Cities across the world have been challenged to provide the fundamental necessities to grow — better transportation, affordable housing, clean energy. As one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, Austin is no exception. Although technology isn’t the answer to all our problems, it has always been a driving force in the growth of a city. We teamed up with MobilityX, Austin Tech Alliance and the City of Austin to give one tech startup a $100,000 investment but left giving two startups the opportunity — what can we say? Two is better than one.

Our team of Mentors, city council members and officials, and representatives from MobilityX went through hours of pitches and one-on-one meetings with the six finalists. There were so many amazing companies that we couldn’t pick one — so we picked two! We decided that Cloud 9 and ResilientGrid would each receive a $100,000 investment to transform Austin into a city of the future.

Cloud 9’s communication solution allows care-providing organizations to give people with behavioral health needs the right care at the right time.

ResilientGrid is a startup out of Austin, Texas whose security and operations control platform enables utility companies, governments, and those who manage critical infrastructure to better identify threats, reduce errors, and manage emergencies.

We were fortunate to have two incredible partners to work with on this initiative. The Austin Tech Alliance is a nonpartisan, member-based nonprofit with a mission to promote civic engagement in Austin’s tech sector. Part of their focus includes advocacy promoting the use of tech as a tool to help solve civic challenges. This leads ATA to work with internal and external partners to develop, test, organize, and encourage innovative projects with the goal of fostering a culture of innovation within and around the City of Austin.

“As the Council Member who sponsored Austin’s first Smart City Strategic Roadmap, I’m very excited [for] this Smart Cities Challenge,” said Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen. “This provides a real opportunity for innovative startups to learn more about Austin and show the community how technology can make our city better for all residents.”

“Startups are often hungry to work on civic challenges facing Austin, but there are no easy means for them to get plugged in with community leaders,” said David Edmonson, Executive Director of the Austin Tech Alliance. “That’s why ATA is partnering with Capital Factory to build a bridge for startups to work with the City of Austin through the Smart Cities Challenge.”

Last year, we released the Texas Startup Manifesto and announced our plans to expand our Accelerator program to include Dallas with a presence at The DEC. In October we announced our $100,000 Dallas Investment Challenge and then in November the $100,000 Houston Investment Challenge. Last Tuesday, we drove to Geekdom in San Antonio with a bus full of investors, mentors and entrepreneurs and chose Easy Expunctions as the winner of our $100,000 San Antonio Investment Challenge.

Many of the most successful entrepreneurs in Texas banded together to give one startup from San Antonio a $100,000 investment to try and change the world. Any tech or consumer startup in the South Texas area could apply to pitch. We had over 100 startups apply and narrowed it down to six finalists: CityFlag, dearduck, Easy Expunctions, eLumicor, Medspoke and Neuscience.

After hours of pitches, one-on-one meetings, and deliberation, our Mentors made the decision to offer Easy Expunctions a $100,000 investment to change the world.

Easy Expunctions leverages technology to assure our customers a clear and cost-effective solution to clearing criminal records.

CityFlag, dearduck, eLumicor, Medspoke and Neuscience will all receive invitations to join the Capital Factory Accelerator. A 6-month program that focuses on helping startups raise funding and increase customer growth. We provide these startups with coworking space, hosting credits, investor relations, and access to a mentor network of the top entrepreneurs and angel investors in Texas.

We were fortunate to have an incredible partner to work with on this initiative. Geekdom has been leading the charge to energize the San Antonio tech and startup scene since the very beginning and is probably the largest community of entrepreneurs in Texas.

“One of our top priorities is to attract more capital for early stage technology companies in San Antonio so that they don’t need to move somewhere else,” said David Garcia, CEO of Geekdom, “It is our pleasure to welcome Capital Factory to San Antonio and introduce them South Texas’ best entrepreneurs.”

This Capital Factory investment challenge is funded by the Capital Factory Partners Fund, a group of the most active mentors and angel investors in our network. To see the complete list of Capital Factory Partners, see the Mentors page of our website.

About Easy Expunctions

Easy Expunctions leverages technology to assure our customers a clear and cost-effective solution to clearing criminal records. We seek to inform and empower people interacting with the criminal justice system, and create a fast-track to justice with guaranteed results.

About Capital Factory

Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas, the number one startup state in the U.S. Last year more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, programmers and designers gathered day and night, in-person and online for meetups, mentorship, classes and coworking. We meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active investor in Texas since 2013.

The Texas Startup Manifesto

Texas is the most promising technology investment opportunity in the United States and Capital Factory is going to turbocharge it. Already the 10th largest economy in the world, there is still untapped potential and more growth in its future. By connecting Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and the rest of the state into a Texas Startup Megatropolis we can unlock billions of dollars in capital and unleash thousands of diverse entrepreneurs.

About Geekdom

Geekdom is a collaborative coworking space in San Antonio, Texas, and the heartbeat of the startup ecosystem.

Like a Gym Membership for Geeks: Our mission is to provide an inspiring environment for bright minds to explore ideas in entrepreneurship, technology, leadership, and creativity, develop talents, and connect to a community of like-minded people. Geekdom has locations in San Antonio & San Francisco and was founded by Graham Weston the Chairman of Rackspace Hosting & Nicholas Longo the Founder of CoffeeCup Software.

