MassChallenge Gold Winners!

On October 24, 2011, Artaic walked away with a share of the $1 million prize money at the 2011 MassChallenge Awards Ceremony. As a Gold Prize winnner, Artaic took home $50,000 – but the money is only a tiny portion of what Artaic got out of the MassChallenge experience.

The second annual $1M competition launched on March 7 and attracted 733 applications from 24 countries and 34 states. The 125 highest-impact, highest-potential startups were invited as competition finalists to participate in a 3-month accelerator providing intensive mentoring and access to free resources including office space, legal support and targeted introductions to customers and funding sources.

Artaic CEO, Ted Acworth, Presenting at the MassChallenge Award Ceremony

From those 125, 26 finalists were picked for final judging and to present their companies at the Award Ceremonies. Other speakers at the three-hour awards event at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center included Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who touted the benefits of MassChallenge.

Over our history, Boston has been home to many revolutionary ideas. We continue a proud tradition of innovation on the thriving Boston Waterfront, where MassChallenge plays an integral role. Together, we’re showing that the Innovation District is the best place for startups to become upstarts.
-Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino

At the ceremony, the 26 Winners were judged on impact, feasibility, and execution – and the prize money was divided accordingly:

Diamond Prize Winners

• Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc - Alkeus is a biotechnology company developing novel treatments for blindnes
• Sanergy – Sanergy makes it profitable to provide sanitation services in urban
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• Tinfoil Security – Automated web security for small businesses like us who are ‘too busy shipping’ to worry about security.

Gold Prize Winners

• Artaic - Artaic creates custom tile mosaics using robotic manufacturing and computer aided design systems.
• ArtVenue – ArtVenue.com changes the game for artists by making it simple to book shows in local businesses.
• Casa Couture, Inc. – Casa Couture launches first maternity shoe on the market with patented technology designed just for pregnancy.
• Cocomama Foods – Cocomama Foods is a nutrition-based, gluten-free food brand
• Drync – “Groupon for Wine”
• EverTrue – EverTrue connects donor databases with the social graph to offer better prospect intelligence
• Her Campus Media – Her Campus-online mag for college women w natl + local content + innovative marketing capabilities
• Invup – Invup promotes, quantifies and rewards social involvement with the power of game dynamics and social media.
• lynx sportswear – No bouncing breasts! Patent-pending Lynx Sports Bra=unprecedented comfort, control for large-breasted women.
• Resolute Marine Energy – Our objective is to commercialize a wave energy driven desalination system by 2013 and achieve ROI>10 by 2015
• SmarterShade (Lono LLC) – Imagine – being able to electronically darken a window with the flip of a switch. This is SmarterShade.
• SocMetrics – SocMetrics helps companies engage key influencers in their niche to build word of mouth and grow sales
• Therapeutic Systems – Vayu is a medical device that helps people with autism break down barriers and become more engaged in life.
• UberSense – UberSense enables athletes & coaches improve using video analysis and social collaboration on mobile/web apps.

Silver Prize Winners

• ARO Medical, which makes an implantable brace for back surgery patients
• Bioarray Therapeutics, a cancer diagnostics company
• Circumventive, a stealthy security tech startup
• Driveway, which connects drivers with auto insurance providers
• Finalta, a company specializing in software for institutional asset managers
• PK Clean, a plastic waste-to-energy company
• Privy, a Web marketing platform for local merchants
• Pintley, a beer website and app for brewers and consumers
• The Tap Lab, a mobile location-based game startup.

Congratulations to all the winners and to MassChallenge for a successful ceremony and ultimately for assisting the growth of startups worldwide!

More on the Awards Ceremony

More on MassChallenge

View Artaic CEO, Ted Acworth talk about the MassChallenge win