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Ever heard of Sir Richard Branson? Chances are, you most definitely have. Richard Branson is the English businessman and investor that created Virgin Group, which currently umbrellas over 400 companies world-wide. Somewhere within his busy schedule, Sir Branson decided to create a tech challenge.

Starting in 2014, Sir Richard Branson developed the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) in order to “bring together targeted resources and world class advisors to help high-energy, wicked-smart entrepreneurs that are executing on big ideas”. The final showdown takes place on Neckar Island (Sir Branson’s Private island) in February of 2016.

Of the 2,000 teams that applied, 25 semi-finalists were selected to move forward to the next round, four of which are Boulder based tech startups. Excitement would be an understatement in my mind. The four semi-finalists from Boulder are Kickfurther, Mass Roots, Revolar and hobbyDB. Throughout this week there will be Live Video Q&A’s via EdCast.

Kickfurther

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Kickfurther, which is led by Founder and CEO Sean De Clercq, graduated from the Boomtown Accelerator in November of 2014.

Kickfurther is an inventory crowdfunding platform that brings investors and businesses together in order to implement growth and earn returns in the retail market. While working on his own merchandising brand, Sean noticed the roadblocks that prevent businesses from getting their products to market and decided it was time to make a change within the supply chain. This is when the original idea for Kickfurther was born.

Sean De Clercq is a leader and entrepreneur in every sense of the words, which is why it is no surprise that Kickfurther has been selected as semi-finalist for the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC). Today, Tuesday November 16th, 2015 @ 3PM PST (4PM MST), Sean De Clercq will be hosting a 10 Minute Insights Live Video Q&A via EdCast for the XTC. Give local business a boost and tune in!

Tune in at: http://bit.ly/1HEtLzj @ 3PM PST (4PM MST).

MassRoots 

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MassRoots, which is led by Founder and CEO Isaac Dietrich,  is currently positioning itself to capitalize on the quickly expanding cannabis market while mobilizing it’s user base to support legalization initiatives nation-wide.

MassRoots is one of the largest and most active social networks for the cannabis community. Mass Roots has over 500,000 users, 140 million user-to-user interactions, and 500 actively posting dispensaries. Individuals and businesses use the MassRoots iOS and Android app to find smoking buddies, share their cannabis experiences with like-minded friends, and stay connected with local dispensaries.

Tomorrow, Wednesday November 17th, 2015 @ 11AM PST (12PM MST), Isaac Dietrich will be hosting a 10 Minute Insights Live Video Q&A via EdCast for the XTC. Tune in to support!

Tune in at: http://bit.ly/1kss51Q @ 11AM PST (12PM MST).

Revolar

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Revolar is “the latest innovation in personal safety. If you are ever in danger or feel uncomfortable, simply press the button on your Revolar device and an alert message with your real time location information will be sent to your loved ones. Your location information updates in real time, empowering your loved ones to get you help quickly. Revolar is safety, simplified.”

Revolar is led by Founder and CEO Jacqueline Ros. Tomorrow, Wednesday November 17th, 2015 @ 1PM PST (2PM MST), Jacqueline Ros will be hosting a 10 Minute Insights Live Video Q&A via EdCast for the XTC. Tune in to support!

Tune in at: http://bit.ly/1HEvrcf @ 1PM PST (2PM MST).

HobbyDB

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HobbyDB is building a giant database of every collectible ever made – from die cast cars to action figures to comic books to corkscrews and more. HobbyDB is based in Boulder, Colorado and “run by collectors worldwide”.

HobbyDB is led by Founder and CEO Christian Braun. Today, Tuesday November 16th, 2015 @ 11AM PST (12PM MST), Christian Braun will be hosting a 10 Minute Insights Live Video Q&A via EdCast for the XTC. Tune in to support!

Tune in at: http://bit.ly/20PFDVD @ 11AM PST (12PM MST).

Thanks for tuning into this weeks coverage on the Boulder Startup Boom! Tune in to the Live Video Q&A’s to support local businesses on their trek to win the Extreme Tech Challenge hosted on Branson’s Private, Neckar Island.

 

 

Editors Note: Chase Howard is a Brand Account Manager for Kickfurther.