Startups abroad VIII

http://www.gradefund.com

GradeFund ushers in a new opportunity for students of life.

Our Mission

GradeFund strives to be the bellwether for academic opportunity and community-based education financing. We aim raise the bar for education opportunity and equality, leaving no excuse for young men and women to not achieve everything they desire.

GradeFund functions to create affordability and accessibility one student at a time. The service also acts as a conduit for securing jobs and internships for life after the classroom.

Our Values

1. Students should be rewarded for academic excellence in every practical way.
2. A great education should be equally available to all of the world's students.
3. Educational resources should be deployed as efficiently as possible.
4. Businesses should be able to amply incubate tomorrow's leaders and talent.

What we do in 100 Words

Students invite their friends and family to sponsor their drive for good grades. Sponsors choose grade levels and sponsorship amounts for each grade (as low as $5). Each semester students upload their transcript. We verify grades, collect money from sponsors, and send it to schools or students depending on sponsor preferences. For individuals or companies that want to create an educational cause, they select the classes and grade levels at the universities they want to sponsor. We send the money to the eligible students who achieve the target performance levels.

Startups abroad VII

http://www.unclasses.org/

(un)classes = learning for fun

Ever wish you had the choice to get up off the couch and spend the afternoon learning to rock climb, cook, or maybe juggle? Well, we have and that's why we came up with (un)classes. (un)classes are premised on the belief that everyone has *something* to teach and learning doesn't always have to be a formal experience requiring big up-front commitments. We call this idea casual learning, and it's at the heart of unclasses.org.

Casual learning is for people like us, who have hectic lives and struggle to find fun and interesting ways to satisfy their intellectual curiosity in the limited free time they have. Think of it as educational snacking, a low-touch way to explore topics that interest you.

But what we hope will make (un)classes truly special is the community. We want to foster an environment for fun people to explore mutual interests in stress-free social settings. And you are in charge: wanna learn something no one is teaching, create a class and recruit a teacher; have a hobby you love and want to share, offer to teach it and assemble some students.

How does it work?

unclasses.org is a simple site that connects people who want to learn about a topic with those in their area who want to teach it. It’s basically a marketplace for matching interest with passion. The actual (un)classes can be whatever you want them to be. People in your area suggest things they want to learn, others join, and someone volunteers to teach. It’s that simple.

(un)classes are meant to be lightweight, fun, and unconventional -- the kinds of things you can't easily learn elsewhere. Some of our favorites so far include 'shopping for yore lady', 'How to Create The Greatest Rock Song of All Time', and 'how to be a digital nomad'. The system is set up to encourage creativity and keep things informal, so the only guidelines are the standard don't be offensive or do things that are illegal.

Here are the basics of how the system works:

• Anyone can create a new Class, all they have to put in is a name, description, and area for the Class
• Anyone can become a Student of a Class, but try not to flake out if you say you're going to be there (or just drop the Class if your plans change)
• Anyone can become a Teacher of a Class, but there can only be one Teacher at a time
• The Teacher is responsible for figuring out the Where and When for their Class, but we highly recommend they consult with their Students in doing so
• Each Class is a one-off (i.e. the system has no concept of multi-class 'courses'), but you can easily Clone a Class from the Class page

Now, go forth and (un)learn or (un)teach or (un)something! ;-

Startups VI - Refrence website(One of the best designed)

http://www.treering.com/

By virtue of the sheer numbers of students typically involved, most school yearbooks don't include more than one or two shots of each individual child. Aiming to make school yearbooks more about the student and less about the school,TreeRing is a platform that lets schools create yearbooks that can be customized.

By combining the efficiency of just-in-time digital printing, the collaborative power of online social networks and an array of DIY customization features, California-based TreeRing strives to create personalized yearbooks for each child while also reducing the financial burden for schools. Toward that end, it has built a solution that allows schools to create a traditional "core" yearbook that includes the entire school, but to also invite parents and students to customize their own yearbook pages. Customization can be achieved via templates and drag-and-drop functionality using a combination of personal and shared photos and information captured about each student's stage in life—best friends, favorite activities, future aspirations, etc.—making the end result a record of each student’s entire year, both in and out of the classroom. Once a student's yearbook is complete, TreeRing's state-of-the-art digital printing technology then prints that custom version. Pricing is between USD 10 and USD 25, Examiner.com reports, including four free customizable pages.

By allowing families to order online directly, TreeRing eliminates all yearbook costs for schools, including burdensome yearbook deposits. The company also offers a greener alternative to the traditional yearbook by planting a tree for every yearbook sold, thanks to its partnership with Trees for the Future. Could this be the next model for yearbook publishing? (Related: Personalised newspaper targets young readers — Customised magazine from Lexus, Time & Amex —Personalised music mag — Customised cookbooks stir in online recipes.)

Startups V

http://betterfly.com/

Much the way TeachStreet helps consumers find nearby experts who can teach them something new, so Betterfly aims to connect them with teachers, tutors, coaches, trainers, stylists or anyone else who offers a service that can help them learn, look or feel better.

