Inlifesize have won the inaugural ICONS Festival pitch competition after beating a field of over 80 firms from across the EMEA and US.
The games company was established by former Electronic Arts creative director, Phil Campbell, and Industrial Light & Magic and Walt Disney Feature Animation alumni Greg Maguire.
Campbell and Maguire founded Inlifesize to create applications using game design expertise, proven social mechanics, and emergent mobile technologies – and develop an evolution in entertainingly meaningful experiences for people who want to interact with their world in a brand new way.
Winning the ICONS pitch competition will give Inlifesize a fast-track interview to gain a spot on the prestigious 500 accelerator programme; and also tap into the Microsoft BizSpark programme which offers up software, services and advice up to the value of €120,000.
The 500 Startups accelerator program, provides entrepreneurs and new business ventures with an intensive four-month long program, based out of their Mountain View Headquarters in, Silicon Valley. Immersing startup companies in a vibrant community, with leading mentors and an in-depth curriculum, 500 Startups also provide the companies with a cash injection of $125k in exchange for 5% equity.
Michael Meagher, business evangelist, Microsoft Ireland, said: “We’d like to congratulate all the startups who took part in the pitch competition, as the innovation on show today was brilliant. We’d like to especially congratulate winners Inlifesize.
“It was a tough call, but in the end they were worthy winners. We’re proud to have them a part of Microsoft BizSpark programme, which will provide them with invaluable business advice and resources that they may not otherwise have access to.”
Aaron Taylor, CEO and co-founder of ICONS, said: “We were absolutely blown away by the amount of applications we had for the pitch competition. It was great to see such high quality engagement. With the startups on show, it’s safe to say that the tech scene is in good hands.
“I’d like to congratulate Inlifesize on being the inaugural ICONS pitch winners. We’re proud to be able to of provided this opportunity for the startup community, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”
And Marvin Liao, partner at 500 Startups, added: “I was really impressed with the level of innovation that was on display throughout each level of the startup competition. It was a great final, but extremely hard to pick. Eventually we chose Inlifesize, who are worthy winners. I’m excited to see how they develop in the future, and hopefully we can be a part of that journey.”