South By Southwest has always been a place to tell the world that you have arrived. Even when SXSW was just a small music festival, bands used it as a launchpad.
The reputation has grown with tech launches. Even though Twitter didn't launch at SXSW, that's when it really caught fire. Foursquare uncloaked its location-based app at SXSW in 2009. And many will also recall Meerkat's activation in 2015, which was followed by its demise a year or so later.
And those are just the famous ones. Dozens of other startups have used the massive festival to try to capture the attention of the huge number of journalists, potential customers and partners who attend.
This year, we've spotted five Austin startups launching at SXSW this year. And one, Firefly Space Systems, is sort of re-launching. Of course, each of these companies has been working on their startups for months -- even years. But, for the most part, each saved their coming out parties for SXSW 2018.
Here's a look at the new startups.
Look who showed up to the party @WoodisColt @INSpectahDECKWU #sxsw #wutang still ain’t nothin to fuck with! pic.twitter.com/46DWQGklI9
— Strangeworks ® (@Strangeworks) March 14, 2018
Strangeworks
whurley easily had the biggest SXSW launch of any Austin startup -- or from any other place, for that matter. The startup was featured on opening day in the Austin Business Journal. That was followed by whurley's SXSW keynote presentation on quantum computing to a fully-packed main room at the Austin Convention Center. And that was followed by the launch of his new quantum computing software startup, Strangeworks, which had its own official SXSW party at Container Bar on Rainey Street that had Crystal Method as its musical performer -- and Wu Tang Clan members also showed up. Read more about whurley's keynote presentation here.
Spendindie
Thad Beversdorf has been exploring ways to help consumers buy more from independent businesses for years. It started as a nonprofit conducting research about private businesses putting more of their profits back into the local community than publicly-traded giants. That evolved into Spendindie, a marketplace where you can find goods from independent businesses without the need to create a new shopping cart and learn a new checkout process at each individual online store. The startup is also incentivizing people to upload photos of new products to its app or site. If that upload gets enough likes and goes onto the marketplace, the user gets a small cut of each sale. Read more here.
Valkyrie Labs
Valkyrie Intelligence, an applied science consulting firm led by Founder and CEO Charlie Burgoyne, launched Valkyrie Labs. It's a joint venture with BuildGroup to launch and scale A.I software and hardware tech. Though it just launched Wednesday, it has already built a device to process neural network training at high speeds.
ICON
Want to make a splash at SXSW? Build a house. And build it with tech. And build it with the intent to make it a social good project to improve our world. ICON did exactly that with a new partnership with the nonprofit, New Story. They teamed up to 3-D print a house out of concrete and other materials. Using the Vulcan printer, they can print a house in under 24 hours for under $4,000. They plan to unleash its potential by building homes for people in need in El Salvador.
Rocket Dollar
Henry Yoshida had a big SXSW two years ago when the company he co-founded, Honest Dollar, was acquired by Goldman Sachs. Now, he's on to his next startup: Rocket Dollar, which helps you invest your 401(k) money into other opportunities such as startups, real estate or cryptocurrencies. The company, co-founded by Thomas Young, pitched its way into Austin Inno Tech Madness on March 1, and it is preparing for its official launch later this week. Stay tuned.
Firefly Space Systems (relaunch)
After funding troubles that led to a shutdown, Firefly Aerospace is back up and shooting for the stars -- or at least low-Earth orbit. The company has one of is rockets at the SXSW Trade Show and has taken bus loads of folks up to its test-firing site north of Austin in Briggs and its headquarters in Cedar Park.