Group tours are provided Monday-Friday at 12:00pm and 4:00pm, or by appointment only. Click here to schedule a tour.

Once a year in March, the rest of the world descends on Austin for South by Southwest. For two weeks, our parties are full of investors, press, elected officials, big brands and celebrities. Every year we’re rushing to get everything done in time and it’s always extra work on top of other people’s everyday jobs. This year we’re committed to putting the proper resources behind it to be proactive and get the most out of it.

NOTE: This position is not affiliated with South by Southwest (SXSW)

SXSW is a massive undertaking. They start planning the next year immediately after the previous year ends. The panel picker starts taking suggestions in the summer and all of the sponsors start locking down their plans in the fall. Every spring there is a mad rush by the people who didn’t plan ahead and Capital Factory has traditionally been part of the rush. Not this year!

March is the busiest time of the year for Capital Factory.

In some ways it’s not actually that different than any other time, there is just MORE of everything. Every classroom and every meeting room is full all of the time. Delegations are visiting from around the world. Multiple VIP tours are running at the same time with royalty and movie stars walking by left and right.

You will plan out the agenda of activities at Capital Factory during SXSW and then work with our partners and sponsors to plan and execute their programming. This is a sales role that requires creativity and imagination.You will be responsible for making sure every time slot on the calendar is full of engaging programming and closing the sponsorships necessary to underwrite them.

This role is 50% selling sponsorships, 25% event planning, 25% event promotion.

• Are you warm, outgoing, and able to handle all kind of people and situations with a smile on your face?
• Are you detail-oriented and do you have excellent verbal and written communication skills?
• Do you have experience organizing events and selling sponsorships?
• Are you a SXSW insider who has attended in the past and has relationships with SXSW staff and sponsors?
• Join us.

Catalyze the tech community and produce a series of inclusive events designed to change the face of tech in Texas. Convene the DNI community in Austin. Source and close sponsorships to make these efforts sustainable. Use our platform to address real needs in the tech community and amplify the efforts of others.

Everyone knows that diversity is lacking in the technology and entrepreneurship community but no one seems to have found the silver bullet to address it. It’d be fair to say… while there’s been real progress in the last few years, diversity is still lacking.

We’re not looking for a silver bullet, we’re looking for someone to invite those players we don’t even yet know . . . who we’ll all benefit from knowing and including.

At Capital Factory, our answer is to try everything. We start by having a diverse team. We host every diversity-related meetup, pitch contest, and hack-a-thon that we can. We work with great partners like Google for Entrepreneurs, Code2040, DivInc, Latinitas, Bunker Labs, Perot Jain, Women Who Code, and others. And we “put our money where our mouth is” by hosting three $100,000 Diversity & Inclusion Investment challenges and making investments in other diverse founders.

As part of the Texas Startup Manifesto, you will promote diversity & inclusion all over the state of Texas, with an emphasis on Austin and Dallas.

Your primary responsibility will be to organize one summit per month focused on promoting DNI for Women, Blacks, LatinX, LGBTQ+, and Veterans. They will happen in Austin and Dallas. This is an event producer role that is 50% selling sponsorships, 25% planning and 25% promoting the events.

Additionally, you will:

• Support of Mellie Price, the Capital Factory Director of DNI
• Assist with organizing the Austin DNI Council
• Support other DNI initiatives at Capital Factory such as Epic Office Hours
• Recruit great diversity events and programs to be hosted in our space
• Attract diverse members, mentors and investors into our community
• Foster an inclusive and welcoming community space

Are you warm, outgoing, and able to handle all kinds of people and situations with a smile on your face?

Are you detail-oriented and do you have excellent verbal and written communication skills?

Do you have experience organizing events and selling sponsorships?

Are you passionate about diversity and inclusion and have been looking for a platform to impact in a meaningful way with measurable outcomes in a community that leads the way?

Join us.

Every growing city is challenged to provide city services, transportation, clean energy, and affordable housing in a rapidly changing world. As one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, Austin is no exception. While technology isn’t the answer to all of our problems, it’s hard to imagine how we can overcome these chase challenges without leveraging tech. Capital Factory and MobilityX have teamed up with Austin Tech Alliance  and the City of Austin to give one tech startup a $100,000 investment and assistance launching in Austin.

We want to transform Austin into the city of the future and we’re fortunate to have such an incredible partner to work with on this initiative. The Austin Tech Alliance is a nonpartisan, member-based nonprofit with a mission to promote civic engagement in Austin’s tech sector. Part of their focus includes advocacy promoting the use of use tech as a tool to help solve civic challenges. This leads ATA to work with internal and external partners to develop, test, organize, and encourage innovative projects with the goal of fostering a culture of innovation within and around the City of Austin.

“As the Council Member who sponsored Austin’s first Smart City Strategic Roadmap, I’m very excited to help launch this Smart Cities Challenge,” said Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen. “This provides a real opportunity for innovative startups to learn more about Austin and show the community how technology can make our city better for all residents.”

“Startups are often hungry to work on civic challenges facing Austin, but there are no easy means for them to get plugged in with community leaders,” said David Edmonson, executive director of the Austin Tech Alliance. “That’s why ATA is partnering with Capital Factory to build a bridge for startups to work with the City of Austin through the Smart Cities Challenge.”

