Though it may seem to be a particularly rough time to start a business, many experts say a recession is the best time to get going on that entrepreneurial venture.
So I love the idea of Silicon Alley Insider’s Startup 2010 Competition (in conjunction with New York University’s Stern School of Business and sponsored by General Catalyst Partners).
It’s a one-day business plan cage match in which 10 top entrepreneurial, digital startups compete for a whole heckuva lot buzz – and $100,000. The prize includes a $25,000 cash investment from General Catalyst and the remainder in goods and services that include six months of New York City office space, legal services, web hosting and the opportunity to launch at DEMO, among others.
This year’s focus is on the meeting point between location-based digital services and the mobile market. Yes, Dennis Crowley from Foursquare will be there. In and around the 10 pitches and the judges’ questions will be breakout sessions on making money with mobile, mobile apps and VC firms talking about how they choose what they’re investing in.
Last year’s winner was legal startup ArticleOne Partners, which crowdsources patent validity – in other words, it uses the collective knowledge of the the intellectual property community to help determine if a patent application is actually for something new or based on someone else’s work.
The competition is May 20 at the Stern School, 44 W. Fourth St., and students there can attend for free. Tickets are $295. Even for those not competing for the prize, it seems it would be a good opportunity for entrepreneurs to rub elbows with their friends, competitors and potential investors.
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