South by Southwest, or SXSW, is yearly tech and entertainment festival held in Austin that showcases everything from new film screenings to innovative tech gadgets and software. The event has a significant Austin presence, but that presence will be even bigger this year after the organization selected two local tech startups to participate in SXSW Pitch.
SXSW Pitch showcases 40 tech startups worldwide and helps them pitch to media professionals, venture capital investors and angel investors. This year, the event received over 740 applicants with Austin-based EverCase and gigaroo selected to showcase their tech.
EverCase was founded in 2021 by Chris Somogyi, Paul Levins and Soojin Jun as a spinoff from the University of Hawaii and Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center. EverCase develops cold storage and shipping solutions that extend the shelf of foods during the shipping process.
According to its website, the company uses electric and magnetic fields to keep food at a suitable temperature. This process cools down the product without freezing it. With the method, there is also no risk of freeze burn and it enables shippers to cool other foods that can’t be frozen, like pastries, cheese and oysters.
Gigaroo is a service industry recruitment platform that matches job seekers with employers based on their lifestyles, interests and needs.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, retaining service talent has become increasingly challenging, with some companies reporting a 130 percent job turnover, according to gigaroo. With its platform, gigaroo focuses on increasing schedule flexibility and job satisfaction to help companies improve their retention rates.
Gigaroo was founded in 2022 by Adir Oren and Yair Almagor and recently emerged from stealth with an undisclosed amount of funding.
“Since its inception, SXSW Pitch has been front row to some of the most ambitious startups from around the world, using creative ideas to change their industry’s future,” Chris Valentine, SXSW Pitch event producer, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to play a role in helping shape these early-stage ventures and connect them with the resources they need to thrive. This year’s competition will be a representation of the incredible and innovative work being done around the world.”
The pitch competition will take place on March 11 and 12.
