This post was written by Maya Sydlowski, coordinator at Columbia Startup Weekend.
EquipmentShare took first at the fourth-annual Startup Weekend Columbia.
The fourth-annual Startup Weekend Columbia sold out for the fourth consecutive year with 125 participants, including 64 non-technical, 41 developers and 20 designers.
There were 43 ideas pitched Friday, with 18 teams selected for final judging on Sunday. A breakdown of the teams can be found here.
EquipmentShare.com, a peer-to-peer equipment rental platform took home the grand prize and top honors this weekend. And by Sunday, they had already had their first sale. Contractors and individuals are provided with a marketplace where both parties can make money off their dormant equipment by renting the equipment.
Taking second place was OMbiance Mats, which develops yoga mats that feel like home while simultaneously acting as home decor—they also won for best presentation.
Coming in third was The Wandering Turtle (whose name is Steve). They help travelers, “those who wander,” figure out where their next destination should be based on their interests and likes, while also offering the best food and entertainment in the travel area.
Prizes for this year’s top three winners included cash prizes of $2,000, $1,000 and $500. We were also able to give away a $500 cash prize for a social award to Popcycle. The theme with this year’s prizes was focused around resources to help the companies grow and succeed after Startup Weekend. Space at the Downtown Incubator will be provided to all three teams, along with a pie from Peggy Jean’s Pies, and the top two teams will be able to present to Centennial Investors along with online marketing consulting from Magnifyre. The top team will also receive a Missouri.com feature and consulting from Lift Division, and a spot to present at 1 Million Cups.
“This year, there were more teams that I believe are going to continue on past Sunday night than previous years and it’s beyond exciting,” said Mike Knoop, co-founder of Zapier (and Columbia Startup Weekend’s first-year winner).
The event this weekend was able to draw in some amazing mentors and judges, ranging in a variety of different industries and skill sets. Take a peek at this blog post to read more information on our mentors and judges.
Startup Weekend Columbia will host a closing party on Oct. 16 from 7-9 p.m. at Logboat Brewery. The event will feature a resource fair to give teams access and support to continue their startup journey.
It’s amazing to see the energy and innovation erupting from Columbia’s entrepreneurial community year after year. Thanks to all of the participants, local and global sponsors, and the organizing committee for making this one of Columbia’s most successful entrepreneurial events.
