It has been an exciting past couple of months in which we have accepted applications for the 2017 Hatch Quarter Startup Prize. Run this year for the first time, we were utterly blown away by the quality of ideas that were put forth and definitely had our work cut out for us when it came time to narrow down our list of finalists.
For those who are just joining the conversation, the startup prize brings together the expertise of Hatch Quarter, Mo Works and Blitzm Systems to offer $33 000 in startup services to the winning team. For early-stage startups, such a prize can be positively life changing and we were thrilled to see this new incentive receive such an immediate response from the public.
After carefully reviewing all of the applications, we picked out five finalists based on our selection criteria. What these finalists had in common was their level of commitment and passion for their ideas and the originality and promise that their ideas showcased.
5 Bright Startup Ideas
The brainchild of Lee and Jessica Wisniewski, Fidget aims to solve the barriers faced by mortgage holders through an online platform equipped to handle all of their mortgage needs. What we loved about this team was their first-hand experience with and understanding of market needs and their dedication to using technology to innovate the mortgage broker industry.
Joining Fidget as a finalist was Reputationaire, the startup idea of Andrew Hine. Delving into the possibility of improving the way we seek employment, this startup lets you use the reputation that you have already built up to boost your success whenever you are active in the job market. Among the things that made this startup stand out to us was the possibility to use blockchain technology to enhance its potential.
Bringing the work of local artists into office environments through a cleverly curated subscription service, ColourSpace aims to help people reconnect with art and benefit from an enlivened professional space. Scott Ko is truly passionate about art and fully committed to his idea. Like Scott, we agreed that there is nothing like ColourSpace out there right now.
My Soirée aims to become the solution to booking talented and professional musicians to perform at your next event. Helen Punton has experience in the creative industry as well as a thorough understanding of the ins-and-outs of organising live performances and the difficulty that artists and musicians can encounter when they look for work. This level of industry awareness was part of the reason why we felt My Soirée had to be included in this year's finalists.
Picked as a finalist for more than one prize this year, Capriess is an online wedding marketplace that helps you meet your designated wedding budget without knocking any important items off your list. Some of the things that projected Capriess into our list of finalists were the well-evidenced potential for it to scale and Co-Founder Emilia Rossi's belief in lean solutions.
One Incredible Winner
After hearing the impressive pitches of each of our finalists, our panel of judges met to swap their opinions and vote on the winner. A decision was made and we can reveal Scott Ko and the rest of the team at ColourSpace as the recipients of the major prize.
“Scott delivered a great pitch and included all the information we needed to make our final decision. He seems to have the right skills and level of passion for his idea. We look forward to working with him,” said Aiman – Hatch Quarter Director.
This announcement is really just the beginning of what will be an incredibly exciting period of working with ColourSpace and supporting their success. If you would like to know more about the prize or our passion for working with startups, please get in touch with us.