TechOut first place winner, Matthew Guruge of Awato, holds his first-place check for $50,000. Also pictured from left are: Michelline Dufort of the NH High Tech Council and Cookson Strategic Communications; Toral Cowieson, chairperson of the NH High Tech Council and the Internet Society, Awato cofounder Tyler C. Hurst; Mark Kaplan of Alpha Loft; Matt Cookson of the NH High Tech Council and Cookson Strategic Communications; and Gray Chynoweth of SilverTech. Photo: NH High Tech Council.
Three NH startup companies received a combined $100,000 in funding at the NH High Tech Council and Alpha Loft’s 2016 TechOut competition. Awato won the $50,000 first prize; Forcivity took home $30,000 and second place; and the crowd favorite, KudosWall, walked away with $20,000 for third place.
First and second place awards were determined by a panel of judges comprised of business experts, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. The third-place slot was determined solely by the evening’s audience of more than 200 people.
Awato was co-founded by Matthew Guruge. Only two years out of college, Guruge co-founded Awato, a software startup aimed at helping others figure out what they want to do for a living. Awato uses a relational database that asks users contextual questions related to their interests and hobbies, personality and mental inclinations.
Current Issue - May 2024