Image via Complex Original
Each year tens of thousands of techies flock to Austin for the annual SXSW Interactive conference. Past SXSW Interactive's have been the launching ground for huge companies like Twitter and Foursquare. So it's safe to say the event has its hands on the pulse of up and coming startups. Now that we're back from Austin and have processed everything, here are 10 Emerging Tech CEOs You Need To Know. One (or all) of these visionaries just might become a household name before our eyes.
RELATED: The Coolest Tech Products We Discovered at SXSW 2014
Barak Hachamov
Company: Samba.me
Have you ever sent a friend a Snapchat or other message, and wondered what their reaction was when they received it? Samba.me fixes that problem by sending you a short reaction video after your friend views your message. The company won this year's best social tech award at SXSW. Samba, under the leadership of Hachamov, is definitely worth paying attention to—it's already secured investment from AOL's SVP of Video, among many others.
Tom Klein
Company: iM5
iM5 is a new type of social network that launched at this year's SXSW. The platform connects users sharing common interests and helps them take things offline. For example, using the platform, you can make friends and discover upcoming local events, get help achieving personal goals, or collborate to create social change. As of March 3, 5,000 people had already pre-registered for the network and we're sure that number will grow as time goes on.
Alexis Ohanian
Company: Breadpig
Ohanian co-founded one of the Internet's top 100 sites, Reddit.com. He's very smart and well-versed in web culture. At SXSW Ohanian held a panel where he discussed how entrepreneurs can harness the power of the Internet for good. The self-described "startup guy" left Reddit to create his latest company, BreadPig. BreadPig lets individuals hire a "sidekick" for those who want to self-publish, make something nice, or take a risk on something crazy. The company believes that those who want to create shouldn't need an MBA to make a living from creativity. We haven't heard much about the startup yet but with Ohanian behind it, it should be an exciting ride.
Ben Cooper
Company: Sensible Baby
Sensible Baby won this year's SXSW award for "best bootstraped company (the company who has done the most with the least.)" The startup is changing how parents monitor babies in the 21st century offering peace of mind with a wireless tracking monitor. The monitor keeps up with activities and the environment of a sleeping baby from a smartphone or tablet.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Company: VaynerMedia
Vaynerchuk held a panel at SXSW educating attendees on how to get the most out of the conference. The entrepreneur and best-selling author runs a digital consulting agency called VaynerMedia. The company works with Fortune 500 companies to develop their strategy and content. Vayner is one to watch because he's already been recognized by BusinessWeek as one of the top twenty people every entrepreneur should follow.
Anne Wojcicki
Company: 23andMe
Wojcicki hosted a SXSW Interactive keynote. She is the co-founder of 23andMe, a start up that empowers consumers with access to their own genetic information for only $99. Although 23andMe has faced some setbacks in the form of government regulations, once all that is sorted out, it'll probably be the best way to find out information about your roots.
Will Hurley
Company: Chaotic Moon Studios
Hurley is a co-founder of Chaotic Moon Studios. Choatic Moon specializes in design, engineering, and R&D for other companies. Although Hurley is by no means new to the tech scene, the former IBM employee's Austin-based startup has gained the business of huge companies like GM, Disney, Betty Crocker, and many more. At SXSW the company debuted its autonomous drone, call CUPID, that's equipped with tasers. The technology could one day make its way into the hands of law enforcement because it's able to spot a suspect in a huge crowd and keep them there until authorities arrive.
David Byttow
Company: Secret
Secret is a relatively new app that lets users share secrets with their friends anonymously. After just one week on the App Store, Secret broke into the top-20 ranking of social apps. The company is growing fast too: only a few months after its launch, Secret already secured a new $10 million round of funding.
Colin Hodge
Company: Down
Down, formerly Bang with Friends, had been relatively quiet until SXSW. The app, founded by Hodge, connects people through Facebook that are down to hook up. This year at SXSW they kept the tradition of helping SXSWers hook-up with brilliant postcards that encouraged people to "F*CK at This Party." Down is worth keeping an eye on because despite a trademark lawsuit from Zynga, the app is still alive and kicking.
Sune Alstrup Johansen
Company: The Eye Tribe
EyeTrip walked away from SXSW Interactive having been named the "most innovative company." The group develops eye control software for consumer devices, which allows hands-free navigation, eye activated logins, and enhanced gaming experiences. Johansen has been working on eye tracking technology for over six years starting off with companies like Disney and Cisco. He's definitely one to watch as his company continues to innovate in the industry.