We’ve written quite a bit over the last year or so about Startup Weekend, a phenomenon that’s helped raise interest worldwide in the concept of entrepreneurship. Last year, they took it global and called it the Global Startup Battle, pitting startups from everywhere against each other in a competition of sorts to decide which was the “best” (more on why that’s in quotes later). Last year’s winner was a group from Hong Kong called After Ship, and clearly this contest helped them get ahead much faster than if they had been on their own.
I say “best” in quotes, because, let’s be honest, to some extent it’s a marketing contest because it’s all about getting people to vote on Facebook for the winner. You can say it’s meritocratic or you can call it a popularity contest, but you could also argue that getting lots of people to vote for your company is a test of your marketing skillz.
Regardless, it’s off and running again, and there are an impressive number of teams from Latin America competing. We’ve been asked for coverage by a few of them, so we thought it only fair to try to get the word out on ALL competitors in LatAm. So, without further delay (and in no particular order), here are the voting pages for LatAm competitors in #GSB2012 — support your favorite!
“Know about the history of every interesting place where you are and share with QrCode.”
“Unconventional packaging system, where you can be the sender, the receiver or the system yourself.”
“Identification system for pets’ traceability”
“Alternate reality video game that turns your town into an RPG.”
“Revolutionary educational platform that allows deaf kids to learn sign language supported by interactive content.”
“Socially shame people who park badly & illegally”
“Bounce Tangerine community gets rewarded while easily finding and recommending ideal spots for every taste.”
“The easiest way to live off campus. (First place Querétaro, México)”
“A web and mobile platform that allows interaction between citizens and their representatives.”
“An app for urban cyclists that allows easy sharing of routes and bike-friendly venues.”
“Better interaction for residents of gated communities.”
“We offer collaborative playlist creation for parties and establishments in a fun and gamified way.”
“A realtime feedback platform for restaurants owners and managers. Like telepathy with customers.”
“Pilgrim works as a bridge between new travelers and families that provide homey hosting at low prices.”
“We help spanish speaking moms trade baby items to improve their economy and build communities.”
“Social Video Network to share intense moments of 10 seconds.”
“TaxiYa is a mobile platform that connects taxi drivers with customers.”
“Linking a need with assistance in real time taking advantage of social and localization technologies.”
