business consulting, you can have the industry’s dream team at your disposal.
4. Secure Funding
Starting a tech company takes money—there are no two ways. You’ll need to raise capital to finance the development of your product or service, pay for marketing and advertising, and cover any other operational costs associated with running your business. There are numerous ways to raise capital, so it’s vital that you explore all of your options and choose the one that makes the most sense for your company. This can be done through venture capitalists, angel investors, or crowdfunding platforms like WeFunder.
5. Launch Your Product or Service
After you’ve raised capital and created a business plan, it’s time to launch your product or service. This is where all of your hard work comes together. It’s essential to have a strong launch strategy that includes marketing, PR, and sales initiatives that will help you reach your target market and achieve success. This is a very exciting time! With Project 10K, your cohort will rally energy around you, your team at Project 10K will be fully immersed with you, and your family in our ecosystem will go above and beyond to ensure we validate quickly!
Summing It Up
Starting a tech company can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Following the steps above can give you a solid foundation to build a successful business. And remember—done is better than perfect, so don’t be afraid to start today!
When converting your napkin ideas into impactful exits, Project 10K can help you take your business to the next level.
About Project 10K
Project 10K combines the best elements of a Venture Studio, Incubator, Accelerator and Growth Hacking Agency with a Venture Capital solution to help visionary SaaS Entrepreneurs launch their ideas quicker, with less risk, while keeping more equity. As the ultimate co-founder, Project 10K provides everything an emerging SaaS company needs to build, scale, and eventually sell including product design, management, development, UI/UX, go-to-market, branding, press, business development, sales, legal, fundraising, bookkeeping, operations, customer support, exit planning and more. Project 10K plans to BUILD, SCALE, and SELL 10,000 SaaS applications over the next 10 years by transforming a napkin idea into a scalable company on the road to an exit. Project 10K democratizes software by giving anyone committed the chance to become a SaaS founder regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, educational background, etc.
CodeLaunch Sponsor Spotlight: Dell for Startups
By CA Staff Blogger November 10, 2022
We’re thrilled that Dell for Startups is sponsoring CodeLaunch DFW 2022! Dell for startups was created to guide startups in their technology journey. The program provides expertise from Dell advisors, giving founders scalable solutions to grow their startups.
Lucas Chaya del Pino, Dell for Startups Lead
“Dell for Startups provides startup expertise from dedicated technology advisors and scalable solutions to ensure your business is always ready to grow.” – Dell for Startups Website
The CodeLaunch team talked with Dell for Startups Lead Lucas Chaya del Pino, who you will hear from during the CodeLaunch DFW event on November 16th. He told us he is delighted to experience CodeLaunch for the first time.
“We are constantly incorporating new partners that get us in front of entrepreneurs and create relationships,” Lucas said. “CodeLaunch is exactly the type of partner we want, and I am very excited to participate in the event.”
What makes Dell for Startups unique?
Dell for Startups focuses mostly on the technology side of the business. As experts in the tech world, they give startup founders free resources (IT consultation, seed units, etc) to help them scale up with their technology.
Dell for Startups has a robust mentor database, which means founders can get advice from people who have been in their shoes. Plus, members get perks like special pricing, exclusive discounts, and client installation services for free
The program has a year-long pitch competition championship of its own. Dell for Startups travels across the US as their members compete for over $500k worth of prizes. However, Lucas said the competition is not only about the prizes. It’s about being able to find out how to create and give a great pitch while getting exposure to the investor ecosystem.
To learn more about Dell for Startups, click here.
Cyrannus Pledges $150K to a Future CodeLaunch Startup! Could You Be a Winner?
By CA Staff Blogger September 7, 2022
Cyrannus Founder Lee Mosbacker has announced two investment challenges for CodeLaunch participants! He has planned a $100,000 investment challenge, as well as a $50K challenge for Impact Startups.
All startup founders who advance to the semifinal round of CodeLaunch will be in the running. Cyrannus Founder Lee Mosbacker wants to reward CodeLaunch participants with the opportunity to get real cash into their business. A Cyrannus spokesperson says there could be two separate winners, but if one winner scored the highest for both challenges, they can receive $150K in investments in total.
Here are the terms:
In order to be in the running, startups will have to make it to the semi-final round of any one of the next five CodeLaunch competitions (though CodeLaunch Ohio 2022 semi-finalists will also be eligible). On January 1st, 2023, Cyrannus will start taking fresh applications from these startup founders.
Founder of Cyrannus.io and Judge at CodeLaunch Ohio 2022, Lee Mosbacker announcing the CodeLaunch & Cyrannus $100k Challenge.
Once Lee declares the winner of the monetary rewards, the founders (or founder) will be introduced to the Cyrannus network. These are companies that help startups build and market their product.
“Not only will they get the cash, but also be introduced to a network that will help them refine their idea and get ready for their first big fundraiser,” Lee says.
