AWS Global Start Up Challenge is Back

October 25, 2012

Amazon’s clever angle on finding good people and good ideas is back, the company declares in its post, “Welcome to the 6th AWS Global Start-Up Challenge.” The annual contest, which began in 2007, provides publicity while delivering a bevy of talent and insights to the company.

The Challenge calls on start-ups that have built their businesses using Amazon Web Services to submit their ideas for a “product, Web site, software application/tool, service, or any other system that substantively uses” one of Amazon’s cloudy products. (The full list of those products is listed in the Official Rules.) The announcement states:

“This contest, launched in 2007, is a way for promising start-ups to get noticed and compete for an opportunity to win some great rewards for your start-up. This year’s challenge offers prizes such as $100K in combined cash and credits for multiple winners, VC introductions, PR support, and more. If your start-up is built using AWS, we want you to apply!”

The write up goes on to give some specifics on the rewards Amazon will shower upon the winning contestant. You can see the entire list here, but opportunity and publicity are perhaps the most promising. The announcement mentions:

“Meet Tier One Investors: At last year’s event, finalists met 1:1 with representatives from top VCs such as Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, NEA, Accel and Madrona Venture Group. Last year’s winner Fantasy Shopper went on to raise $3.3M from top tier venture firms NEA and Accel after the Challenge.

“Press and attention for your start-up: Finalists and Semi-Finalists will be featured in Start-Up Challenge press releases which have previously been picked up by top tech outlets such as TechCrunch and GigaOM.”

So, there you have it. If you are part of a qualifying start-up and are up for the challenge, you’d better get cracking. The deadline for entries is November ninth.

Cynthia Murrell, October 25, 2012

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under News, Web Services

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Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.