Startup Weekend launches Friday

The high-intensity 54-hour event brings together people with business or product ideas, those with skills to help make those ideas a reality and those with the funding to help. It runs Nov. 14-16.

Tim Lytle of Lehigh Valley Tech, said it’s a valuable event for anyone with a startup idea who does not know how to get started.

“You meet a lot of cool people that are into technology and entrepreneurship that are right here in the Lehigh Valley,” Lytle said.

At the event, participants pitch ideas, recruit a team and start building a rapid prototype of their product.

Previous Startup Weekend Lehigh Valley winners have attracted funding, launched their companies and participated in incubator programs. There is a package of prizes for the winning team.

The winning team from the 2012 Startup Weekend, Skaffl, recently launched the second version of the app that team members developed, in part, during the event.

“Skaffl would not be where we are today without Startup Weekend. We came with little more than an idea, and left with so much more.” said Rita Chesterton, CEO of the company.

Last year’s winners created ImPatient, a crowdfunding source for the health care industry.

But Lytle said even nonwinners have gone on to form real businesses as a result of meeting up during the event.

It’s not too late for entrepreneurial hopefuls to get involved. Startup Weekend is still accepting participants.

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