The money will be invested either through an SPV or SAFE agreement. Lee says he wants Cyrannus to lead the winning startup to another leading investor and is not looking for equity or to set any terms.
Wait… there’s more news!
Along with this major announcement, Lee revealed that Cyrannus will be a CodeLaunch presenting sponsor for the next five shows! He also gave us insight into the growth of Cyrannus this year.
Cyrannus will keep creating high-level strategy blogs investigating technical due diligence. In January 2023, they will open the Cyrannus network. This will be a portal where people can submit their business plans, and experts will score them.
The third part of Cyrannus will be a curation of companies that will be validated by the Cyrannus network. These companies will help various startups level up like they plan to do for the CodeLaunch startup that wins the $100,000.
Learn more about our most recent competition here.
In Case You Missed CodeLaunch Ohio Presented By Cyrannus
By Shelby Sansone August 26, 2022
CodeLaunch Ohio 2022 presented by Cyrannus was a spectacular success! This was the first CodeLaunch to happen in Ohio and we can certainly say it made a mark on the MidWest startup hub.
Congratulations to Columbus’ own Mastery Portfolio for winning the entire competition! Not only did they win the popular vote from the audience, but they also received the Judges’ Choice award. Mastery Portfolio worked with their hackathon sponsor Enzee throughout the week to claim the title of “Best Startup in Ohio”!
Congratulations to our finalists, who will compete in our main event on August 25th at the Davidson Theatre at the Riffe Center in Columbus.
Shoutout to all of our other finalists who will now go on to launch viable startup companies!
A major thank you to our Hackathon Sponsors who worked tirelessly with our finalists to ensure their technical products were accelerated and that they can close a seed round of funding.
Another Thank You to Our Presenting Sponsor Cyrannus!
We are THRILLED to announce that Cyrannus will be our presenting sponsor throughout the rest of 2022 and all of 2023! Cyrannus is a network of experts trying to add rational insight into a growing venture capital market. We are developing tools to connect founders with experts and create bullet-proof strategies. Founders can confidentially submit areas of their business plan, pitch deck, technology, or product. Experts anonymously interact with founders in an iterative process to generate answers to questions and get quantitative scoring.
“You can have the best idea in the world, but the biggest challenge would be finding the right technical team to build the product or just MVP,” Founder Lee Mosbacker said. “What I love about CodeLaunch is that it kind of decouples that challenge. You’re seeing ideas and possibly connecting those ideas to capital. And if you make it to the finals, you get access to a professional team of coders who care about the outcome.”
Lee served as one of our judges and we are truly grateful for his support! You can learn more about Cyrannus here.
All About CodeLaunch
CodeLaunch is a traveling seed accelerator and startup expo that connects early-stage startups with invaluable seed services critical to stimulating their business. Unlike many startup accelerators, CodeLaunch is completely free to apply, and there is no equity surrendered.
The professional hackathon is one way that CodeLaunch is truly unique. Each finalist is paired with a professional development team that accelerates product development and builds out as much of their MVP as possible in a 2-day time frame. During the pitch competition, the product is demoed live and for the first time in front of a live audience, who then votes for the overall winner.
CodeLaunch Ohio went above and beyond our expectations! We are thankful for everyone who came out to support the event and Columbus’s startup community.
CodeLaunch DFW 2022 is Around the Corner
CodeLaunch heads back home in November! We will be in Dallas on November 16th. Click this link to learn more and apply here if you are a founder who wants to change the trajectory of your startup!
Meet Our CodeLaunch Ohio Presented by Cyrannus Hackathon Sponsors Pt 2: Enzee and Centric Consulting
By CA Staff Blogger July 20, 2022
CodeLaunch Ohio presented by Cyrannus is coming up quickly! This means our Hackathon sponsors are gearing up for the competition, and we want to highlight two of them in this post.
CodeLaunch would not work without our hackathon sponsors. Each one puts together a team, volunteering to work free of charge during an intense 24-hour hackathon. They team up with one of our finalists to ensure their technical products are accelerated and that they can close a seed round of funding. We are so thankful for the time and effort that hackathon sponsors put into each competition. They truly change the trajectory of each startup that they work with!
Enzee
Enzee (formerly ZapIt) is revolutionizing healthcare by providing a quantitative measurement of the quality of care given by equipment and personnel in hospitals. According to Founder Bryon Murray, Enzee is a company that developed a web application for managing all of the quality control records for all radiology and oncology. Now, they are working to expand into the entire hospital system!
“We’re allowing hospitals to have a real-time look at how compliant they are with the standards for quality of care for equipment,” Bryon said.
The Enzee team is currently building their app from the ground up as they rebrand and expand. But, that is not stopping them from helping a startup do the same thing. Bryon said they are doing CodeLaunch for the spirit of the whole startup and technology community.
