“Always be innovating” might as well be the mantra of Austin tech, inspired by the widely adopted sales slogan “always be closing.” Take, for instance, these new startups rolling out products like private enterprise podcasting platforms, blockchain data storage and on-demand horse sitting. There’s plenty of ideas on the rise, and here’s five we’ll be tracking.
From the producers of the weekly live streaming show “Comedians Interview Musicians” comes a new app that aims to make it easier for artists and live event crews to book shows. Called Music Firsthand, the app launched in beta just last week with about 200 users already utilizing it. According to reps from Music Firsthand, early adopters of the app include Austin-based breweries, cafes, ad agencies, event companies and large tech companies.
Founded this year, myHouseby is developing a platform to make it easier for homebuyers to design their next dream houses through a three-step process. The startup aggregates market information, house blueprints, neighborhood statistics, builder history and lot data and puts it into a single marketplace to inform the decision process for users interested in building their own homes.
After hiding in stealth mode for four years, blockchain startup ALTR officially launched last month with the announcement of a $15 million funding round. ALTR sidesteps the popularity of cryptocurrency and instead puts blockchain technology to a more practical use: secure enterprise access and storage solutions. The startup provides breach prevention tools and tokenizes corporate data to make it unidentifiable to the human eye, as well as impenetrable.
UStudio originated in 2011, providing internal audio and video communication solutions for enterprises. More recently, the Austin-based company released a brand new platform called uStudio Enterprise Podcasting for businesses to host internal, private podcasts. The secure, mobile application allows a company to deliver business-related, engaging content to their entire workforce through a modernized channel. Pretty convenient for businesses with large remote teams.
On-demand pet sitting services like Rover have burst into popularity among pet owners across the country. But what’s out there for animals larger than traditional house pets — like, say, horses? Co-founders Tracy Ambrico and Alexis Pomerleau launched MyBarnHelp this summer to connect horse owners with equestrian specialists for scheduled care and services. Similar to Rover, the company lets users locate horse care professionals on the app, review their areas of expertise and pricing and book future appointments.
