DemoFall preview: 10 to watch
The DemoFall and TechCrunch50 conferences launch Monday. Demo's posted its list of it 72 presenting companies. TechCrunch will post a part of its list, we're told, at 6 a.m. Monday.
You can see the full Demo list at the end of this post. But here are the top 10 companies I'd be paying the most attention to if I were going to Demo (I'm going to TechCrunch with Josh; CNET News writers Elinor Mills and Daniel Terdiman will be at Demo). I'll do a list, or lists, for TechCrunch too, time permitting.
Rafe's Top 10 previews from Demo
(Please note that I haven't talked to all these companies yet, so my understanding of these pitches is incomplete, and my post-conference Top list will likely be different.)
(Note #2: I have replaced one my original picks due to a press embargo error on my part.)
- Clintview by Clintworld: This is a financial analysis tool primarily for mobile phone carriers. It simulates customer behavior related to pricing and helps create pricing tiers and plans that generate the most revenue. It brings a disciplined approach to pricing services, which I think is smart. Might be applicable to paid Web services as well.
- CrowdSpring Private by CrowdSpring: The company is not new, but I still love the idea. It's a new twist on the open marketplace for intellectual work. At Demo, the company will unveil CrowdSpring Private, which lets companies create their own, closed markets, so creativity doesn't leak out onto the Web, heaven forbid.
- Infovell: Very interesting new search service. It lets you type in arbitrarily long queries, and then ranks results based on importance and frequency of word clusters. Also lets you use entire Web pages as queries, generating a "more like this" function that doesn't currently exist. Could be great for researching complex medical or legal topics.
- Avego by Mapflow: Adds intelligence to casual carpooling with a car-service-like gizmo that tells drivers where riders are that want to go where they are going. It's hitchhiking 2.0: Scary but cool, and very green.
- PaidInterviews: Pays job candidates for going on interviews. Totally whacked economic model, if you ask me, but that makes it interesting.
- Plastic Logic: New science for electronic books, possibly competitive to existing e-Ink technology. Real chemistry at a start-up conference. What a breath of fresh air.
- SpinSpotter: Claims to spot bias and inaccuracies in news stories. Helpful, if it works. Although it will probably expode if pointed at the blogosphere. And who watches the watchmen?
- .tel by Telnic: One of several new companies that lets users create personal calling card Web sites using a new top-level-domain. I am highly skeptical of this model, but I want to see how it develops.
- WebDiet: Location-based diet helper. Gives you food advice based on what's close to you. Unknown if it gives you an electric shock and shrieks, "Keep walking!" when you pass a McDonald's.
- Xumii: Makes a service that access all your social sites from your mobile phone. Could be very useful for the younger, multiply-connected set.
See full Launch Week coverage of DemoFall and TechCrunch.
The DemoFall lineup is after the jump...
The DemoFall companies:
- Accordia Group, LLC
- Adapx, Inc.
- Alerts.com, Inc.
- Arsenal Interactive, Inc.
- Asyncast Corp.
- Awind Inc.
- beeTV
- Best Buy
- BizEquity Corp.
- Blue Lava Technologies, Inc.
- Cerego
- Cinergix
- Clintworld
- CoreTrace Corp.
- CrowdSpring, LLC
- DesignIn, Inc.
- Dial Directions, Inc.
- DocCenter
- Enterprise Informatics, Inc.
- Familybuilder
- ffwd.com, Inc.
- Fortressware, Inc.
- Fusion-io
- G.ho.st
- Green Sherpa
- Infovell, Inc.
- Intelius, Inc.
- Invision TV, LLC
- iWidgets, Inc.
- Kadoo Inc.
- Koollage, Inc.
- Mapflow, Ltd.
- Maverick Mobile Solutions, Pvt. Ltd..
- MeDeploy
- Message Sling
- MeWorks, Inc.
- Microstaq, Inc.
- MixMatchMusic, Ltd.
- Momindum
- OpenACircle.com
- Paidinterviews, LLC
- Paragent, LLC
- Photrade, LLC
- PlanDone, Inc.
- Plastic Logic, Ltd.
- Qtask, Inc.
- Quantivo Corp.
- Radiant Logic, Inc.
- RealNetworks, Inc.
- Rebus Technology, Inc.
- RemoTV, Inc.
- Rudder, Inc.
- Semanti Corp.
- Sim Ops Studios, Inc.
- SitScape, Inc.
- SkyData Systems, Inc.
- SpinSpotter
- Telnic, Ltd.
- TetraBase LLC
- The Echo Nest Corp..
- Tikitag, an Alcatel-Lucent Venture
- Toolgether
- TravelMuse Inc.
- Trinity Convergence Inc.
- TurnTo Networks Inc.
- UbiEst S.p.A.
- UGA Digital, Inc.
- Unity Solutions LLC
- Usable Security Systems Inc.
- WebDiet Inc.
- Xumii Inc.
- Zazengo Inc.
Rafe Needleman writes about start-ups, new technologies, and Web 2.0 products, as editor of CNET's Webware. E-mail Rafe.




I'm sorry we wont see you at DEMO, but we very much look forward to talking with Elinor Mills and Daniel Terdiman.
And thanks so much for putting crowdSPRING on you top 10 previews from DEMO list. We've had an incredible run since our launch in May 2008 and the Under The Radar Conference where you moderated our presentation. During our initial 110 days, 600 buyers from 30 countries have posted projects on crowdSPRING. And almost 6,000 creatives from 130+ countries now work on crowdSPRING. As you know, DEMO rules prohibit us from talking about our new product prior to tomorrow morning, but it directly responds to many of the points you made in your earlier article about crowdSPRING. We've spent the summer iterating, researching, and developing a new product that we believe will extend our model to the mainstream and give agencies and brands a chance to leverage our worldwide base of creatives. Specific details to come tomorrow...
So, thanks again! This is a great time for start-ups and we're really fortune to be in such great company among the 120+ startups being featured this week at DEMO and TC50.
Best,
Ross Kimbarovsky
co-Founder
http://www.crowdspring.com
Rafe, it's Sean O'Sullivan from Mapflow here... thanks for the top ten plug... wanted to warn you that the product name has changed from Sharelift.com to Avego.com...
looking forward to meeting you, have fun at techcrunch...
:-)
best,
Sean
-Rafe