As we speak in March 2012 nine buses loaded with 30 entrepreneurs each are heading from various cities around North America to SXSW in Austin, with strangers forming teams on board to create web based companies in just 72hrs along the way as part of the StartupBus Competition. The idea of creating this weekend startup road trip to get to SXSW was created by Elias Bizannes.
My friend Scott Cowley @scottcowleyau (BDM of OrionVM Cloud Computing) is one buspreneur taking the ride from Las Vegas to Austin, and has teamed up with fellow Aussies Ivan Vanderbyl (who founded testpilot.me) and Bart Jellema (founder of Zeromail) to found a business called “Year in Print” which creates “LifeBooks” or printable books from a users Facebook Timeline.
“Year in Print” with the tagline “Your timeline, in print” is a Facebook/Twitter Plugin which takes the memories posted on Social Networks such as Photos, Status Updates and other posts on Facebook Timeline, Twitter and Instagram and creates a physical “Lifebook” printed book that can be used as a coffee table book or gift for friends and family. Before giving as a gift to your parents, you may want to take advantage of their feature to tweak and remove embarrassing photos.
Support these young Entrepreneurs by helping spread the word on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Check out what your own LifeBook would look like and check them out at @YearPrint.
What is the StartupBus Hackathon?
StartupBus is an international hackathon and creative business competition that has been running since 2010. The competition encourages entrepreneurs to create innovative business ideas and showcases the most successful ideas to the world. The competition is open to everyone, from students to professionals, and is held in cities around the world such as New York, San Francisco, Austin, and London.
The competition takes place over a three-day period and each team is given a 48-hour challenge to come up with and prototype a business idea. The teams are then judged by a panel of experts who decide which ideas are most viable and innovative. The winning team is awarded the StartupBus trophy and the prize money.
StartupBus has become a popular event for entrepreneurs looking to launch their business ideas. It has been featured in various media outlets such as TechCrunch, Forbes, and The New York Times. Notable events from the past include the 2012 event with YearinPrint, a startup that allowed users to print their year’s worth of digital photos onto a single book.
Every year, the StartupBus competition has grown in popularity and has become a great platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas. The competition has also been used as an educational platform to teach aspiring entrepreneurs the basics of business and how to launch a successful startup.
The next StartupBus events will be held in 2023 in cities around the world. Cities that have already been selected include San Francisco, Austin, and London. These events will be organized by local teams who will provide the necessary resources, such as mentors and funds, for the participants. The events will also include workshops, networking events, and pitch competitions for the participants. The winners will be awarded the StartupBus trophy and will also be given an opportunity to present their business ideas at the Global StartupBus Conference.
Notable previous StartupBus Events include:
StartupBus North America 2022
The StartupBus North America 2022 event took place in cities across the US and Canada, including San Francisco, New York, Austin, and Toronto. The event was open to teams of entrepreneurs from around the world and provided them with the resources and mentors needed to develop their business ideas. The event included workshops, networking events, and pitch competitions for the participants.
The winners of the event were Recrutly, an AI-powered recruitment solution, with Stayges, a digital platform for event and hospitality businesses, as the runners up.
Other notable startups that competed in the event were Greenup, a zero-waste platform that helps businesses reduce their environmental impact, and Gather, an online marketplace for event planners and venues.
StartupBus North America 2021
The StartupBus North America 2021 event took place in cities across the US and Canada, including San Francisco, New York, Austin, and Toronto.
The winners of the event were Bode Air, a smart air conditioner rental service, with AutoInnovation, a smart car rental service, as the runners up.
Other notable startups that competed in the event were Grit, an online platform for entrepreneurs to access mentorship, and Parked, a parking spot rental platform.
StartupBus Europe 2021
The StartupBus Europe 2021 event took place in cities across Europe, including London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris.
The winners of the event were Crowdfundme, a crowdfunding platform for small businesses, with Tastebox, a meal delivery service, as the runners up.
Other notable startups that competed in the event were Payper, a platform for online payments and invoicing, and Boosm, an online marketplace for creative services.