Who Can Apply?

Any tech or consumer startup focused on creating a smart city in the area can apply on AngelList to pitch at our Funding Day on July 27th.

What does Funding Day look like?

If selected, you’ll be one of 5 teams to pitch your startup to a panel of expert judges on July 27th. One company will walk away with $100,000.

So what will it take to win?

We are looking for tech or consumer companies striving to innovate their city and improve the quality of life for its citizens. What we really want to see is how your company will change your city and eventually the world, that you truly believe in what you are doing and can demonstrate your resourcefulness and ability to learn from your mistakes.

The best team that pitches at Funding Day will receive:

• $100,000 cash investment
• Special access to an A-List of Texas’ top entrepreneurs who add value far beyond the money you received
• 1 year of unlimited co-working at Capital Factory
• Access to the Capital Factory Mentor network
• Company formation by startup law firm Kastner & Gravelle
• A workshop with the City of Austin’s Innovation Office on partnering with government
• Coffee with Council Member, Ann Kitchen to be scheduled with winner after Funding Day
• Hundreds of thousands of dollars in free hosting credits from Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Softlayer, Microsoft & Rackspace plus many other cloud services.

This Capital Factory investment challenge is funded by the Capital Factory Partners Fund, a group of the most active mentors and angel investors in our network. To see the complete list of Capital Factory Partners, see the Mentors page of our website.

Apply to Smart Cities and MobilityX $100,000 Challenge on AngelList

Special thanks to our partners:

Austin Tech Alliance

City of Austin

Austin CityUP

SmartAustin.Org

LBJ School of Public Affairs

Downtown Austin Alliance

Evolve Austin

If you’re a tech CEO, entrepreneur, investor, or just wanting to nerd out, consider Capital Factory’s Future of Technology Lounge as your home away from home. Capital Factory is teaming up with partners, local and global, to create the tech connoisseur’s private oasis during festival-craziness. If fast wifi, comfy couches, and amazing people weren’t enough, we’ll also have the craziest, coolest tech Austin has to offer. VR, AI, Blockchain, drones, rovers… and one epic robot.

Future of Technology Lounge Events

With the coolest tech comes the coolest events. Check out these year-3000-style events happening in the Future of Technology Lounge at Capital Factory.

Friday, March 9, 2018

SXSW Startup Crawl

The Lounge will kick off with SXSW Startup Crawl on March 9th at 4pm. Grab a drink & some swag as you tour the latest & greatest of Austin’s startup community, culminating in the epic megastop at Capital Factory. This event is free & open to the entire startup community!

Time: 4:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Register: Open to the public

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Ready for Robots: Developing Drones and Rovers to Enhance Our Cities

Join Arm, NXP, and industry insiders at Capital Factory during SXSW for a reception and hour-long panel discussion on the societal benefits the latest drone and rover technology will bring to our cities and communities. Hear from leading experts at Dronecode, Hackster.io, RoboNation, SmartCities, and DroneSmith on this emerging industry. As a developer, programmer, engineer or business owner, join us and learn how to tap into this exciting market!

Time: 6:00 PM — 9:00 PM
Register: Open to the public

Monday, March 12, 2018

Digitalization in the New Reality

Join Shell TechWorks and Underminer Studios to explore and discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the convergence of multiple new reality technologies and how an enterprise can capitalize on novel ways of digitizing information and workflows in this exciting new world.

Time: 2:00 PM — 3:00 PM
Register: Open to the public

The Rise of VR/AR: Spotlight on British Columbia

Representatives from the VR/AR Association, VR/AR Global Summit, Finger Food, Motive.io, and Archiact will discuss how Vancouver has transformed into a leading destination for tech innovation and VR/AR development.

Time: 4:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Register: Open to the public

Our Emerging Technology SXSW Event Picks

Looking for more emerging technology? With over 2,000 conference sessions, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of SXSW. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered there too; consider this your short list to the best in the SXSW startup scene. From bots to blockchain, there’s something for everyone in future tech.

You, Me, & a Robot Makes 3- Tomorrow’s Modern Family

Maybe the Roomba wasn’t exactly Rosie (does anyone else remember the robot maid from The Jetsons?), but is technology that far off? Kaijen Hsiao, Chief Technology Officer at Mayfield Robotics will share her vision of the future, and how her team is making it happen.

Date: Sat, March 10, 2018
Time: 9:30 AM — 10:30 AM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon DE
Register: SXSW badge required

From AI to EI: Empathy is the New Tech Superpower

Will robots ever really take over? This panel argues no, because empathy is our biggest business advantage. Learn how to combine human mindfulness with VR and AI to optimize your strategy.

Date: Mon, March 12, 2018
Time: 3:30 PM — 4:30 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon
Register: SXSW badge required

Austin: A Global Center for Blockchain Innovation

We’ve all heard about bitcoin, but how much do you really know about crypto? Austin has become hub for this new digital ecosystem, so come brush up on your crypto-knowledge and learn why Austin is booming with blockchain.

Date: Tues, March 13, 2018
Time: 3:30 PM — 4:30 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Room 400–402
Register: SXSW badge required

Research, Exploration, Art: The Holy Trinity of VR Creation

What will it take to push the boundaries of VR creation? Creators and scholars will discuss the role of practitioners, researchers, and designers in developing VR as an immersive art.

