UPDATED 07:31 EDT / MARCH 14 2013

5 Notable Startups at #SXSW 2013 [and a Troll]

Startups know that one of the best places to catch the attention of consumers, investors, and possible partners, is at South by Southwest.

SXSW has become an official startup haven, now that there’s a dedicated venue, Startup Village, where budding entrepreneurs get to showcase what could very well be the next “big thing” in the industry.  But even beyond Startup Village, SXSW is full of new opportunities to market and discover the entrepreneurial spirit.

Here’s some of the most notable startups to make a splash at SXSW this year, both in and outside of Startup Village:

Kiip

Founded by CEO Brian Wong, this app add-on rewards you for virtual achievements.  If you’re addicted to mobile games, achieving something like finishing a level without losing life could reward you with a Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks.

The point of the app is to translate game achievements into real-life perks.  It’s a new way of advertising.  Instead of giving mobile users annoying pop-up mobile ads, a brand can advertise by giving rewards.

“When you’re playing games, mobile ads are annoying and interruptive,” said Wong.  “What if you could level-up, hit an achievement, say in Angry Birds or something like that, and get a free latte from the Starbucks across the street?”

SweetLabs

Though many believe that the PC era is dying, SweetLabs believe that it still has so much to offer, with plenty more unexplored opportunities.

SweetLabs has two offerings, OpenCandy and Pokki.  OpenCandy is an ad network for apps on PCs which helps developers make money with their apps and reach more users.  Pokki, on the other hand, is a software that delivers the mobile experience to the PC.

CardFlick

With the use of Facebook or Instagram, CardFlick lets users create a digital business card which you can distribute to people.  It eliminates the need for actual business cards that people often discard.  Users can design their digital cards the way they want, and effortlessly distribute them at events such as SXSW where there are lots of potential investors or partners in attendance.

Belly

Belly wants to be the ultimate loyalty program.  Instead of keeping a number of apps or cards for each store you shop at, all you’ll need is Belly.  It stores all the loyalty points you accumulate and allow you to use them at the appropriate stores.  Sometimes, just visiting a store  can earn you points, no purchases required.  The beauty of this app is that it’s just one app, no need to worry yourself with multiple apps.  Simple in concept and use.

Fake Grimlock

Fake Grimlock is a giant robot dinosaur who’s writing a book, and that’s what he needs help with.  The book in the works is Me, FakeGrimlock and if you’re interested in backing it, it’s on Kickstarter.  It still has 24 days to go, but it has already exceeded its funding goal.

The book is about teaching the world how to be awesome.  He wrote everything he knows about being awesome and wants share his knowledge to anyone interested.  This robotic dinosaur even has some tips about attending huge events such as SXSW, like booking hotels and flight, some advice on meeting famous people, and what events to hit.

SXSW Troll

Gimmicks, like a giant robot dinosaur, are sure to get people’s attention.  But there’s one company, not a startup but on that helps startups, that pulled a huge trick at SXSW.

Even before SXSW, one company sent out packages containing a yam (yes, the root crop) and instructions as to what to do with the yam when you get to SXSW.  The package was apparently sent by Yamtrader.com, a startup company which is “an online marketplace for yam enthusiasts and traders.”

Attendees were instructed to bring the yams at SXSW in exchange for a $50 AmEx gift card.  And who would refuse a free gift card?

When attendees arrived at the Yamtrader.com booth, they weren’t welcomed by a huge pile of yams or yam-loving people, they were greeted by Tri-Net.

Tri-Net is a cloud services company that deals with HR, payroll, IT backend issues for small startup companies.

So what’s the deal with the yam?  Jock Breitwieser, Tri-Net director of communications, said in an interview with AllThingsD that they did it to show how easy it is to get the right attention with a simple marketing strategy.

Check out Then Came the Talking Shoe… and a Grumpy Cat. #SXSW 2013, Big Data Still Complex, Just Like SXSW Party Plans, and Smartest of the Ambient Apps at SXSW 2013 for more SXSW coverage.


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