Last Updated on January 6, 2014 by Tim
2013 was quite a year for us: ideas, entrepreneurship and of course new startups filled our lives everyday. We wanted to compile a list, in no particular order, of startups that we think will be worth keeping tabs on in 2014. We think very highly of each and every startup we share with you, but this is a list of new business ideas that we think will have something memorable to share with us in 2014.
Pixel Press
It works by first printing out the provided graph-like paper where you can draw out the details of your level design along with a set of instructions. Here you can think of adding obstacles to the grid pattern – pits, moving elevators, lava, etc. with just a pencil. Once the fantasy level is complete you snap a pic using your iPad or iPhone and voila the art is transformed into an app using optical recognition technology. The sketch to level compiler then lets you add color and audio to your creation to bring life to the design and a world for your super hero to over-rule.
PhoneBloks
It has often baffled our staff as to why doesn’t Apple, Samsung, Google or even BlackBerry take a more upgradeable approach to their product development. It’s understandable that their businesses flourish on new product cycles and inflated new purchase prices. But the idea that a smartphone can have exchangeable parts to avoid an obsolete product at any time is a great idea.
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Highly specific targeted marketing
The idea for the tracking is to provide very targeted marketing campaigns, for instance if pretend you ran a local café and a customer was passing by a bin and you wanted to win their business. If there was the same tracking device in your café this targeting could tell if the customer was already a loyal customer or not. As a result targeted discounts or messages could be sent to have the customer return for repeat business. That strategy and product sounds appealing and brings internet tracking to the real world.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is an app built by those who want to create things that they themselves wished existed when they were kids. The free beta release of the app teaches kids aged 8-12 the beginnings of simple coding. The iPad app uses bright, fun and highly visual cues to keep interest to foster inheriting programming concepts. Instead of the boring line by line tutorials and creating a “Hello World” type of page, Jocelyn Leavitt and Samantha John (Hopscotch founders) are hoping boys and especially girls will join the forces of programming at a young age with a youthful focused approach to teaching.
Big Picture
Clint Robinson, Sascea Director of Technology says: “Most business software in the cloud is just that – an isolated instance on a background of blue sky. We built Big Picture to be a complete weather system. You may only want to know if it’s going to rain on your project parade, but for the company as a whole that rain is part of a much bigger ecosystem.”
littleBits
littleBits is a constructor kit that helps kids create their own toys. Like Lego building blocks little circuits easily snap together with magnets to make anything that can be imagined – making things come to life that can light up, move, twist, and buzz
Crayon Creatures
Materializing the imagination of children isn’t just for your little ones, but we find adults even want to re-live their childhood by sending drawings they saved while growing up as well. Kids make so much artwork filling fridges, living rooms, and workspaces, but with the rise of 3D printing, these pieces can be turned into real-life objects – Crayon Creatures does just that.
Sitegeist
Sitegeist is new iPhone and Android app that helps you learn about your surroundings with visually uplifting and stunning graphs and details. Drawing in localized information from the U.S. Census, Yelp, Foursquare, and weather information the app helps you learn about your neighborhood in regard to average age, climate or average income in certain areas.
Kiddology
No longer ever alone but always together, Kiddology promotes parent and child co-play. The soon to be launched app provides a platform for stories, games, and adventures to be shared, played, and learned with together as a family unit. With advanced cues during play the application will make it a necessity for parents to enjoy tablet play with their children.
Jolicloud
With just one login, Jolidrive grants you access to all your content on Soundcloud, Dropbox, Flickr, Instagram, etc.
Finally, we want to thank you for making 2013 such a special year for us. We have big goals for 2014 and hope to share with you more new business ideas and tools for the entrepreneurship community. Also, keep a look out later this week on our ideas for what we will be doing next on New-Startups.com.