#tripzaar

[usainternship]

See the Grand Canyon the way locals do with Tripzaar

[tripzaar]

BufferBox, Thalmic, and ...???

  The VeloCity Venture fund (VVF) is on a bit of a hot streak.

A year ago, BufferBox won the $25K prize and turned that into a YCombinator spot and a multi-million dollar Google acquisition. 4 months ago, Thalmic Labs won the prize, also got into YCombinator and promptly sold almost $4M worth of gesture control armbands.

Needless to say, winning that prize puts you in some pretty good company. So with the following 4 startups winning the most recent round of VVF last week, it seems like a good time to take an early look and see who might be next to explode.

Disclaimer: We were one of the 4 winners, but I've done my best to keep the content unbiased.

  CircIt: A hardware startup, they've built an inkjet printer that uses conductive & non-conductive ink to rapidly prototype circuit boards in a matter of minutes. For those who havent worked in hardware, this may not seem like a huge deal. But for those that have, you know how valuable this would be. To put it into perspective, the biggest companies typically wait a minimum of two days for a rudimentary circuit board, weeks if it has to be made in China. Having something viable in minutes is a game-changer. People will pay a lot of money for this.

  DraftingSpace: If you've used 99 Designs before, you'll get Drafting Space. They enable homeowners to hold contests for home renovation designs (e.g. homeowner offers $300 for the best design for their new kitchen). Started by a couple architecture students, they know the problem space very well. Obviously you aren't going to get I.M. Pei redesigning your kitchen for you, but I have no doubt that most renovation projects would benefit from some professional love.

  LumoTune: Another ridiculously cool hardware startup, these guys have built a scalable, transparent display that could eventually replace the TV. To be honest, I thought the concept was a little far-fetched when I first heard it, but they've got the street creds (they're all nanotechnology engineers) & word on the street is they have a functional prototype. Even if they don't have all the details locked down yet, the idea has so much potential that you have to take them seriously.

  Tripzaar (us): When you have a local giving you the inside scoop on a destination, you always end up with a better experience. That's the premise of Tripzaar, which allows you to book trips planned and organized by locals. It's a relatively simple concept, but done right, it will change the way you travel. The beta has only been live for a month, but there's already been several trips booked and almost 100 trips available on the site.

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  So there you have it. The four startups who stole the judges hearts to win VVF and battle to be the next BufferBox or Thalmic Labs. 

Since we're one of the four companies, I've held off editorializing, but let's hear everyone's thoughts on which company is the most exciting.

[tripzaar]

Tripzaar wins the VeloCity Venture Fund and Takes Home a Cool $25K

Photo cred to Shubhagata Sengupta, LaunchVault Media

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You know what's awesome?

Helping people travel.

You know what isn't?

A tight budget getting in the way of that.

Up until now, we've been pretty tight with our money. Most of our expenses have been related to keeping the site up and running and making sure the phone lines stay connected. 

And while we're not going to start throwing the money around, there have been a few things we've been wanting to do for a while. Things we're now able to do in good conscience after winning $25K. And good news! They're all fun!

First up, we're getting company t-shirts. And not crappy, low-quality shirts with the logo across the chest like most companies. We're talking high-quality American Apparel, custom designed t-shirts. The kind you'd be proud to wear. To celebrate, we're going to be giving some away for free. The details are still getting finalized, but you're going to want one. It's not everyday you get one of the first company t-shirts ever made. When we start the giveaway, we'll announce it on Twitter & Facebook (as well as here), so be sure to follow us there.

Second, we're getting some stickers. This is pretty much a rite of passage for any startup. While not as exciting as the t-shirts, it's still a great way to show the Tripzaar love, so make sure to pay attention for that.

And finally, we're going to be holding a contest for a free trip. What will the contest be? That's a secret. Will it be awesome? You know it. Because if you win, you get a free trip. If trips are awesome, free trips are awesom-er. Since the stakes are higher, this contest will be a bit more involved, but nothing too ridiculous. Just know that you have to bring your A-game.

All in all, a very exciting couple months ahead of us! So make sure to stay tuned.

And to everyone who came out and supported us yesterday at the VeloCity Venture Fund finals, thanks a ton! We really appreciate it.