Now in beta, New York-based Betterfly deliberately excludes companies from its list of service providers, focusing instead on individuals with specific expertise. "When searching for someone to teach you Spanish, give you a massage or improve your yoga technique, it's more important to know who the best person is, rather than knowing just the name of a language school, spa or yoga studio," founder Joshua Schwadron explains. "Imagine if eHarmony.com told you that your future wife worked at Citigroup, but left it up to you to figure out who she is. Now what?" Such experts can create a free, highly customizable page on which they can promote their qualifications, services, locations, special offers and payment policies; display reviews from verified clients; upload resources like instructional videos and lesson plans; maintain real-time booking systems, complete with last-minute deals; and even create their own blogs. Users seeking an expert of some kind, meanwhile, can search for free based on more than 20 factors such as availability, friends' recommendations, verified reviews and value.

Ad-supported Betterfly is currently available only to U.S. users. One to partner with or emulate for aspiring self-improvers in your part of the world...?

Startups abroad IV - EVENT-DRIVEN TRAVEL SEARCH ASKS WHEN, NOT WHERE

http://joobili.com

Hungarian travel site Joobili believes that timing is everything when it comes to planning a trip. Instead of asking users where they want to go, Joobili provides would-be travellers with inspiration by asking them when they want to schedule a trip, and then offers information about festivals, parties, sports events and other travel-worthy happenings across Europe. Users can either select a travel date on a slide rule calendar on the website site or search by country or keyword (Arts, Music, Family, Celebrations, Shopping, Food & Drink, Sport, Nature and Unusual). By clicking on an event on the calendar, searchers can view photos of an event and check out other events nearby. Members can also save their past and future events on a personal GoList and exchange comments with travellers who have similar interests. The website's revenue model seems to be based on affiliate marketing, earning fees for referrals to hotels, guidebooks, rental cars and flights.

Joobili's 'timely travel' approach turns the way we book travel on its head by putting the activities before the destination. It's a simple innovation, but one that's likely to be compelling to an important audience for the travel industry: the adventurous. (Related: Trip planner lets customers create their own tours.)

Startups Abroad III

http://hunch.com/

When it's time to make an important decision, technology can help consumers on the research end, but it's humans they typically turn to for practical advice. There's no substitute for a trusted advisor familiar with one's tastes and preferences-or, at least, there wasn't until recently.

Led in part by Flickr cofounder Caterina Fake, Hunch is a brand-new decision-making tool that gets to know the user first and then offers customised suggestions. Users of the site-which just opened its doors to the public on Friday-can ask its help in making any decision, whether it's "what dinner recipe should I make?" or "should I send my kids to private school?". They begin by telling Hunch a little bit about themselves through an introductory set of questions-"Where is your home located?," for example (suburbs, rural or city), and "Do you like bumper cars?". Then, when it comes time to make a decision, a core algorithm based on machine learning asks the user up to 10 structured questions on the topic, any of which can be skipped at the user's request. Using those answers-along with what it already knows about the user's particular preferences-the system proposes a customised solution.

Accompanying each decision is an explanation of how Hunch arrived at it, and users can vote on whether they agree with the result, as well as suggesting new topics and questions. In that way, the system gets smarter over time-almost Wikipedia-style-reflecting the corrections and suggestions of users. Contributions to the site earn credibility points in the form of "banjos" and badges for users. Meanwhile, as it learns more about each individual user's personality and preferences, Hunch also further refines its decision results for that person. "It's like a friend getting to know someone's taste and preferences over time, so they can provide sound and trusted advice," as the site puts it. Overall, "our long-term goal is for a user to be able to come to Hunch with any decision she is pondering, and after answering a handful of questions, get as good a decision as if she had interviewed a group of knowledgeable people or done hours of careful research online."

Some Hunch decision result pages include links to external commerce sites, in which case the site earns referral fees from the linked merchants-but such links have no effect on the decision results, the site says. Some 500 decision topics, 5,000 follow-up questions and more than 30,000 possible decision outcomes are already available on Hunch, with new ones being added every day. And while the New York-based site is currently available only to people who request an invitation and create an account, that requirement will be lifted in May. It's early days on this one, but the potential is compelling-one to try out, partner with, or otherwise get involved in...? (Related: Private Klusters help groups make decisions.)

Startups abroad Part II

http://www.enternships.com/

While students have traditionally sought work placements with big name brands and firms, those looking to work closely with a company's founders and get hands-on experience in a variety of roles might be better off at a small business or startup.

Through its online directory, Enternships.com aims to connect SMBs and startups with entrepreneurial students, or 'enterns'. Businesses and aspiring enterns fill out a profile and advertise their needs to kick start a working relationship. Full-time, part-time, project-specific and remote placements are on offer, as are headline-grabbing opportunities with entrepreneurs such as Martha Lane Fox of Lucky Voice.

