Disrupt SF Begins: Here Are Five Startups That Got Their Start At The Tech Convention

Jan Dizon, Tech Times 22 September 2015, 04:09 am

Silicon Valley's biggest tech startup event is opening Tuesday, Sept. 22, and the huge show will showcase hundreds of tech-related startups trying to make it with the big leagues.

Disrupt SF, put together by TechCrunch, has grown into one of the biggest conferences of its kind. This year has almost 3,000 registered attendees all on the lookout for the next big thing in the startup scene.

Here is just a sampling of the range of ideas and innovations that have found success after making their big debut at the Silicon Valley tech convention:

Owlet

With an increasing number of reports of baby monitors being hacked, new parents are looking for other ways to help them keep an eye on their baby even when they need to get some shut-eye themselves. Owlet hopes to help these sleepless, worried parents with teensy tiny wearable booties that keep infants warm as they snooze but at the same time contain sensors that will alert mom and dad immediately if the baby stops breathing or if their heart rate becomes concerning.

So far, Owlet has raised $7 million in its public launch and is expected to begin shipping its product later this year.

Cinder

Cinder was a Disrupt SF 2014 Startup Battlefield contender that wanted to change the way you barbecue. Its unique smart grill is able to maintain an even temperature on the meat. You can walk away with ease knowing that your steak will never get over cooked or burned, and you can even monitor your cooking progress via Cinder's app on your tablet or smartphone.

Although the company did not win the Battlefield last year, it got enthusiastic reception for their product and is now accepting preorders, which will begin shipping in 2016.

Vinli

Smart cars are the vehicles of the future and Vinli is one startup that launched at last year's Disrupt SF which aims to make every single car a connected vehicle. By plugging in the Vinli device into a car's OBD II port, drivers can connect to and monitor their rides using multiple apps on their smartphone.

Alfred

This start up aims to give everyone a do-all butler service in the palm of their hands. As the winners of last year's Disrupt SF Startup Battlefield, they have certainly put together a unique service that combines technology with the human element.

Alfred made an announcement at Disrupt New York to launch its new service called Hello Alfred. This service keeps track of your regular household routines, such as grocery shopping, laundry or even package pickups and deliveries, and sends a real person whom you can trust to your home on a weekly basis to make sure all your needs are brought straight to your doorstep.

Liquidity

And the winner of the recently concluded Disrupt New York event is Liquidity, a start up that aims to bring clean water to everybody. Its filter allows you to turn any water bottle into a water filtration device. A dense mesh of fibers is used to filter out bacteria and leave you with flowing, clean, drinkable water. According to the company's description, the filter only needs replacing every two to three months and is the result of 15 years of research.