NAB Show Unveils the Final 17 Startups Invited into SPROCKIT 2014

27 Total Companies Disrupting the Media Industry will Participate in the 2^nd Annual Startup Program

WASHINGTON – NAB Show organizers today unveiled the remaining 17 companies that will participate in SPROCKIT 2014. A year-round program that spotlights disruptive startups in media and entertainment, SPROCKIT will kick off in Las Vegas April 5-10 at NAB Show, the world’s leading convention for professionals who create, manage and distribute entertainment across all media platforms.

“SPROCKIT is about finding solutions through collaboration, and we’re excited to facilitate these conversations between leading industry influencers and the next generation of leaders in an effort to spur innovation in media and entertainment.”

Now in its second year, SPROCKIT will bring together 27 startups with dozens of decision-makers and influencers at leading media and entertainment companies, including AARP, Cox Media Group, Gannett Broadcasting, Google, Hearst Television, Tribune Broadcasting and Univision. Through on-stage presentations and facilitated meetings with industry leaders, SPROCKIT provides participants with a platform to stand above the crowded startup space and work alongside influencers who can help their companies flourish.

Selected by a committee of industry experts because of their standout solutions and business models, the remaining 17 startups of the SPROCKIT 2014 class are:

• Chute helps brands and publishers tell stories using visual media by making it possible to discover, organize, obtain consent and publish fan photos and videos at every customer touch point, whether on a website, social properties or ads.
• Civolution provides Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology and solutions that help advertisers, content owners, rights holders and distributors identify, manage and monetize media content.
• CloudFlare, Inc. makes websites run twice as fast, protects them from cyberattacks, ensures they are always online and makes it simple to add web apps with a single click.
• clypd is an advertising platform built exclusively for TV. clypd connects the buyers and sellers of TV asset inventory, automates the workflow and leverages data to enable audience-based targeting.
• Discourse Analytics humanizes data by uncovering why individuals connect to digital assets which, in turn, help broadcasters better understand and personalize the digital experience for audiences.
• Eyeris develops artificially intelligent emotion recognition technology. Its flagship product EmoVu reads people’s facial micro-expressions as they watch videos on computers or mobile devices using webcams.
• iPowow creates Participation TV formats for broadcasters to engage viewers in the story on the TV show, second by second, via their mobile devices, while enabling advertisers to connect directly with the consumer.
• FEM Inc. has developed a video discovery platform embeddable into any website, entertainment network or app that has or wants video and seeks to engage female audiences.
• Lingospot enhances TV viewing by providing relevant articles, photos, profiles, stock charts and other information in second screen and on Smart TV companion applications.
• net2TV is partnering with major media brands and web media companies to bring back free, special-interest television programs to viewers using Internet-connected TVs and tablets.
• nFluence’s Consumer Powered Marketing is powered by autograph®, a personalized mobile technology that gives people the freedom to anonymously communicate their interests to businesses.
• Paladin Innovators develops software and hardware solutions for streaming and broadcasting, including the Paladin, an all-in-one streaming studio that fits in a backpack.
• Shoelace Wireless develops software solutions that speed up content delivery to mobile devices by combining multiple wireless networks.
• SocialNewsDesk is a social media management tool created by news-people for news-people, so broadcasters can increase social engagement, manage a team and monetize social media from a single dashboard.
• SportXast is a free mobile app for sport fans to capture, watch and share the best video highlights in amateur sports with zero editing.
• Watchup, incubated at Stanford, reinvents news watching by providing users with a personalized stream of videos from the world’s most trusted news sources.
• XYZ Stream Hosting is a software centric, turnkey streaming platform for digital media; delivering greater efficiency to content producers, owners, and distributors through state of the art solutions.

“Unlike an accelerator program, SPROCKIT gives entrepreneurs greater exposure and a direct line of communication to decision-makers in the industry,” said Harry Glazer, creator and co-producer of SPROCKIT and founder and CEO of World Series of Start-Ups, LLC. “SPROCKIT is about finding solutions through collaboration, and we’re excited to facilitate these conversations between leading industry influencers and the next generation of leaders in an effort to spur innovation in media and entertainment.”

The previously announced SPROCKIT 2014 companies include: AudioAir, Cognitive, ExciteM, MAZ, Penthera, ShareRocket, theLoop, Tomorrowish, Wayin and WebTuner. Following NAB Show, startups will continue in the year-long program through SPROCKIT Sync – frequent day-long meetings and a virtual network where startups and industry leaders will convene and collaborate on how to bring the most innovative products, services and revenue models to market.

Created in partnership with World Series of Startups, LLC and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), SPROCKIT is supported by Springboard Enterprises and New Vantage Group. Additional SPROCKIT collaborators include: Angel Capital Association, Boston Consulting Group, Convergent Wealth Advisors, Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at USC, Ernst & Young, infoDev, Interactive Television Alliance, Irving Group, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, mediaX at Stanford University, Monster Worldwide, National Science Foundation (NSF) and SmithGeiger.

For more information about SPROCKIT, please visit http://sprockitglory.com.

About NAB Show

NAB Show, held April 5-10, 2014 in Las Vegas, is the world’s largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. With more than 93,000 attendees from 156 countries and 1,550+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for digital media and entertainment. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is home to the solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.

About NAB

The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America’s broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.