Date: Wed, March 14, 2018
Time: 3:30 PM — 4:30 PM
Location: JW Marriott — Salon 1–2
Register: SXSW badge required

Robots, bitcoin, superpowers… this SXSW schedule sounds like a sci-fi movie! So, what events will we see you at? Whether you visit just one or check off the entire list, SXSW 2018 is sure to be epic.

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2018 will take place March 9–18, 2018.
SXSW 2018 is sponsored by Bud Light, Mercedes Benz, Capital One, and The Austin Chronicle.

All of Austin is getting ready for SXSW- and that means us too! With ~1,500 startups, the Capital Factory community will be all over SXSW! Find out what our members at these official panels during Austin’s biggest week in tech.

SXSW Pitch Events

You know we’re no stranger to pitch competitions, and SXSW is no exception! Check out these Capital Factory companies pitching during SXSW.

We are SO excited to announce that Partake is officially a finalist at the @sxsw Release It pitch competition!

Come see us March 9th to see how we PARTAKE!

More details here: https://t.co/B2t39oAGZG
–#SXSW #HowDoYouPartake #Technology pic.twitter.com/hhuE0Dmcoa

— Partake Live! (@Partake_Live) February 12, 2018

Partake: SXSW Release It

SXSW Release It provides a platform for companies to launch a new and innovative product or service during a pitch competition at the SXSW Conference. A panel of hand-picked judges, comprised of technology industry experts, venture capitalists, and high-profile media, will select the product or service most likely to succeed in the marketplace.

Date: Fri March 9, 2018
Time: 11:00 AM — 12:00 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — 4th Floor, Salon AB
Register: SXSW badge required

We’re very thrilled to announce that we are officially in the 50 finalists for #SXSW acclerator pitch event! Very excited about this opportunity! #FastVisaUS @CapitalFactory https://t.co/BsJN50tiWW

— FastVisa US (@FastVisaUS) January 16, 2018

Fastvisa & Message.io: Enterprise and Smart Data Technologies

SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event is a platform to allow early stage technology startups to pitch their product and/or services to industry technology experts, high profiled media personnel, and Venture Capitalists / Angel Investors. Five companies will dazzle a live audience, panel of judges with their ideas, innovations, product and/or service on Saturday, March 10th.

Date: Sat March 10, 2018
Time: 12:30 PM — 1:30 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown —Salon AB
Register: SXSW badge required

Thanks to @ReversePitchOrg we won the Austin #CreatorAwards from @wework and now we are heading to The Accelerator Pitch @sxsw + @FoodCityOrg Pitch + @MassChallengeTX. Also thanks to @3M and the @tarmactx Team https://t.co/fPmgt2XdXo

— GrubTubs®️ 🥙♻️ (@GrubTubs) February 2, 2018

GrubTubs & Big Wheelbarrow: Food+City Prize: Food System Innovations, Session 1

The fourth annual Food+City Challenge Prize will be part of SXSW for the first time in 2018. The Food+City Challenge Prize is an international competition among early stage business startups encouraging innovation in the urban food system. Finalists addressing issues such as storage, distribution, packaging, waste, and more, will compete for up to $50,000 in prizes.

Date: Tues March 13, 2018
Time: 9:30 AM — 10:30 AM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon C
Register: SXSW badge required

Capital Factory Member Panels & Presentations

Companies aren’t the only ones getting ready for SXSW. These members are taking the stage to deliver some epic panels and presentations.

If you’re coming to @sxsw and have ever wondered what’s good/bad about tech in Austin as compared to other cities, come checkout our panel with @LoriCHawkins, @bigcommerce @homeaway & @aceable!https://t.co/TxMiVWLOaD pic.twitter.com/epa73zPZKx

— John Yarbrough (@jyarbrough) February 27, 2018

Third Coast: Can Austin Be The Next Big Tech City?

Austin, we have a problem. Despite regularly being named the “Best City to Live” and attracting 150+ new residents every day, Austin’s tech community lags its coastal peers in both investment dollars and successful exits. Does the city adequately support growing tech businesses? Leaders from Austin-area companies will share their experiences and perspective in this panel.

Date: Fri March 9, 2018
Time: 5:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon K
CF Member: Blake Garrett, Aceable
Register: SXSW badge required

Excited to speak at @SXSW on the #internetofthreats https://t.co/w3hDdPalCX @emergentriskai @CapitalFactory

— Earl Crane Ph.D. (@earlcranephd) February 23, 2018

Welcome to the “Internet of Threats”

Biometrics, voice interfaces, and the Internet of Everything are enabling technologies creating innovative processes and experiences but also creating new threat vectors, potentially exposing organizations, employees and consumers to different exploits. In addition, insider threats, spear phishing activities, social engineering have exacerbated the issue. This panel will bring together experts to discuss how we secure data, yet remain productive and take advantage of new innovative technologies?

