And the winner of SmartCamp Paris 2012 is…CaptainDash!
CaptainDash came first out of the three finalists competing in Paris. It was definitely not an easy decision to make and all three companies have caught the eye of various attendees.
On this sunny day, the event started with private mentoring sessions in the morning for all three finalists. Many thanks to the mentors who brought valuable insight and advice to the table; we can not stress enough how great it is to see so many quality people coming to Paris, even from abroad.
The public session began early in the afternoon with Olivier Ezratty delivering a quality speech on entrepreneurship. The discussion continued in a round-table with our mentors dedicated to French entrepreneurship, in which they evaluated the current situation and looked into possible paths for future success.
IBM took the stage too with a strong presentation about Smarter Cities by Saylvie Spalmacin-Roma, the European VP for Smarter Cities, making the connection between Smarter Planet and Global Entrepreneur.
Finally, the three startups took over to give their pitches, facing the public. For some in the audience this was a discovery of strong companies and products, for the investors present it was an opportunity to evaluate options for investment, and for our jury it was the final piece they needed to choose a winner. CaptainDash came out on top and is now on a preferred route to Berlin (for the regional SmartCamp finals) and beyond.
As the curtain falls on a busy day, this event confirmed the great traction held by SmartCamp and Global Entrepreneur. The “business chats” which occurred during a networking cocktail hour were also part of what made the day such a success.
At the conclusion of SmartCamp Paris 2012 we are left not only with a fantastic winner, but also with new opportunities, connections, and bright ideas for the future. Congratulations to CaptainDash and all of our finalists, and we look forward to continuing the work of getting smart new startups on the path to success!
Special thanks to our valued mentors: Emmanuel Leprince (Pacte PME), Emmanuel Libaudière (Réseau Entreprendre), Joël Rubino (IBM), John Lewis (DojoBoost), Philippe Herbert (Banexi Ventures), Aurélie Wirotius-Lenglart (programme InnoTech / Réseau Entreprendre), Anne Carriere (IBM), Damien Mahinc (programme InnoTech / Réseau Entreprendre), Stephen Seuntjens (Personal Health Solutions), Denis Jacquet (Parrainer la Croissance / EduFactory), Sylvie Spalmacin-Roma (IBM), Martin Kelly (IBM), Carsten Kølbek (Startupbootcamp), Anne Barthelet-Mollard (IBM), Nicolas Landrin (I-Source), Michel Coster (EM Lyon), Gregory Tulquois (DLA Piper), Eric Morand (Ubifrance), Jean-Bernard Guerrée (World Investment Conference / Avise Partners).
Post written by Samuel Pavin, Marketing Resource Manager, IBM
