Buzzwords abound at Collision 2019
Buzzwords are a fact of life in the startup pitch world, and at this year’s Collision Conference they did not disappoint.
Machine Learning, AI, Cloud, Blockchain, IOT, and Everything-as-a-Service: Buzzwords abound at Collision 2019
As many entrepreneurs who have sought funding know, there are hot areas of technology that many investors seem to gravitate to and expect to hear. So naturally, early stage elevator pitches, pitch decks, and tag-lines start to blend together when looking at a group of young hopeful startup companies all in one place.
Everything tends to become “the ____ of _____” with a dash of machine learning, blockchain, and of course, some AI behind the scenes running it all.
Here are a few of my favorite* buzzword loaded hopefuls from this year’s Collision Conference in Toronto…
NOTE: By “favorite”, I am referring only to the tag lines and buzz-worthiness. It is no testament to the business itself, the business model, or the entrepreneur. It’s all about the buzz.
Buzzy tagline: “IoT aging-in-place Platform as a Service connecting health applications through leading-edge cellular connected wearables.”
Buzzy Score: 3.5
My take: Bringing the IoT to PaaS with some wearables…nice buzz!
Buzzy tagline: “Avastaus is an AI company that uses Deep Learning and computer vision to build algorithms to power the retail stores of the future.”
Buzzy Score: 4
My take: The AA crew is doing some deep vision learning with some secret sauce algorithms… The in-store salesman of the future is buzzy indeed.
Buzzy tagline: “ABR Nengo is an AI OS that enables developers to build real-time AI brains for smartphones, cars and robots using next generation AI chips.”
Buzzy Score: 5*
My take: I’m counting them all even though AI is used as 3 of them…that might even be worth extra points. That thing must be really smart!
Buzzy tagline: “Writi excels in innovative products via proven IOT, AI, and Blockchain to improve patient care and pharmacy coordination through technology.”
Buzzy Score: 3
My take: No messing around with this one…all 3 thrown together all at once…a proven strategy for power-packed buzz.
Buzzy tagline: “Increase your customer satisfaction and spending through AI based recommender engine as a service.”
Buzzy Score: 2.5
My take: Extra credit for introducing a brand new aaS on the market with the “recommender engine”!
Buzzy tagline: “Alexio solves cyber-security & compliance for healthcare practices leveraging automation and machine learning, delivered as a SaaS.”
Buzzy Score: 4.25
My take: Functional and to the point, with appropriate buzzy pain points made clear.
Buzzy tagline: “The #1 Award Winning Saas Company specializing in AI Guided Selling, using Predictive & Prescriptive Analytics, and NLP.”
Buzzy Score: 4.5
My take: Who can argue with the #1 award-winning? And prescriptive analytics sounds interesting. Oh, and of course some NLP. Love it.
Final thoughts: While some of these are amusing (to me at least) along with the many others in very early stages, I have a massive amount of respect for the entrepreneurs out there hustling to build their companies, stand out to the investors, and do whatever they have to do to make their mission a success.
So, to all young and growing startups out there, my recommendation-as-a-free-service is to consult your AI for advice, add in some blockchain, get the machines learning, plug in your wearable IOT, make up a few additional words of your own, and get your aaS in the game!
I’m Kelly Dyer, CEO, and Co-Founder of SourceFuse.
We have been working with start-ups for the past 13 years, helping to bring these buzzwords to life. Even using some of these unavoidable adjectives ourselves, to try and describe what it is we do. Recently settling on, what we think, is a more straight-forward approach to our tagline.
We build digital ideas, processes, and products.