Date: Sat March 10, 2018
Time: 5:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Location: Fairmont Manchester CD
CF Member: Earl Crane, Emergent Network Defense
Register: SXSW badge required

Casa México’s Opening Reception

Amy Jarczynski will be sharing Kiss & Tell’s #1st100Couples initiative and making a special announcement regarding their #LoveRescueMe Destination Wedding Giveaway at Casa Mexico’s Reception on Saturday at 7:00 pm. Casa Mexico is Mexico Tourism & the Mexican Government’s SXSW hub.

Date: Sat March 10, 2018
Time: 7:00 PM — 9:00 PM
Location: Mexican American Cultural Center
CF Member: Amy Jarczynski, Kiss & Tell

Oh here is a juicy one from @mlanders and @storyfit 'Sex & Text: Breaking Down Movie Stereotypes w/ AI” https://t.co/CTTP0wHmVw #SXSW @CapitalFactory

— Joshua Baer ⚙️ (@JoshuaBaer) March 4, 2018

Sex & Text: Breaking Down Movie Stereotypes w/ AI

Bad boy, home-wrecker, damsel: why is every hit movie and TV show home to at least one sad, sexist cliche? Are they storytelling tropes, or cultural symptoms? Applying AI models to box-office hits and misses unearths intriguing details about some of society’s most polarizing and sexist stereotypes. This talk will look at what machine learning reveals about the hidden forces at play in male/female character dynamics, how we perceive stereotype in dialogue, and good or bad, what it says about us.

Date: Sun March 11, 2018
Time: 12:30 PM — 1:30 PM
Location: Austin Convention Center — Room 12AB
CF Members: Monica Landers & Grace Lin, StoryFit
Register: SXSW badge required

Gearing up for SXSW? Check out one of our @hispanichackers @frankrrobles at @sxsw!! #SXSW2018 https://t.co/8t1ytYA9QC

— ATX Hispanic Hackers (@hispanichackers) February 24, 2018

A World of Blockchain Powered Communities

In this session we will share our journey to introduce verified permanent digital identities, blockchain based shared ownership of City Platforms through local CityShares, and how CityTokens can help to energize the local community and support a peer-to-peer economy.

Mon March 12, 2018
Time: 3:30 PM — 4:30 PM
Location: JW Marriott — Salon 7
CF Member: Frank Robles, DigitalTown
Register: SXSW badge required

Join us in March for #SXSW2018, where ERC dEX CEO @davidaktary will be discussing The Quantifiable Business Benefits of Blockchain with fellow Austinites from @factom, @TransmuteNews, and @unchainedcap. https://t.co/jW8w5eGk0u pic.twitter.com/D4BpCAO9jP

— ERC dEX (@ERCdEX) February 1, 2018

The Quantifiable Business Benefits of Blockchain

Billions flowed into crypto and blockchain in 2017 as investors expressed their excitement for the future potential of blockchain, but the fact is that blockchain technology is changing many businesses today in measurable ways. This panel will reveal some of the surprising ways blockchain technologies are being applied in the industry today and give insight into what benefits companies can look forward to in the future.

Date: Mon March 12, 2018
Time: 5:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Room 400–402
CF Member: David Aktary, ERC dEX
Register: SXSW badge required

Awesome panel on why Austin in the best place for blockchain innovation https://t.co/A4n892zRTt

— Tiana Laurence (@LaurenceTiana) March 1, 2018

Austin: A Global Center for Blockchain Innovation

This panel will discuss why Austin has emerged as a fantastic city for the blockchain and crypto community. Top local innovators will highlight Austin’s most exciting blockchain companies, why Austin has become a hotbed of crypto innovation and the role that the Austin Blockchain Collective is playing in putting Austin on the global blockchain map.

Date: Tues March 13, 2018
Time: 3:30 PM — 4:30 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Room 400–402
CF Member: Tushar Jain, Multicoin Capital
Register: SXSW badge required

Excited to be joining @kelskamin @rogerbchen and @joethepleb next Thursday to discuss #socialmaps and the future of location-based tech. If you're attending #SXSW we'd love to see you there. https://t.co/pAybyz58WV

— Jeff Orr (@jeffworr) March 5, 2018

Social Maps and the Future of Location-Based

Mobile users are becoming increasingly comfortable with sharing their location. This, along with advances in location-based tech and the mainstream adoption of social mapping platforms (Snapchat Maps, Waze) is opening doors to how we use mobile apps to connect with our surroundings. It’s changing the way cities, events and brands engage with local users.
This session will cover the latest in location-based technology and what it means for developers, users, cities, events and advertisers.

Date: Thurs March 15, 2018
Time: 11:00 AM — 12:00 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon A
CF Member: Kelsi Kamin, Capital Factory Venture Associate
Register: SXSW badge required

Capital Factory Panels

We couldn’t just let our members have all the fun. Capital Factory is participating in and hosting several panels as well.

How can entrepreneurs make their pitch stand out from the rest? Don’t miss @DougPepper & expert panelists as they discuss at @SXSW on March 9th: https://t.co/GTB6be6vVG #SXSW

— Shasta Ventures (@shasta) March 2, 2018

Attracting VC Funding Outside Silicon Valley Panel

We do a lot of things differently in Texas, including fundraising. Join us and learn how to attract Venture Capital investment in your startup when you live somewhere other than Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, or Boston. Hear from venture investors and successful entrepreneurs to find out what factors they considered and how you can make your pitch stand out from the rest.

