Posted on: February 16th, 2012 by CapLinked:
CapLinked invited entrepreneurs from across the globe to submit business plans for the right to present in an online pitch-off featuring an all-star panel of judges. And the winner is…
Mobile office phone system OnRelay came away the winner, as declared by CapLinked’s panel of all-star judges.
CapLinked provides companies, investors, and advisors with tools to network, manage a capital raise or asset sale, and exchange updates. CapLinked held the pitch competition to highlight some of the innovative companies using its site. Users were invited to submit their business plans for review, and the entrants were evaluated on their plan’s originality, strategy, and market opportunity.
Each finalist then presented in a live online pitch-off to a heavy-hitting panel of judges that included Alex Maleki (Idealab’s New Venture Group), Jim Andelman (Rincon Venture Partners), Chris Yeh (Silicon Valley angel investor), and Steph Paternot (Slated). The winners were as follows:
1st Place: OnRelay — smartphone-based corporate phone system
2nd Place: Cadreas — construction project management and collaboration software
Runner-Up: NeverWork – online job matching platform for hiring managers
Runner-Up: EnterpriseAdvance – platform with multiple functionability for businesses
“As a serial entrepreneur and a veteran from PayPal, I know how important it is to have a strong network when you’re starting and raising funds for a business,” says CapLinked CEO Eric M. Jackson. “Our goal in organizing this contest was to highlight new companies with innovative approaches to real-world program. We’re thrilled with the quality of the competitors. All of the finalists did an amazing job.”
“We were excited to be invited to present at the CapLinked pitch competition before such an esteemed panel of judges, and we are of course delighted to win,” said Ivar Plahte, CEO of OnRelay. “Hats off to CapLinked for putting together such a smooth event and giving a growth company such as ours a chance to get valuable feedback and exposure.”
Since its public launch last year, CapLinked has skyrocketed to over 100,000 user accounts and $20 billion in private investment deals. The company was co-founded by Eric M. Jackson (PayPal’s first head of US marketing and author of the book “The PayPal Wars”) and Christopher Grey (former managing director at a subsidiary of Emigrant Bank, the largest privately owned bank in the country). Investors in the company include members of the so-called “PayPal Mafia.”
All of the finalists will be profiled on CapLinked’s blog and monthly newsletter. As the 1st place winner, OnRelay will also be interviewed by TechZulu and receive a free advice session from CapLinked’s founding team.