CreatorCon Challenge 2018: Meet the Startups in the Running

CreatorCon® Challenge is life-changing. Just ask T. J. Gryziec, co-founder of Clear Skye, last year’s runner-up: “This could be your golden parachute to jump out of that day job and into entrepreneurship,” says Gryziec.

If you can take an idea to solve a big problem or capitalize on an opportunity you’ve observed at work, come up with a business model, and create an app that delivers high value to a large number of customers, you too could be on your way to pursuing your dream in next year’s contest.

Each of the three 2018 finalists, who will be chosen from the short list below, will receive their share of $500,000 in seed funding from ServiceNow® Ventures, plus $500,000 worth of sales, marketing, and business development prizes, providing them with a significant boost as they launch and grow their companies.

But entering the CreatorCon Challenge and making it to the short list is not like purchasing a winning lottery ticket at the local convenience store. It takes commitment, skill, and hard work to create a great app. In the weeks since the 2018 contest was announced last October entrants have developed their highly innovative applications, their investor pitches and demo videos. From more than 300 initial entries, more than 50 were targeted for in-depth scrutiny, and 20 met the strict criteria for both entity and entry eligibility. Of those, nine were selected to this short list:

Accelerate ITS (www.accelerateits.com)

• Expense Management – Manages the expense claim process for any size organization through to reimbursement.

AtlanticPuffin (www.atlanticpuffin.io)

• ERP Bundle – Automates the reconciliation of operations and HR management in the first of four bundled apps.

Black Hills Software (www.blackhillssolutions.com)

• Black Hills Automated Stockroom – Automates processes and extends control over the user interactions in the asset lifecycle.

Enable Labs (http://enable-labs.com/)

• Toolbox — Enables construction companies to manage work sites, assets and projects efficiently, improve safety and drive interaction between staff and subcontractors on-site.

Fairchild Resiliency (www.FairchildRS.com)

• MaestroRS — Enables organizations to unify business continuity and IT disaster recovery planning with IT Service management.

Keralia Tech (www.keralia.com/en)

• Lab Management Portal — Automates workflows, provides access to relevant knowledge, and enables contextual collaboration between research workers.

KidsVacay (www.kidsvacay.com)

• KidsVacay — Enables parents to ensure their children’s time off is fun, secure, and rewarding, while reducing the effort required to organize and run events.

Recruitlive (www.recruitlive.com.au)

• EmployeeX – Implements AI, machine learning and an advanced user experience in an end-to-end employee lifecycle application.

SalesWon, Inc. (www.saleswon.com)

• SalesWon CRM & CPQ – Accelerates the sales process while bringing complete visibility to management in a suite of sales automation applications.

Next: The Sprint to the Finish

With the goal of being selected as one of the three finalists at Knowledge®18 in Las Vegas, the next step is for representatives of each short-listed company to deliver a live presentation to ServiceNow executives explaining their company’s business proposition, their app’s purpose and functionality, and why ServiceNow should consider investing in them.

The CreatorCon Challenge finale will take place on May 8^th at 6 p.m. Pacific Time in a general session in front of thousands of Knowledge18 attendees and will be streamed to thousands more at multiple theaters on the ExpoNow show floor during the Knowledge18 go-live party. As in the past, it will be a “shark tank-style” event in which Fred Luddy, founder of ServiceNow, and VC judges Om Malik and BJ Lackland will select the first-, second-, and third-place winners.

All short list companies will receive all-expenses paid trips to Knowledge18 for two people from each company, plus full Knowledge18 passes and demo space in the centrally located, high-traffic CreatorCon Developer Hub.

The three winning apps will be made available to all existing ServiceNow customers and new customers globally on the ServiceNow Store and/or via the OEM channel.

It takes commitment and hard work to reach the short list. Congratulations to all! And sincere thanks to all the startups and developers who participated in the Challenge. For the second time since we started the contest nearly two years ago, there were some highly impressive apps that did not make the short list. We have brought those to the attention of the ServiceNow ISV partner manager team, which will be in contact with them about broader partnership opportunities with ServiceNow go-to-market planning and sales engagement. We’re certain ServiceNow customers will want to see those apps on the Store and in the OEM channel as well.

The three finalists will be announced on April 12. Mark your calendars!

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