Date: Fri March 9, 2018
Time: 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon C
Register: SXSW badge required

The Texas Startup Manifesto SXSW Panel

The Texas Startup Manifesto is call to action to connect Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and the rest of the state into a Texas Startup Megatropolis, unlocking billions of dollars in capital and unleashing thousands of diverse entrepreneurs. If you live in Texas, find out how you can tap into the network. If you’re not, learn how you can facilitate collaboration across your region with the Union platform.

Date: Fri March 9, 2018
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Location: Hilton Austin Downtown — Salon C
Register: SXSW badge required

It's that time of year… Grab your reservation for #SXSWStartupCrawl today! This event is free and open to the entire Austin startup community but has LIMITED CAPACITY. The FIRST 5,000 SIGNUPS are guaranteed admittance! RSVP here: https://t.co/OXQWbdjXs6

— Austin Startup Crawl (@ATXStartupCrawl) February 25, 2018

SXSW Startup Crawl

If one list isn’t enough, visit the Capital Factory megastop during SXSW Startup Crawl to see all of our member companies in action! What better way to kick off SXSW 2018 than with all the hottest tech and coldest beer in Austin?

Date: Fri March 9, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Downtown Austin (Sign up to see your starting location)

RSVP to @voltagectrl's Inclusion and Diversity Panel at @CapitalFactory during #SXSW. Panelists include reps from @Atlassian @Andela @ZayoGroup and more: https://t.co/ah5l39EWt5 pic.twitter.com/ApGLXLrn4O

— Alexis Johnson (@yeahitslex) January 17, 2018

Inclusion and Diversity Panel

Voltage Control welcomes you to a distinguished panel of experts from Atlassian, Uber, Zayo and other companies discussing Inclusion and Diversity. The panel covers a range of perspectives including companies with established programs, companies just getting started, thought leaders, and services organizations helping others design and execute internal programs.

Date: Sat March 10, 2018
Time: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Location: Capital Factory — 1st floor Voltron

https://twitter.com/merket/status/968572070828302336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Faustinstartups.com%2Fmedia%2F8e20500cccb1bada7d1b4b164684bacc%3FpostId%3D7ef27b7c49bf

Pitch Competition for Underrepresented Founders

The future of tech is every color, gender, belief, origin, and community. The future of tech is accessible, flexible, and inclusive.
To spread this message at SXSW and beyond, Capital Factory is hosting a Pitch Competition for Underrepresented Founders* in collaboration with the AWS Startup Team and AWS We Power Tech. We will select 6 startups to pitch for 3 minutes each in front of a panel of VCs and early-stage investors. All contestants will receive an allocation of AWS Activate Promotional Credits (some limitations apply). The winner will be featured on the AWS Startup Blog, receive 3 months of free coworking from Capital Factory, and receive various additional prizes that will help enable their company to grow.

Date: Mon March 12, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Location: Capital Factory — 1st floor Voltron

Interested in seeing the full list of events happening at Capital Factory? Check them out, and RSVP here!

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2018 will take place March 9–18, 2018.
SXSW 2018 is sponsored by Bud Light, Mercedes Benz, Capital One, and The Austin Chronicle.

Coming in Summer 2018, the Center for Social Innovation — a new coworking and meeting space at the Springdale General social impact community in East Austin where you can only be a member if you are a social impact entrepreneur. Like our downtown location, meeting space will be provided at low or no cost to non-profits and community organizations, but unlike downtown, there is free parking! In addition to desks and offices to rent, being part of this community will bring access to the Capital Factory network of mentors in Texas and the global Union network.

Capital Factory has been working with social impact ventures for a long time. We consider ourselves one, too! We’re proud to have supported the launch of companies like Aunt Bertha, Givepulse, PenPal Schools, ScribeSense, Student Loan Genius and Vizzle.

Partnered with Notley Ventures

We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with Lisa and Dan Graham and the rest of the Notley Ventures team on this project. It’s an amazing new resource for the Austin social impact and non-profit community! The coworking space is located right at the entrance, directly above Cafe Medici, restaurants, and a bar.

We’ve collaborated with Notley Ventures as investors in startups and as organizers of the Startup Games and are excited to build on that relationship with this joint venture. Notley supports pretty much every other social entrepreneurship initiative there is in Austin and they are now expanding their reach to cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Denver.

“The world is experiencing an emergence of social enterprise spilling out of our universities, nonprofits, and for-profit businesses,” said Dan Graham, Cofounder of Notley. “As Austin becomes the next social innovation capital, this coworking model is poised to provide an important missing piece — a space for people inciting action around social causes to connect with nonprofits, educational systems and entrepreneurial programs while coming together to drive scalable and sustainable purpose-driven ventures.”

Notley’s spirit of collaboration is something that Capital Factory shares. Our success is built on working with other groups in the community to find synergies and connections. We want to make sure to add value to the social impact scene in Austin and don’t want to duplicate efforts. We hope to contribute by providing:

• Free and discounted space for social impact and non-profit groups to meet
• Access to the Texas-wide Capital Factory mentor network
• Access to the global Union mentor network
• Access to the global Google for Entrepreneurs network
• Introductions to social impact angel investors and institutions

Techstars Austin first launched their first class from the 5th floor of Capital Factory in 2013. Since then we’ve had a collaborative relationship — cross investing in funds and startups, hosting events together, and mentoring. Sometimes a startup joins the Capital Factory community and then joins Techstars, and sometimes it is the other way around. It doesn’t matter to us. We plan on having a similar relationship with Techstars Impact.

“Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, is excited to have Capital Factory and Notley Ventures’ partnership join Austin’s growing impact ecosystem,” said Zoe Schlag, Managing Director of Techstars Impact, which invests in for-profit, mission-driven startups building technologies to solve pressing social problems. “As a landing pad where new mission-driven ventures can connect directly with nonprofits, this will serve as an important resource for any impact organization in Austin.”

Techstars and Capital Factory both support incredible social impact companies such as Aunt Bertha & PenPal Schools.

Promoting B Corporations in Austin

The Center for Social Innovation will be a hub for B Corporations in Austin, too. Capital Factory is a certified B Corp and we look forward to helping spread the word about this new form of corporate governance to other Austin companies.

Individually, B Corps meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability, and aspire to use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems. Collectively, B Corps lead a growing global movement of people using business as a force for good. Through the power of their collective voice, one day all companies will compete to be best for the world, and society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity for all.

Another great B Corp that was founded by Capital Factory Mentors Brett Hurt and Bryon Jacobs is data.world.

Austin is already the non-profit capital of Texas with more non-profits per capita than any other city in the Southwest. We should be the B Corporation capital, too!

Austin has a thriving social impact scene

This isn’t the only initiative in Austin that supports social impact entrepreneurs. We also look forward to working with other great forces of social good in Austin such as ATX Hack for Change, Impact Hub Austin, and Austin+SocialGood to support social entrepreneurs and connect them with the people and resources that they need to be successful! Our minds and doors will be open to all other organizations that support social entrepreneurs and impact investing.

What impact is your company having on the world? What will be your legacy? Come unlock your potential with Notley Ventures and us at the Center for Social Innovation.

In the next phase of the Texas Startup Manifesto, Capital Factory is working with The Dallas Entrepreneur Center to launch a new center of gravity of entrepreneurs in Uptown Dallas at The Centrum, a newly renovated building that includes existing tenants such as rewardStyle and Salesforce.

Texas Startup Manifesto

Capital Factory has been focused on helping entrepreneurs in the Dallas-Fort Worth region since it launched a partnership with The Dallas Entrepreneur Center (The DEC) in August of last year when we brought our Accelerator program and the UNION platform to The DEC. In addition to connecting the entrepreneurs, mentors and investors in the two cities online, Capital Factory has been arranging in-person cars, buses and planes to bring entrepreneurs and investors from one city to another.

While we are working to connect the entire Texas startup ecosystem together, our focus is squarely on DFW right now. DFW is a huge market that complements Austin extremely well. There are about 50 Fortune 500 companies in Texas and the half that aren’t oil & gas related are based in DFW. Those are all potential pilot customers and strategic investors for the startup companies. DFW also brings a diverse talent pool and rich base of family office investors who probably don’t get as much credit as they deserve for how active they already are as investors in early-stage businesses.

By creating a physical presence in Dallas, we are reaching out to DFW corporations and family offices to make it easier for them to engage with the startup community. We want to help connect them to the startups in their own backyard and the startups in Austin, Houston and San Antonio.

We’re opening a location in Uptown, but we realize that one way that the DFW region is different than Austin is that there are so many different population centers. Being part of The DEC network will help connect our location to the many other DEC locations around Dallas. We’ll continue to look for partnerships in Fort Worth and other locations that The DEC doesn’t have a presence. We can’t do this all by ourselves.

Pleased to welcome @CapitalFactory to Dallas at @TheDECtx! Austin + Dallas = Startup Powerhouse! https://t.co/3sgXKN8Eiz

— Mike Rawlings (@Mike_Rawlings) August 8, 2017

In the past six months, Capital Factory has added 50 new mentors from Dallas through The DEC, we’ve coordinated 91 office hours meetings between entrepreneurs and mentors and 7 Dallas startups have joined our Accelerator program.

We’re putting our money where our mouth is. We made direct investments in two Dallas startups and made an introduction between an Austin startup and a Dallas venture capitalist that resulted in another investment. Today we brought more than 30 entrepreneurs and investors from Austin to announce the winner of our $100,000 Dallas Diversity & Inclusion Investment Challenge in partnership with DivInc, The DEC, and Perot Jain.

The New Space

This announcement creates a new center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Dallas with meeting space, classrooms and coworking and most importantly a network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors from the DFW area, from Austin and the rest of Texas, and from all over the world.

Here are some quick stats:

• 26,000 square feet
• Two floors
• 150-seat event space with a stage
• 40-seat classroom
• 22-seat classroom
• Walk-in cooler
• 10 conference rooms
• 13 private offices with 70 desks
• 60 private desks
• Unisex bathroom
• Mother’s room
• Game room with ping-pong and virtual reality

The new space is half coworking and half community space for meetups, classes and large groups. You can see the construction floorplans below. There actually aren’t that many offices or desks so it might not be a bad idea to pick yours out now and lock it in!

