The following are updates from Duke alumni-led startups as of August 2012. The alumni listed here have volunteered to give updates. If you have an update, email hwr2@duke.edu
Aaron Aycock,
2005
Email: aaron@cubevibe.com
Startup Name: CubeVibe
Location: Atlanta
Update:
StartupRiot Finalist
TAG Top 40 Most Innovative Companies
Enterprise 2.0 People's Choice
HR Technology Conference "Awesome
New Tech"
We've launched our product and we're
currently implementing a big new customer this month!
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Adding 1-2 advisors from
HR Tech Space
Rachel Cook,
2006
Email: rachel.cook@alumni.duke.edu
Startup Name: Seeds
Location: New York, NY and Nairobi, Kenya
Update:
We were recently approved by the App
Store, and disbursed our first loan in Nairobi with the help of a team of Duke
students and alums. We will be taking
Seeds on a 50+ stop University Tour beginning this fall at Duke, in conjunction
with screenings of The Microlending Film Project, my global documentary
exploring the impact of microloans on women.
Partners joining us on the University Tour include ACCION, Women's World
Banking, and Investours.
Next Milestone:
Finding a co-founder, Raising money
Scott Dacko,
1993
Email: scott@flicmob.com
Startup Name: Flicmob
Location: New York City
Update:
Flicmob.com is in limited public beta.
We have 100+ filmmakers signed up to help test & refine the product.
There are two TV pilots shooting in Los
Angeles & New Orleans that are launching on the platform in October. We'll
make a big public push around those projects & our new original content
product.
Actively looking for content to help
launch - working with indie film producers, TV documentarians, web series
producers, etc. Also looking for co-founders for the platform - technical &
business development.
Next Milestone:
Expanding
Jason Ethier,
2010
Email: jason@dynamo-micropower.com
Startup Name: Dynamo Micropower
Location: Boston
Update:
Proofs of concept completed under NSF
SBIR Phase I grant
Won Best pitch at New Energy Symposium
in NYC
Semifinalist in Mass Challenge & CTO
Full scale prototype to be completed
soon
VP of Engineering to be hired in
soon (Keep an eye out for a job listing
soon)
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Developing a prototype
Katie Finnegan,
2010
Email: katie.finnegan@hukkster.com
Startup Name: Hukkster
Location: New York, NY
Update:
The start-up is currently in private
beta (launched May 2012) and we are in the process of preparing for a public
launch in September! The site will be
completely re branded and have a lot of new functionality, just in time for
Christmas shopping!
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Expanding
Michael Gagliardi,
1989
Email: mgagliardi@austin.rr.com
Startup Name: Jackson Electronics, LLC
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Update:
We have been shipping our first product,
iRoc for iPhone, since August 2011. We
are working on several development projects including a Double DIN version of
iRoc, an iPad attachment, and a telematics capability. We are currently looking for investors to
expand our distribution channel and complete developments through
manufacturing. For more information,
please visit www.iRoconline.com.
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Expanding
Daisy Jing,
2010
Email: daiserz@gmail.com
Startup Name: Perfect Beauty
Location: Los Angeles, California
Update:
Private beta, raising money
Next Milestone:
Raising money
Anne Kallus,
2007
Email: akallus@gmail.com
Startup Name: GearListed
Location: SUNNYVALE
Update:
We're planning a beta launch 9/6.
Feedback is welcome. We're also looking for sports & outdoor enthusiasts to
help out with engineering & community management.
Next Milestone:
Finding a co-founder, improving
engagement & monetization
Matt Koidin,
2005
Email: mkoidin@gmail.com
Startup Name: Pocket
Location: San Francisco, CA
Update:
We closed our Series B of $5M last month
with lead investor Foundation Capital along with Google Ventures and Baseline
Ventures.
We're actively hiring developers and an
analytics lead. See here for details: http://getpocket.com/jobs
Next Milestone:
Expanding
Jason Langheier,
2009
Email: j@zipongo.com
Startup Name: Zipongo, Inc
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Update:
http://www.zipongo.com/jobs:
VP Engineering
VP Product
UX & Visual Design
Account & Project Management
Operations Manager
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/25/zipongo-seed-round/
Next Milestone:
Expanding, Talent recruitment, National
product launch, Sales to health payors and retailers
Yoav Lurie,
2005
Email: yoav@simpleenergy.com
Startup Name: Simple Energy
Location: Boulder, CO
Update:
We're live in over 550,000 homes with
two of the biggest utilities in the country (SDG&E and Pepco) and have over
$1mm in YTD bookings.
Next Milestone:
Raising money
Kathryn Minshew,
2008
Email: kmminshew@gmail.com
Startup Name: The Daily Muse
Location: New York, NY
Update:
Great - we've blown past 1M users and
are moving the HQ back to New York at the end of August!
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Expanding
Colin Mutchler,
1999
Email: colin@loudsauce.com
Startup Name: LoudSauce
Location: San Francisco
Update:
We recently reached a milestone: our
crowdfunded ads have now reached over 30 million (from the $130k pledged on our
platform). http://visual.ly/crowdfunded-advertising-people
After exploring the crowdfunding of ads
across many media, our upcoming beta platform will be exclusively focused on
collaborative video buying. We've learned that video is the sweet spot of being
both emotionally compelling to funders, and operationally effective (and
scalable) from the targeting and buying side.