Enternship.com went into public beta last month, and its matchmaking service is currently free of charge. When it comes out of beta, the site aims to combine a free basic service with paid-for premium features such as targeted advertising and featured placements. The site was developed by former members of Oxford Entrepreneurs, a student society for entrepreneurship at Oxford University. The site continues to work with the society, and plans to add more services in the near future, including a special programme for school leavers and tailored year-long programmes for graduates. One to set up for the growing ranks of entrepreneuria

Startups abroad - A BLIND CALL: ACCIDENTAL CHARITY

www.ablindcall.be

Every cell phone user has done it: forgot to lock their phone's keypad and accidentally called the first person in the contact list. Usually some unlucky person by the name of Aaron or Abigail.

Belgian ad agency Duval Guillaume came up with a clever campaign that turns accidental calls into accidental donations to the Belgian League for the Blind. They're asking people to add 'A Blind Call' to their list of contacts (for those of you in Belgium, the phone number is 070 222260). Every time the number is called, A Blind Call is given a cut of the call's proceeds. Calls are cut off after 30 seconds, and the cost to the dialler is never more than EUR 0.75.

Not only will the proceeds help the League for the Blind fund useful projects and research for sight-impaired people, every Alice, Alan and Abdullah will be spared a few coat-pocket soundtracks. ;-)

http://www.firstflavor.com/

Peel ‘n Taste® is the innovative and cost-effective sampling system that provides consumers with a sensory sampling experience via flavor strips that replicate a brand's taste and aroma.

https://www.sellaband.com/

Aiming to empower independent artists, SellaBand has created a platform that enables fans to sponsor bands, and get a piece of the action in return. How it works: fans, dubbed Believers, find an artist they like on SellaBand.com. For USD 10, they can buy a share, or 'Part'. Once the band has sold 5,000 parts, SellaBand arranges a professional recording, including top studios, A&R managers and producers. Believers receive a limited edition CD of the recording.

The interesting twist is that the songs are then made available as free downloads. Income comes from advertising revenues, which are split three ways: artist, believer and SellaBand. The company will also sell CDs through regular channels, sharing profits with artists and believers.

FREE NOTE PAPER FOR STUDENTS

Advertisers competing for the much desired attention of the college-aged set now have another opportunity to get their ads in the hands of students-and hold their interest for up to 90 minutes. FreeHand Advertising distributes free note-taking paper to students on their way to class. Each page is branded with the same type of horizontal ad you see on websites, only these are visible for at least the duration of a college lecture, and longer if students refer back to their notes (as they should).

FreeHand agents operate at 90 of the biggest college campuses in the United States, reaching up to 3,500,000 students in 32 states, including all major cities. Businesses can select which campuses they want to market to, for local or nationwide campaigns, or to a targeted demographic. Thorough post-campaign reports detail how many sheets were distributed and even include pictures of agents handing them out to students.

Ads can be used to gain visibility, offer coupons, or promote sales, grand openings or other events. Colored and recycled papers are also available, and larger images can be displayed as watermarks. With so many brands and marketers reaching out to this market, note paper is an innovative low-tech solution for grabbing their attention. And free love-giving away ad-sponsored anything-is generally appreciated by those on the receiving side, too. (Related: Free photocopies for students.)

Startups

Cleartrip Mobile - First comprehensive mobile travel website - http://www.cleartrip.com/mobile/

Hrush Bhatt, Founder of Cleartrip

It is the first comprehensive travel product available on a mobile phone today. It gives today's travellers the power to book trains and flights, check PNR status and trip details from the palm of their hands.

Cleartrip Mobile is a bold re-imagining of how travel should work on mobile devices. It delivers the same powerful functionality of the main Cleartrip.com web site in a simplified format that is highly optimised for mobile devices. Making travel simple on a mobile device drove the development of Cleartrip Mobile; for instance, people using Cleartrip Mobile to book travel fill out fewer than half the fields they would fill out on the main Cleartrip.com web site.

startups

http://www.billbharo.com/

• A service that will be used to pay recurring Bills and receive recurring Payments electronically (via the web and mobile).
• Service aimed towards Service Providers who accept payments for their goods and services on a recurring basis from its customers.
• This service is aimed to do away with the activity, stress of
• Writing of cheques.
• Drop – off boxes.
• Standing in lines.
• The last minute rush.
• Handling of cash.
• Payment collection and administrative costs by the Business.

IIM Bangalore incubated company - http://www.brizztv.com/

We are a next generation digital media technology company that connects the internet users with their internet novice friends & family by enabling personal content( photographs, documents, videos etc) sharing over Television in the most non-intrusive way so that even your 80 year old grandmother can use it. Our patent pending digital media platform lets you share your photographs, check your email & Facebook updates by the simple press of a remote button just as you would do to watch a channel of your preference.

We work on the cross section of internet, Direct-to-home(DTH) & set-top-box technologies to deliver the unique personalized content delivery & consumption experience. Our current focus industries are media & education.

We are currently incubated at NSRCEL ,IIM Bangalore - India's top most technology start up incubator located inside IIM Bangalore. We have already successfully partnered with some of the world's leading semiconductor and DTH providers. We are a team of passionate people driven by the motto " Breaking digital divide without breaking habits" .