SANTA MONICA, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 19, 2015 — Four of Los Angeles’ hottest start-ups battled it out in front of a panel of the city’s leading tech influencers at the LA Tech Summit this past Tuesday for the chance to receive $5,000, as well as the honor of being named the 2015 Shark Tank competition winner. MakieLab, the customizable toy manufacturer, earned the top prize, with Sensay, the on-demand marketplace for answers, named the runner-up, event organizer Cornerstone OnDemand announced today.
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Cornerstone OnDemand founder and CEO Adam Miller and corporate development & innovation fund manager Phil Lee present the Shark Tank Prize to MakieLab CEO Alice Taylor. (Photo: Business Wire)
A 2015 Disney Accelerator start-up, MakieLab is an entertainment play space for young people that allows users to download and print 3D dolls and accessories. The company uses 3D printing to enable mass customization of toys. Since completing the Disney Accelerator program, MakieLab has signed a three-year licensing contract with Disney, Pixar and Marvel for outfits and accessories for Makie dolls.
Based in Venice, Calif., Sensay offers on-demand help from humans for anything users need to know now. An Amplify LA portfolio company, Sensay launched a private beta that has facilitated two million messages helping users with everything from acquiring funding to finding a job.
The two additional Los Angeles startups competing in the Shark Tank included:
- FAMA, a cloud-based platform that offers employers actionable insight into a candidate’s digital footprint.
- FEM Inc., a media technology company that delivers engaging video experiences for any website or app.
Moderated by tech entrepreneur Jason Nazar, each presenting company received expert counsel from a judging panel of notable tech influencers, including Baron Davis, former professional basketball player and venture partner of Plus Capital; Chris Ovitz, co-CEO of Workpop; and Scott Marlette, co-founder of GoodRX.
Comments on the News
“Each year the Shark Tank participants exhibit heightened creativity, leveraging emerging technology in new and inspiring ways and further cementing Los Angeles as one of the best places in the world to foster and grow a technology company,” said Chirag Shah, vice president of finance and strategy, Cornerstone OnDemand. “MakieLab and Sensay are among the most exciting start-ups in Los Angeles, and we can’t wait to see them realize their potential.”
“The four companies we saw today – FAMA, FEM Inc., MakieLab, and Sensay – all showed great promise and made for a thrilling Shark Tank competition,” said Jason Nazar, moderator and tech entrepreneur. “The passion, drive, and sheer level of ambition in Los Angeles make for this to be such an exciting time to be a young company here.”
About LA Tech Summit
LA Tech Summit is an annual event organized by Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD) to showcase the technology ecosystem in Los Angeles. Set in one of the fastest growing and most diverse technology hubs in the United States, the LA Tech Summit brings together industry-leading executives, entrepreneurs and professionals to celebrate and support the unique innovations being built in Los Angeles.
For more information and to register for the LA Tech Summit, visit www.LATechSummit.com, follow on Facebook and Twitter, or search #LATechSummit.
About Cornerstone OnDemand
Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD) is a global leader in cloud-based learning and talent management software. The company’s solutions help organizations realize the potential of a modern workforce. From recruitment, onboarding, training and collaboration, to performance management, compensation, succession planning and analytics, Cornerstone is designed to enable a lifetime of learning and development that is fundamental to the growth of employees and organizations.
Based in Santa Monica, California, the company’s solutions are used by more than 2,400 clients worldwide, spanning 22.2 million users across 191 countries and 42 languages. To learn more about Cornerstone, visit us on Twitter, Facebook and our blog. www.csod.com
Cornerstone® and Cornerstone OnDemand® are registered trademarks of Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.
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