“We want to do something fun, get some exposure, and participate in the community,” he said. “That’s really important to us.”
The team is excited to help their finalist startup grow, while also getting a chance to work on something that is different from what they do every day. Learn more about Enzee by heading over to their website.
Centric Consulting
Centric Consulting is an international management consulting firm with high-caliber expertise in business agility and transformation, technology implementation, and technology adoption. They partner with medium and large enterprises to help them realize their business and technology goals.
Columbus Business Unit VP Doug Hood told us he found out about CodeLaunch by reading an article about its arrival in Ohio. The team had been talking about putting on an internal hackathon for about a month, so they were immediately excited about diving head first into CodeLaunch.
What is Centric Consulting most excited about when it comes to the competition?
“We’re excited about getting together with people that we don’t always work with,” Senior Architect Matt Miller said. “Also, getting to ‘nerd out’, while helping a startup.”
Centric’s core values include innovation and igniting a passion for the greater good. So, they believe their partnership with CodeLaunch is a no-brainer.
Now’s Your Chance to Apply for CodeLaunch Ohio 2022
By CA Staff Blogger May 4, 2022
The CodeLaunch Ohio 2022application portal is now OPEN! This means your startup could be accelerated in as little as three months. But, that will only happen if you apply! We will stop taking applications on June 16th at 12:00pm EDT.
Why Should I Apply?
Davidson Theatre in Columbus, OH
That’s a great question with so many answers! First, the competition has no entry fee of any kind. So, it’s FREE to apply and FREE to compete. Your startup will receive a FREE two-day professional developer Hackathon if you make it to the finals, which means you’ll get thousands of dollars worth of free development done to your product.
CodeLaunch Ohio 2022 will be on August 25th at the Davidson Theatre at Riffe Center in Columbus. You don’t have to be located in Ohio to be selected for this event. We are taking applications from anywhere in the United States (and we will be open to international startups during later competitions).
What’s a Hackathon?
The professional hackathon is an all-out, coffee and energy drink-filled coding marathon where professional software and application development teams are paired with CodeLaunch Finalists to build out as much of their product as they can. That product is then demoed live and for the first time in front of the CodeLaunch audience, who then vote for their Overall Winner.
This is what truly sets CodeLaunch apart from the rest of the startup events and we’re super proud of all the Hackathon sponsors who partner with us for each event.
CodeLaunch HOU 2022
The Competition
Speaking of the live demo, our final competition is always a thrilling event! Each CodeLaunch finalist will get to pitch to this room with the product they created or modified during the Hackathon.
This is a rare experience to explain what makes your product unique and marketable. The room is filled with VCs and Angels who want to find startups to invest in. Even if you do not win the competition, you will still have that product and get your name out to the audience.
To learn more about the CodeLaunch experience, you can click here to read all about CodeLaunch HOU 2022!
How to Apply
It’s so easy to apply that you have zero excuses not to! Go to our Application Portal and start the process. You’ll need a pitch deck which we accept through PowerPoint or PDF. Then, you’ll want to have mockups/wireframes. If we select you as a finalist, you’ll have to show us what you hope to build so we can do it through the hackathon. The categories we support are U.S. Commercial, Social Impact, and Youth.
Watch our CodeLaunch Houston 2022 wrap up video and get ready for an awesome experience in Ohio!
Startup DrinKicks Encourages Healthy Living Through Shoes
By CA Staff Blogger April 23, 2022
Startup Founder Kristeen Reynolds is striving to succeed with her startup DrinKicks, which is a health and wellness tech startup with a sneaker twist.
DrinKicks Founder Kristeen Reynolds
Right now, they have a juice product with a QR code on the bottle. When customers scan the code, it takes them to a virtual metaverse experience. Participants will get incentivized for exercising and interacting with their environment. They’ll receive general health tips through the process and will even get taught how to make their own shoes. Kristeen says their ultimate goal is to physically make shoes using their own juice bottle product.
The innovative idea came from a conversation between Kristeen and her Co-Founder Michael Fletcher. They had an inspiring conversation about why people do not understand how important shoes are to their overall health. Michael said people should learn about health through shoes, and that’s how the idea for DrinKicks was born.
The startup applied for CodeLaunch HOU 2022. They were extremely close to making it to the finals but ultimately did not get in. However, Kristeen says it was cool to go through the process. She tells us it helped them learn more about their own product and meet a lot of people in the startup space.
“It challenged us to go out there and get customer feedback,” she says. “So, it was definitely a good experience that helped us take things to the next level or confirm that we are doing the right thing, taking the right steps.”
The DrinKicks idea started in 2020 and they filed for a trademark in 2021. By January 2022, they made the startup official. Now, their goal is to raise money and continue working on development. And when it comes to CodeLaunch, they have not given up yet!
“I’m big on the phrase ‘you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t make,” Kristeen said.
