In a basement of the Wythe Hotel in trendy Williamsburg (NYC) fourteen European startups curried for favour of an expert jury in the Heart of Europe Startup Pitchfest. Among them were five promising Dutch startups: WeMakeVR, Konnektid, LEVIY and NewsAnglr. The pitch of iLost founder Hanneke Stegweg for her ‘search engine’ for lost and found items proved to be the most successful.
What made these Dutch startups stand out among Belgian and Swiss startups? According to jury member Thomas Wisniewski, an early investor at RosePaul Ventures in New York, all the candidates in this pitch contest were judged by four criteria: originality, potential revenue, investability and presentation.
iLost, where users can track down lost items, proved to be the best synthesis of these components. The Dutch startup also resonated with Maker’s Row co-founder Tanya Menendez. “When I started living in New York I lost my Blackberry in a cab. It was one of the worst experiences I had”. To her the potential for market disruption was decisive in her judgement.
Lees ‘Dutch startups pitch at Northside Festival in New York‘ verder op StartUpjuncture.
