Joseph Flaherty [06.20.08 02:47 PM]

We are very excited to have been selected to attend the OATV Startup Camp and we are looking forward to meeting with all the attendees. If anyone is interested in learning more about our company, Replicator, prior to that feel free to take a look at our website: www.replicatorinc.com.

In short, we produce custom consumer products by combining web-based design tools and custom manufacturing technology.

Look forward to seeing you there,

Joseph Flaherty
Co-founder
Replicator

  Roman Bers [06.20.08 04:40 PM]

Does that mean all other applicants do not even get an answer? strange manners..., I would say, if not even arrogant...

  Bryce Roberts [06.21.08 03:41 PM]

@roman- apologies if the lack of individual messages to each applicant was viewed as arrogant. That certainly wasn't the intent.

From the outset, our expressed intent was to evaluate each applicant and make a public announcement regarding those who had been selected (the inference being if you weren't accepted, that was your answer as well). With the number of submissions we received, it simply wasn't feasible that we could respond to each individually. That said, if anyone who was not accepted would like some grist as to why, please send a note to foo@oatv.com with your company name in the subject. We'll do our best to give you a timely response.

Hope that helps and thanks to all those who submitted applications.

  csven [06.21.08 06:19 PM]

Thanks for posting the list. Replicator stuck out and a quick google turned up something interesting to me in particular: they're chasing custom jewelry.

As it turns out Pete Cashmore (of Mashable) approached me about starting a fabbing business a couple of years ago. Only he wanted to chase Second Life avatars (a market now served by Fabjectory). I, on the other hand, countered that jewelry had the best chance (cost vs perception of value; additive fabrication is still relatively costly and ZCorp "prints" are still a bit pricey for the mass market, imo). Jewelry, on the other hand, offers up a much nicer opportunity; especially going the laser-cutting route since additive processes are often significantly more costly ... especially metal.

Consequently, I'll be watching to see how they fare with more than casual interest. Mainly because I suspect Replicator will have plenty of company in that market relatively soon; something they're probably already anticipating. How they maintain market share will be especially interesting to me. Thanks again for bringing them to my attention.

  Joseph Flaherty [06.22.08 07:17 PM]

csven,

I'm glad to hear you share our belief that custom jewelry has a big future. We certainly agree that laser cutting has strong potential and it is currently the most robust personal fabrication technology.

Jewelry is interesting tech-wise, but also because of the customers. Our target customers have grown up with the internet, are the most prolific content creators online, and we think Replicator provides them a very cool avenue for self expression.

BTW, Have you seen figureprints.com? They use Zcorp machines to print World of WarCraft characters. While pricey ($130) it is an interesting business model and seems to have had some success.

  csven [06.22.08 08:27 PM]

Familiar with Figureprints. And they were proceeded by Fabjectory which does the same thing ... only they use OGLE to capture the data (and OGLE was inspired by my response to Seth Godin's "The Placebo Effect" blog entry back in 2005). I suspect Figureprints, through their direct relationship with Blizzard, uses some other method. Then again, maybe not.

As a matter of fact, I surfed back through here to grab the link as I happened across an old interview I gave and realized the project about which I was talking in the beginning was the same one I was pursuing with Pete.

As to the level of Figureprints success, I obviously don't know numbers, but the fact that neither they nor Fabjectory have gotten substantial coverage outside geek media leads me to suspect they're still relatively unknown. And I'm not at all surprised, which is why I believe your approach has more merit (though I suspect you'll be competing with Ponoko and other players entering the market - some of whom contact me on occasion - in short order; which means you'll likely be chasing after a "social" means to grab the target market's attention.) Whatever happens, I'll be keeping tabs to see how things go for you. Best of luck.

  Patrick Jouannès [06.23.08 02:29 PM]

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More than two Centuries after the Great American Revolution, the Great Technological Revolution is transforming the world.
I was waiting for these days like for the Messiah.
Now we are going to be able to learn at home ! No more roads and spent time and money !

Patrick French Tutor on EduFire

  PR NY [06.25.08 08:37 AM]

There were so many great submissions that cutting the list to seven startups was extremely difficult.

If this statement is to be taken literally, you should be able to see the flaws with having this type of cut-off point.

Let 'greatness' be the cut-off point - not a number.

Often when a decision is 'extremely difficult' the problem lies with the standards and policies that are being implemented. That is the challenge that must be overcome as opposed to limiting the number of prospects.