Everyone is Included

Capital Factory is committed to ending systemic inequalities and tries to be a diverse and inclusive community. This is one of the places where The DEC and Capital Factory were immediately aligned — The DEC has already been working in this area with their Women’s Summit and outreach into underserved communities. Capital Factory jumps at every opportunity to host programming that attracts women, people of color, veterans, the LGBTQ+ community, and youth programming.

Some specific amenities at this location include a gender-neutral bathroom and a mother’s nursing room. However, it’s more about how people act than the physical place itself. Our Code of Conduct sets expectations for our members and guests.

The Centrum in Uptown

The Centrum is just completing a $25 million renovation that includes a community courtyard, terrace, gym, and other amenities. It’s a mixed-use project with residential, commercial and retail including five restaurants. Other tenants in the building include Salesforce and rewardStyle.

We’ve got the gem of the building. Our two floors are really a standalone building separated by an interior courtyard from the larger structure. This gives us easy access to the courtyard as well as prominent signage on busy Oak Lawn Avenue.

Mexican restaurant Matitos is an old staple in the retail section of the building as well as sushi restaurant Steel. They were recently joined by coffeeshop Mudsmith and Italian restaurant Mille Lire also located within the retail section of the building. In addition to the five restaurants on site, there are dozens of other restaurants within walking distance.

Old Parkland is a 10 minute walk down the road or a 2 minute drive. That’s where a lot of the family offices and private equity in Dallas has offices so that makes it easy for our startups to visit them or for them to attend our events.

Cedar Springs Road is a straight-shot 10-minute drive to Love Field Airport. Investors from Austin and Houston can fly into Dallas for the day and use this location as their home base.

We’re also a 10-minute drive from downtown and The DEC’s West End location.

The DEC Inside

This will be a 9th location in the Dallas area for The DEC, who will be expanding their entrepreneurial programming and mentor network to The Centrum location. All DEC members at other locations will have access to this location for coworking.

“I’m excited to expand the DEC into yet another location where we can continue to support and serve entrepreneurs in North Texas through a great partnership with Austin’s hub for entrepreneurial activity. We are thrilled to have access to beautiful new space for our members to work and to host our events that is in Uptown and that has ample parking.” said Trey Bowles, founder & CEO of The DEC. “This will be just one more great reason why Dallas is continuing to grow to a be leading hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in the country.”

This DEC location will push out introductions and opportunities to the others. Members at Addison Treehouse will be able to book office hours with mentors at The Centrum, in the West End, or in Austin. Other DEC locations include Innovation Hub, San Antonio Entrepreneur Center, Stoke in Denton, Red Bird Mall, UNTDallas, and Paul Quinn College.

This community center will be a physical connection to the Austin, Houston and San Antonio startup scenes. Entrepreneurs and investors from around Texas will be visiting on a weekly basis to connect with opportunities in Dallas. Capital Factory members and our partners around the state will have access to drop-in on any of the other locations.

Through the UNION platform, Capital Factory will connect the Texas startup scene to the rest of the world. UNION connects startup hubs in more than 30 cities around the world using a common website with profiles for each startup and each mentor. This also serves a channel to help connect startups with business development opportunities in large companies and government.

Thanks for the Warm Welcome

Since announcing our partnership with The DEC, we’ve received a warm welcome from many different people and organizations in the Dallas Startup Ecosystem. Here are some of the ones who really stick out (apologies to anyone we missed!)

Organizations:

• Blossom Street Ventures
• Collide Village
• Deep Space VC
• Deloitte
• DivInc
• Interlock VC
• Perot Jain
• Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC)
• Quadrant Investment Properties
• Revolution
• RevTech
• RISE / Surf Air
• UNION
• The University of Texas at Dallas
• Vinson & Elkins
• Von Lane

And people:

• Ben Lamm
• Bryan Chambers
• Chad Cook
• Chirag Gupta
• Chris Camillo
• Chuck May
• Cindy Revol
• Clayton Floyd
• David Matthews
• David Willox
• Dennis Dayman
• Elaine O’Gorman
• Evan Burfield
• Joe Beard
• Joel Fontenot
• Laura Baldwin
• Mark Bunting
• Mayor Mike Rawlings
• Molly Cain
• Nick Kennedy
• Stephen Hays
• Steve Case
• Steve Guengerich
• Tahir Hussain
• Trey Bowles

Floor Plans

Have you seen our new look? Refined and ready to go, our revamped website makes it easy to see (literally!) why you should join our startup community. Think of it as the next generation of the Capital Factory robot.

Of course, behind every robot is an epic engineer. A huge thanks to HMG Creative for giving us a facelift! Like our startups, this digital agency doesn’t mess around when it comes to tech. They’ve been killing the game in brand development, web design, and interactive marketing services for over 14 years, most recently with Capital Factory. And to make it even better, they love startups almost as much as us (almost!).

“We immerse ourselves in the startup scene and are aware of the startups that exist, and we commit to being a champion of those brands, products and services.” – James Trumbly, Founder & Managing Partner at HMG Creative

To prove it, they’ve offered Capital Factory member companies their support with special offers on branding, web development, and commercial printing.

Need a makeover? Look no further. Well, at least for your startup. Leave the hairspray at home and head over to HMG Creative to find out what they can do for you.