We’ve written before about the vibrant startup scene for tech companies in Chicago, and last night’s Built in Chicago launch further solidified the truth: the Windy City is quickly becoming the place for cool, innovative techiness, and there’s a growing community that supports and encourages these endeavors. Last night, 300+ Chicago startup enthusiasts poured into Rockit Bar on West Hubbard street, where hands were shaken and drinks were consumed. When Built in Chicago CEO Maria Katris got on the mic to make some announcements, she asked three questions: Who here is running a startup and is now hiring? Who here wants to work at a startup? Who here is considering investing in a startup? Hands flew up for each question, and so began an evening of innovation-fueled excitement, with five different tech startups pitching their various apps and services to the crowd. Here’s a quick rundown of what we heard:
Classwork
This little app enables teachers to gauge student understanding without waiting for homework to be turned in. Classwork is all about feedback: teachers can use the app to allow the students to solve a proof right there in class on their iPads. The teacher will see each student’s work in real time and then be able to provide real-time feedback before assigning larger assignments. We blogged recently about the influence Chicago’s educational landscape has on the tech community, and Classwork is clearly poised to make change.
SayHey!
SayHey! is all about making communications awesome. It uses your current location to help you interact and network with the people around you, first sending an icebreaker question and then enabling you to send a fixed number of text messages to someone in the same location as you networking event, soccer game, or bar before then being led to interact with that person face-to-face. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, SayHey! straddles the line between digital and personal interaction.
Notably
Notably relies on the collective Facebook users’ annoyance with unnewsworthy news on the newsfeed. Rather than users having to sift through food pictures and check-ins, Notably enables you to see only the true news of your friends and connections: job changes, marriages, etc. Personalizing user experience is truly the thing.
savvo
Savvo isn’t an app, but a kiosk that would find its home in various wine reselling locations, enabling users to find just the right wine. With benefits for both consumers and suppliers, savvo is definitely an interesting initiative in the landscape of strategic marketing.
GimmeAnother
Everyone knows the time-honored phrase Gimme another! in the context of a bar setting. But the app GimmeAnother enables users to refill more than their beer, making it possible to purchase often-refilled items like furnace filters, coffee, and more with the quick of a button. The journey to removing any and all hassle in mobile shopping just got easier.
The apps were interesting. The kiosk is cool. But what wowed us more than anything else was the excitement in the room: the willingness of attendees to hear these pitches and not only clap for them, but to seek them out, get their card, and help out. Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love, but Chicago may be a contender when it comes to the spirit between startups that we witness at events like these. Look out, world: Chicago’s on the move.