We're raising an angel round this fall
to roll out the platform and expand beyond political advocacy to include
passionate supporters of film, music and maker culture.
We have a strong small team including a
solid Rails developer, and would benefit from a senior product focused CTO and
a social video guru with video buying experience who wants to deeply disrupt
the advertising industry.
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Expanding
Griff Parker
Email: griffparker@gmail.com
Startup Name: WellAlly, Inc.
Location: Wayne
Update:
Today’s employer offered health
improvement benefits are inefficient and outdated. Traditional programming,
consisting of pre-selected workplace-centric supplier combinations, does little
to change unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.
WellAlly’s is being developed to work
differently. Our web-based systems enable promoting healthier lifestyle choices
by Individually Designed Activity Selections
(i.e., Use 3rd party resources and integrated performance-based
incentives).
We are building the team, web-based
knowledge-center, analytic capabilities and delivery systems to lead a new era
of delivery individualization. We are looking for IT talent to help design is
how it works.
Next Milestone:
Finding a co-founder, Raising money,
Developing a prototype
Dan Pollard, 1992
Email: dan@mydrugcosts.com
Startup Name: myDrugCosts, Inc.
Location: Research Triangle Park, NC
Update:
NEEDS:
1. Growth funding
2. A strong sales and business
development executive with experience selling prescription drug benefits to
large employers and partners.
RECENT NEWS:
Here are some of our most recent wins in
the market:
1. SEANC Selects myDrugCosts to Lower
Prescription Drug Costs
RALEIGH, NC, August 15, 2012 -- The
State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) has selected myDrugCosts,
a mobile software service which helps individuals save money on prescription
drugs, to provide service to SEANC’s 55,000 members.
Read more
http://mydrugcosts.com/2012/seanc-selects-mydrugcosts-to-lower-prescription-drug-costs/
2. myDrugCosts Selected for CED Tech
Venture Conference 2012
Durham, NC CED, the Southeast’s largest
entrepreneurial support organization, announced the second group of companies
selected to participate in the Demo Showcase at the CED Tech Venture Conference
2012 on Sept. 11-12 at the Raleigh Convention Center.
Read more:
http://mydrugcosts.com/2012/mydrugcosts-selected-for-ced-tech-venture-conference-2012/
3. Employees report saving money on
prescription drugs using tool from myDrugCosts in the June 15, 2012 issue of
Employee Benefit News
The preliminary results of a pilot
project involving a large, self-funded employer and a new mobile application,
myDrugCosts, show that 42% of employees who used the voluntary benefit reported
saving money on their prescription drug costs.
Read the full article:
http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/mydrugcosts-wwl-pharmacy-costs-drugs-generics-smartphone-2725099-1.html
4. myDrugCosts Wins Best Consumer App at
2012 Health Datapalooza
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 5, 2012 –
myDrugCosts was awarded First Place in the Consumer App category by the Health
Data Initiative at its third annual Forum, The Health Datapalooza. myDrugCosts, and its best-in-class
transparency and comparison solution for lowering prescription drug costs, was
presented the award by Howard Koh, MD, MPH, Assistant Secretary for Health for
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Read more:
http://mydrugcosts.com/2012/mydrugcosts-wins-best-consumer-app-at-2012-health-datapalooza/
See the presentation:
http://vimeo.com/44461066
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Expanding
Jason Sender,
1997
Email: jason.sender@gmail.com
Startup Name: Innovation Logistics
Location:
Update:
We are finding it very difficult to
raise funds.
Next Milestone:
Raising money
Brandon Warner,
2008
Email: brandon@simpleregistry.com
Startup Name: SimpleRegistry
Location: Durham, NC and Cincinnati, OH
Update:
Raised a seed round in 2012 with
CinciTech
Next Milestone:
Raising money, Expanding
Crick Waters, 1983, 1992
Email: crick@alumni.duke.dedu
Startup Name: Conga
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Update:
Conga Beta is Open!
I welcome all DukeGEN'ers to sign up and
try our Social Discovery tool.
Here's a direct link with invitation
code:
http://www.conga.com/signup/2-11219-0-1340684809230-025dc473f8484a909646c989414d0dfe/
About:
Conga is a social relevance platform.
We apply sophisticated algorithms to the connection data from your
LinkedIn, Facebook, and other profiles.
We create a mathematical expression of you that lets us determine how
well anyone might fit with you.
Do a search in Conga and we'll tell you
who is likely to be the best fit for you and why.
Give it a whirl. It works.
And there is much more to come.
Thanks,
Crick
Next Milestone:
Raising money
Update:
From Seed to Growth
Over 30 Clients ranging from closely held private companies to $25B market cap public companies since going commercial 18 mos ago
Cash Flow Positive
100% Client Retention
Next Milestone:
Identifying/Adding Tech Advisors, 300% Growth in 12 Mos, Hiring 1 Customer Success Manager, 1-2 Outside Sales Reps, & 2 Additional Developers w/ interests in predictive analytics, OCR, & GIS
Jessica Faye Carter, 2002
Startup Name: Toour
Location: Connecticut
Update:
Mentioned in TechCrunch article on social travel
Currently in alpha
Several hundred users have signed up for our upcoming private beta
Next Milestone:
Private beta, Add a couple of advisors in travel space, raising money
