SeePort, a company that makes "video window" wifi devices and software that connect people with live video chat, won the Grand Prize at the Founder Showcase in Mountain View last night. Lauren Elliot, Founder and CEO of SeePort, won $2,500 in cash, a place on stage at the DEMO conference, free pitching slots at the Keiretsu Forum and free services from Cooley and oDesk by gathering the most votes from the sold out 315 person audience and final approval from the judging panel. There was a tense moment with a near tie from the realtime audience voting system provided by myQaa. The on stage Showcase judges were George Zachary of Charles River Ventures, Rebecca Lynn of Morgenthaler Ventures, Jed Katz of Javelin Venture Partners, Jason Calacanis of Mahalo and Sarah Lacy from TechCrunch. Here is a video of their winning presentation:
SeePort wins Founder Showcase.
SeePort develops software and hardware solutions to enable video telepresence for the mass market. Their standalone and consumer-friendly devices cost less than $200 and are easy to configure through a touch screen interface, providing a video window between grandparents and grandchildren, long distance relationships, friends and business applications. The device looks like a digital picture frame and is designed to interoperate with FaceTime and other video phone applications.
SeePort has functioning prototypes and plans to release the product by CES 2011. They have also formed a marketing and sales partnership with a major multinational US corporation that produces imaging, photographic materials and equipment. SeePort is a graduate of the Bay Area Founder Institute program, and the first graduate to win the Founder Showcase.
"Winning the Founder Showcase was incredible, and I am very grateful to Adeo and the Founder Institute," says Lauren Elliot, Founder and CEO of SeePort. "The response from the venture community to SeePort has been overwhelming."
Aprendi Learning, which provides software for universities to build, grow and manage large online classes and degree programs, came in a close second as the official Runner-Up.
A limited number of half-price tickets are on sale here for the next event in Mountain View on October 21st, 2010. Enjoy
