If you missed the largest retail-tech event in DFW on the 16th, we’ve got the scoop on all the exciting details of the day!
We packed the house with standing room only by the start time! The program began by recognizing our fantastic mentors. We played a short video highlighting some of our most active mentors discussing why they are involved with RevTech Ventures and what they get out of mentoring our companies. You can now see the video on the homepage of the website. Anne Marie Stephen, Founder & CEO of Kwolia, then took the stage as our first keynote with an exciting overview of retail trends.
Next came 3 pitches from PnP Loyalty, Everthread, URComped. The teams each gave a 5 minute presentation about their company, answered a follow-up question by mentor Mike Whitaker, and then showed a short video elaborating on their business. PnP Loyalty and Brierley+Partners announced a joint loyalty solution for mid sized retail chains, with the first major client anticipated to launch by the end of the year. Everthread’s custom fabric website is live and fulfilling orders! The company expects to have a big announcement in the coming months so stay tuned. URComped now has a network of 23 participating casinos including The Tropicana & Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. They’ve also partnered with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Atlantis Resort & Casino in the Bahamas. They took everyone by surprise when they also announced an opportunity at Pitch Day to win a comped trip to Las Vegas. Last Monday, it was determined the recipient of that prize was none other than mentor Alex Muse!
After the first half of the program, guests enjoyed beverages and a networking break before diving right back in to the next round of pitches. Following the same format, Eskalab took the stage and announced they will be opening a permanent Dallas office and launching a freemium model with 14 locations already signed on in DFW. The Citizenry closed out our 5 companies with a stunning overview of their luxury products for the well-traveled home. The company recently closed a $1M funding round led by Karlani Capital.
Following the 5 pitches, RevTech Ventures featured 2 of it’s People’s Choice winners. The 4 companies Malesh, Yallzi, ShoppeThat and TrunkMonkey raised nearly $500K combined. Malesh Activewear took second place in the fundraising competition. The Cali-based athleticwear company features flattering styles for curvy women. The crowdfunding winner, TrunkMonkey then took the stage to give an overview of their inflatable bike rack that fits any vehicle. They have raised over $300K and recently attended the Interbike 2015 trade show in Las Vegas.
Finally, we arrived at the second keynote of the afternoon, Skyler Fernandes, Managing Director at Simon Ventures, the largest retail real estate company in the country. We even ended the program early and adjourned for an investor reception in the Brazos Room.
All of our company videos will soon be available on the website to view. Photos of the event will also be posted on our social media channels so make sure to like or follow our page!