Just confirming your points:
Quote
"GridComm was a started as spinout of Semitech. Holt and two partners bought out the company six years ago and brought in individual investors and venture capital."
http://semiengineering.com/gridcomm-smarter-grids/
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Revisting the IBM smart camp again I noticed that various cities had qualification rounds/pitches/event (rules below) to make the top 10 finals in Silicon Valley. My point is that a final top 3 finish was amazing against many regions and deserves some additional credit to Gridcomm and management. IBM wouldn't be picking duds.....
http://www.smartcamp2015.com/cities/
Rules:
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS
Step 1: Application
Apply to a local IBM SmartCamp in a city near you.
Step 2: Compete in a Local IBM SmartCamp
- Four to Six applicants will be chosen to compete at each local IBM SmartCamp event.
- Chosen startups will benefit from working with top-tier mentors from the local business, startup, and VC communities.
Step 3: Semi-Finals: Attend LAUNCH Scale, an exclusive, invite-only event in Silicon Valley
Ten SmartCamp winners from around the world will be chosen to attend LAUNCH Scale, where the most influential leaders teach founders how to scale their businesses. This is an exclusive, invite-only event -- no live streaming, no shared videos, and no press. Last year’s event featured tactical talks from Reddit, Twitter, Indiegogo, LinkedIn, Zillow, Yelp, and many more. LAUNCH Scale 2015 will see 2x the attendees and content.
While in Silicon Valley for LAUNCH Scale, semi-finalists will participate in a host of other events, including:
- Exhibiting at IBM’s SmartCamp pavilion at LAUNCH Scale’s open-to-the-public exhibit hall, which drives attendance of 3000.
- Office hours with the IBM Global Entrepreneur team. (Startups will be eligible to receive up to $120k in IBM Cloud credit.)
- Business mentorship day and evening networking event with local VC members, enterprise executives, business leaders, and members of the public.
- Meeting with Jason Calacanis and LAUNCH’s editorial team.
All 10 semi-finalists will be invited back to San Francisco in March 2016 to exhibit in the IBM SmartCamp Pavilion at LAUNCH Festival, the largest startup event in the world with over 20k attendees.
Step 4: Finals: Pitch live at LAUNCH Festival to win IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year and a slot in the LAUNCH incubator, with a $25k investment
- In December 2015, video interviews with each of the 10 startups will be conducted remotely by Jason Calacanis (2-3 min pitch, 5 min feedback).
- The startups will then have until March 2016 to improve their business in preparation for a 3-minute live pitch on stage at the LAUNCH Festival, the largest startup conference in the world with over 15k attendees. (March 2-4, 2016.)
- Jason Calacanis will select the final winner and crown the IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year on stage. The IBM Global Entrepreneur of the Year will secure a spot in the LAUNCH’s 3-month incubator in Silicon Valley, which includes a $25k investment.
http://www.smartcamp2015.com/rules/
