Crowds packed the 1871 auditorium last night to watch the four Lean Startup Challenge finalists pitch to a panel of five judges. Unlike other competitions, the focus was not about business models or number of customers--it was about determining which team best implemented Lean principles over their 14 weeks in the accelerator. Ten-minute presentations preceded five-minute question and answer sessions with queries submitted via last year's winner, GoSoapBox, and asked directly by judges.
The four Chicago-based companies were as follows:
Unwined This cleverly-named company seeks to educate wine buyers at the point of sale, by installing proprietary kiosks in grocery and liquor stores to help shoppers find the right wine for them. At stores where customer service is key, employees can use Unwined as a tool to inform their suggestions.
Unbranded Designs Frustrated by the homogeneity of chain store furniture designs, the Unbranded Designs team created a marketplace for independent home design that will allow consumers to vote for their favorite pieces and purchase through the site. In the ten days since launch, Unbranded Designs has sold $3,200 worth of goods.
Care Content Aiming to solve the content marketing challenges faced by hospitals and medical professionals, Care Content provides news and feature-length articles that can be purchased a la carte or by monthly subscription. In an environment where consumers are turning to health systems’ websites to determine which provider to choose, such content can be key.
Cardoona Named for an artichoke variety used in Italian cooking, Cardoona pivoted from a hub for restaurants and food vendors to meet to a platform for that allows restaurants to submit their food needs and vendors to bid for their business. Hoping to ensure a high volume of leads, Cardoona will charge a 1 percent commission on each sale.
After the presentations, the judges--GoSoapBox’s John Pytel, CEC’s Kevin Willer, Pathfinder’s Berhand Kappe and Todd Wyder, and United Health Care’s Kunjorn Chambundabongse--convened to discuss. Ultimately, Unbranded Designs was named the winner of the $25,000 grand prize and bragging rights.
“They had gone through the Lean Startup Principles, they had done a lot in a very short amount of time, and really, we think, are onto something great and I think they stood out among the four companies,” Willer said after the event.
Following this win, the small Unbranded Designs team--of whom only the co-founders are full time--will look to expand its team, specifically with developers. In addition to adding to their team, they will focus on building and improving their web product in the near future. But most of all, they’ll stick to Lean principles.
“We’re going to continue working,” said co-founder Samer Saab. “This is nice but it doesn’t really change anything for us. We’re going to continue to push forward, continue testing, continue iterating, and continue to try to grow and provide our customers what they need.”
Learn more about the Chicago Lean Startup Circle by visiting their website and following them on Twitter at @ChicagoLean.
