Let’s take a look at what we can expect at DEMOfall 2006, where I’ll be bloging from next Tuesday and Wednesday. First, I notice nine non-U.S. companies are presenting, undoubtedly a result of executive producer Chris Shipley’s wild travel schedule. As Gary Bolles of Conferenza says, “she meets with more startups than anyone on the planet.” 
For this fall’s event, I see on the list there’s a company from Canada (Cascada Mobile), one from Israel (eSnips), one from the UK (Moixa Energy), one from Germany (Open Business Club), one from France (Realeyes3D), one from Austria (SystemOne), another from the UK (Tao Group), another from Canada (Trigence), and another from France (Violet).
My “hardest-company-name-to pronounce” award, by the way — overall — has to go to one of these non-U.S. firms, Moixa. Ta-dah! Please come forward….. Now, tell us, is that moyxa…mo-ik-zah…or….huh??? And, looking through the entire list, including the U.S. entries, the most-confusing-name award has to go the Grand Central Communications. Why? At first, I thought — what? — that company was founded in 2000 by former CNet head Halsey Minor, and it was a web services outfit. This one appears to be VOIP startup, founded by two other guys, though there is little yet posted at their new web site. So, what’s with that? Did they acquire the domain of the previous firm? Is this a rebirth? Or is this just some kind of of a weird coincidence? That would be doubtful, since both firms are in SF….
By the way, speaking of the Bay Area, fully 45% of the presenting companies at this event are from there — 30 out of 67. Chris may travel the world, but why is it the geographic distribution of the DEMO presenting companies ends up, again, being heavily skewed to a certain county or two in NorCal? Could it be possilby be….the VCs? Or is it simply because more companies from there apply?
You tell me….
Tag: DEMOfall 2006
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