Kristeen plans to apply for CodeLaunch Ohio 2022, which is set for August in Columbus. To learn more about CodeLaunch Ohio 2022, click here.
CodeLaunch Professional Hackathon Team Sponsor Leverture Reflects on Their Amazing CodeLaunch DFW 2021 Experience
By CA Staff Blogger January 25, 2022
Jake Hamann (right) celebrates winning CodeLaunch DFW 2021 on stage with Jason W. Taylor (left)
CodeLaunch DFW 2021 winner AUTIX could not have earned the championship belt without their professional hackathon team sponsor, Leverture. Developers from this information technology and services company located in Plano, TX, worked tirelessly for two, 10-hour days, to help create Autix’s app during the competition’s Hackathon.
Joshua Clounch, the Founder and CEO of Leverture, shared his delight after a successful experience at CodeLaunch DFW.
“I don’t think initially we really fully understood what was going to be the end impact. We were just having fun building what we could, but them [AUTIX] having something in their hands when they did not have something in their hands before is so big.”
– Joshua Clounch
From the numerous benefits of being a professional hackathon team sponsor, Joshua highlighted the ultimate benefit for the developers, which was the ability to work a business idea without any red tape. Leverture worked directly with the startup, which is a quick, fun experience, with fewer constraints. These developers also get a platform to prove to themselves how they can effectively and collaboratively build the best application possible.
“We have seen first-hand that the developers who worked on the project are continuously motivated and direct their excitement towards their work to become even better.” said Jason W. Taylor, Founder of CodeLaunch.
Winning the hackathon has instilled a new wave of electricity and energy in the office. This win is an opportunity for the developers to enhance their personal brand as well as elevate their standing with existing and potential clients.
“Leverture has been a great development partner for us (Autix)” said Jake Hamann CEO, Autix, after the Hackathon.
Jason W. Taylor (left) presents Jake Hamann (middle) and Joshua Clounch (right) with their CodeLaunch DFW 2021 trophy belts
Joining the CodeLaunch community sealed the relationship between Leverture and AUTIX, which continued to flourish after the competition ended. Leverture went above and beyond to provide another two weeks of pro-bono software development to AUTIX. Ensuring the best outcome possible for all.
Given all of the above, Leverture has decided to join CodeLaunch again! They will continue to work with budding startups as a professional hackathon team sponsor for CodeLaunch DFW 2022. We can’t wait to have Mr. Clounch and his team back to help elevate the CodeLaunch experience.
Startup AUTIX Thrives after Winning CodeLaunch DFW 2021
By CA Staff Blogger January 14, 2022
Automotive app startup AUTIX secured the win of the 10th CodeLaunch competition in November, and they have been thriving ever since.
Founder and CEO Jake Hamann tells us he believes CodeLaunch gave them at least a six-month acceleration from where they started last fall. The team has completed their MVP+ of the AUTIX platform with their Hackathon partner Leverture and is now working to morph it into a polished Alpha app+platform that will accommodate paying AUTIX customers early this year.
AUTIX has been selected as a TOP 100 Finalist for Startup of the Year and will head to Tampa, FL to compete for the top spot at the end of January. The startup was hand-picked to compete out of 750 applicants!
Hamann received a major grant from the McKinney, TX Economic Development Corporation Innovation Fund. They also hired three new team members, including a technology adviser and a full-time paid marketing specialist.
When AUTIX became a finalist for CodeLaunch, they did not have anything from a development perspective, according to Hamann. So, he created the user interface design and hired someone to build the database in the back end. During the Hackathon, Leverture basically put both of those things together so they worked in an actual URL through the web.
“It was just a mockup, but CodeLaunch really brought it to life and actually made it work,” said Hamann.
Though it is not accessible to the public quite yet, technically AUTIX is usable right now. This means they have an actual product to show investors, which is extremely rare for startups on the same level. With this advantage, they are now asking investors for $2.5 – $5 million.
What will this money be used for?
“These seed funds will be used to activate our Go-To-Market scale by onboarding our most important asset, our team, as well as strategically bolster our technology stack, operational, marketing/content, and promotional efforts. Utilizing seed funding for scale in this manner in early 2022 enables us to amplify our user and revenue milestones over the next 18-24 months.”
– AUTIX Welcome Letter
Because of CodeLaunch, AUTIX completed a team agreement with ParkUpFront, which is the leading car show and event platform startup that won CodeLaunch in 2016. AUTIX secured meetings with many potential seed investors in these past few months, and they hope to continue this momentum throughout 2022.
Hamann and AUTIX will be on stage taking Q&A as one of our CodeLaunch Crushed It Panelists at our next event which is CodeLaunch Houston on March 30. Startup founders can apply at CodeLaunch.com through midnight Jan 22 to compete for a chance to be accelerated like AUTIX has.
