Recently we spoke with Jay Levy, a principal at Zelkova Ventures. Jay outlined the types of startups Zelkova invests in, the qualities he looks for in entrepreneurs and how Zelkova found the companies currently in its portfolio. In addition to his position as a VC, Levy was involved in his own startup and currently serves as a panelist on the American Idol-esque Hatchery. Simply put: this man knows his startups.
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but for chocoholics who haven’t yet sated their sweet teeth consider a visit to Chocri (pronounced “sho cri”). Chocri is a new company that lets users design their own chocolate bars. If you like Gummy Bears, peanuts, wasabi or all three together in your chocolate, Chocri can make your dreams a reality.
Customers first choose between three types of chocolate: white, milk and dark. They then pick from a smorgasbord of toppings. Standard garnishes include cherries, raisins and pecans. If you’re feeling adventurous oddities like fig, bacon and even flakes of gold (check it out here if you don’t believe us) are available.
Chocri is a German startup, which recently launched its operation in New York City. We sat down with Carmen Magar, Chocri’s US CEO, to talk about Chocri’s plan’s for the American market and mass customization, the driving idea behind the company. Check out the podcast here:
Last month, we spoke with Ryan Janssen, the CEO of SetJam. SetJam is a new search engine specifically for TV shows and movies. The Web is strewn with legal content on sites like Hulu and Netflix, but where can you find all of it in one place? That’s where SetJam steps in.
SetJam works like a Google for video. Its straightforward and simple interface breaks searches into free and paid content.
Janssen is betting that the growth in this content can sustain his business. In the interview Janseen talks about how he created the company, SetJam’s funding situation and the future of video on the Web.
New Work Cityers hard at work on a winter night late last year. Photo: Alexander Hotz
Last month we spoke with Tony Bacigalupo, the Mayor of New Work City and a prominent figure in New York’s tech scene. New Work City is a Soho based co-working space where independent professionals can come and work among other go getters. Most recently Bacigalupo and Co. were written up by NPR as part of a trend piece. Check out one of Tony’s other projects Tech Drinks and of course listen to our podcast here:
Last week, we spoke with Roger Wu the CEO of Klickable.tv. Klickable is an interactive video platform that allows users to click on objects within a video. Imagine watching a music video and clicking on Jay-Z’s bling to learn where you can get some for yourself. It’s possible with Klickable’s interface.
We tried Klickable by applying it to a video we made last month with Fred Wilson. Check out the video and click around:
Roger told us the story behind Klickable’s founding and shared his plans for the company’s future development and funding. Below is the interview:
Mary Kathleen Flynn at last December's Obliterati Party. Photo: Nick McGlynn,
In December, Alexander Hotz spoke with Mary Kathleen Flynn, the Senior Editor/Senior Video Producer for The Deal. Flynn has been covering the tech scene in New York City for over 20 years. In the podcast she shares her insight about industry and its future.
Also check out Mary’s list of the most interesting startups in NYC:
