This Week’s Best In Beta
Which startup is going to be the next big thing? Investors, bloggers, job seekers, and inspiring entrepreneurs everywhere are dying to know. Hundreds of startups enter private beta each month, and that’s far too many for any one person to keep up with. Fret not! Each week, I share some of the hottest new startups in this column, Best In Beta. Let’s discover the next big thing together!
StartupBlink
As a cartomaniac who’s spent more hours than I care to add up staring at maps, it’s such a treat to come across StartupBlink, a global startup map.
Not too difficult to guess what this website is about, but, it’s so terrific, it’s worth spelling it out – putting startups and all things startup related on an interactive global map.
Startups… Maps… Day (and perhaps night) officially made.
Here’s the startup’s mission in their own words: “We vision it [Startup Blink] as a one stop shop for startup information and collaboration, and count on your support and participation to create a new meeting place for the startup ecosystem.”
Could be just me, but somehow everything seems more real when I can see it on a map. There are plenty of startup listings, startup news sites, and resources for collaboration. However, StartupBlink brings this information together in a way that I can really see and appreciate.
Circles on the map show where startups are around the world. Click on a location and check out what startups are at work there. Same thing goes for taking a peek at where influencers are at, freelancers, accelerators, coworking spaces, ambassadors, and jobs, etc.
It’s a beautiful sight to see so much startup activity flourishing around the world, not to mention, Startup Blink is a simple and convenient tool for seeing what’s going on in whatever location you’re interested in.
You didn’t think I’d forget to mention the blinks, did you?
Startups can also post their news, or blinks, on the site. Announcements such as a recent launch appear in a dialogue box over the map and give the circle corresponding to the startup’s home location waves – alerting viewers to broadcasting news.
Find information about startups. Share your news in real-time all over the world… I’m hooked. What’s more, adding your blink to the map also benefits your company by placing your news in search engines – so it’s a lightening fast and easy way to let others know about how great your company is.
My experience has taught me that plenty of startup workers have a healthy dose of wanderlust – if not the flexibility to work anywhere that has a solid WiFi connection. StartupBlink is the perfect way to explore work options in attractive destinations and to feed a travel addiction. Location, after all, is an overlooked but highly effective job recruiter.
So, want the world to light up with your startup news? Ready for geography to curate your vision of startups? Just want to stare at pretty colors brightening a global map? Feast your eyes on startupblink.com.
