PuneConnect report
By Pune Tech News

PuneConnect 2011, held on 5th November, was the event where Pune’s top tech communities (SEAP and PuneTech) and startup communities (POCC and TiEPune) came together to organize an event to let Pune’s startups mix with Pune’s established companies.

12 Pune technology startups were chosen from about 30 applicants to showcase their products at PuneConnect 2011. The 12 companies selected were: AdMogul, ApplyEzee, BizPorto, CoTrakr, Deja VU 3D, DroidCloud, InnovizeTech, IntouchId, kPoint, ReliScore, Vaultize, and World Without Me.

All 12 companies got to demo their product to the who’s who of Pune. Senior members of SEAP, and Charter members of TiE Pune were asked to vote for their favorite demos and the top 4 companies get a chance to present at the bigger “Advantage Pune” conference being organized by Zinnov in Pune, in December 2011. Separately, 4 companies were selected to be part of the “Starting Up” show on ET Now, and their pitches were recorded to be televised nationally on ET Now on 15th November.

These following 4 companies won the top votes from Senior Members of SEAP and Charter Members of TiE Pune, and hence get a chance to get exposure at the national level at the Advantage Pune conference in December where lots of India’s larger IT companies will be present. The winners are:

1) kPoint
2) Vaultize
3) InnovizeTech
4) DroidCloud

These following 4 companies were selected by the selection panel consisting of Gaurav Mehra, Suhas Kelkar, and Moti Thadani of SEAP in consultation with Sudhir Syal of ET Now, and they got to pitch their startup to a panel consisting of Nickhil Jakatdar, Gaurag Mehra, and Suhas Kelkar on a program recorded by ET Now to be televised nationally later.

The winners were:

InnovizeTech
ReliScore
DroidCloud & AdMogul

In this program, InnovizeTech got the top marks from the judges and hence gets a direct entry to the final round of ET Now’s SuperAngels’ show where they get a chance to pitch for a million dollars of funding.

The Starting Up now show recorded at PuneConnect will be telecast on Tuesday, 15th November at 11pm on the ETNow channel. It will be re-broadcast at 6:30pm on Wednesday, 16th Nov, at 9pm on Saturday, 19th November, and 7:30pm on Sunday, 20th November. It should also become available on YouTube and PuneTech will post a link to the YouTube video.

(In Techgoss syndication arrangement with Punetech )