ABCey’s Tech Tuesday: 2019 Bay Area Tech Events and Conferences

Can you believe we’re already half way through the year? For today’s #TechTuesday, ABCey features our top five Bay Area tech events and conferences to attend in 2019.

1. Y-Combinator Demo Days

Twice a year, Y-Combinator Demo Day gathers it’s latest batch of YC-funded founders to present their companies to a room of selected investors and press. Over the course of two days, founders hope for investors to take a chance and invest in their companies. Because of this selection process, this event is invitation only.

When: August 19th-20th, 2019 | Location: Pier 48 |

2. Oracle OpenWorld

Oracle OpenWorld, the tech giant’s deep dive into all things cloud, offers more than 2,200 educational sessions, hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, and exhibitions from more than 400 partners. Over a course of four days, you’ll engage in free-flowing ideas that will help you and your business do tomorrow’s business goals, today! You won’t want to miss out on today’s première business and technology event.

When: September 16th-19th, 2019 | Location: Moscone Center |

3. TechCrunch Disrupt

This large conference allows startups to sign up and present their business ideas on the stage in front of investors, media for exposure and win prize money. In addition, the featured guests this year include Heather Adkins, Michael Rogers, and Evan Spiegel. You sure do not want to miss out on an opportunity like this!

When: October 2nd-4th, 2019 | Location: Moscone North |

4. Open Data Science Conference West

ODSC West 2019 is one of the largest applied data science conferences in the world. It’s the conference to engage, to build, to develop, and to learn from the data science community. At ODSC, their goal is to host those looking to accelerate their skills and knowledge by offering programs of varying difficulty levels, from beginner to advanced and in between. No matter what skill level you are, there is a program for you!

When: October 29th- Nov 1st, 2019 | Location: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport |

5. Dreamforce 19′

Dreamforce is an annual conference hosted by Salesforce in San Francisco. Each year, Dreamforce attracts tens of thousands of professionals and provides thousands of workshops. Because of this, attendees will be able to learn how Salesforce can help take their business to the next level.

When: November 19-22, 2019 | Location: Moscone Center |

What tech events and conferences are you planning to attend? Let us know what you think in the comments below or onFacebook and Twitter!

Want to plan a conference after-party? Look no futher, as ABCey is here to help. Click here to learn more about events we’ve done for other San Francisco startups and Fortune 500 companies,

ABCey’s Startup Monday: Otto

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events! Today’s Startup Monday highlights Otto, a technology- based truck that enables self-driving.

About Otto

If you happen to see a commercial truck with no driver, this may be the new startup Otto! This new technology allows drivers to take a break from the road and let the truck do all the driving. Truck drivers now have the ability to eat lunch or even take a nap on long haul drives!

The development of this technology continues to increase as the need for freight steadily rises. With the shortage of truck drivers, this self driving device will help the trucking industry with their deliveries. These deliveries provide events with the necessary goods needed such as chairs and tables. Without this delivery, the event may not go as planned as people would not have anywhere to sit!

Last year, Otto had it’s first successful shipment using the technology of the self-driving truck with delivering 50,000 Budweiser beers and I mean, who doesn’t love beer?

Another great characteristic of Otto, is that they are always looking to enhance their transportation network. The modern technology is advancing at a rapid speed, as they desire to fulfill their mission.

We love that Otto wants to always take new approaches to better the future, just like ABCey Events!

Are you interested in Otto? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Prismatic

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past that we would like to share with the friends and followers of ABCey Events.

Are you ready to see what your ideal newsfeed looks like? Get ready to discover Prismatic!

Prismatic is a web service, and now an iPhone app, that sources data from multiple sources such as Facebook and Google Reader to deliver your favorite news straight to you. Prismatic software is called a social network aggregation that uses an algorithm to filter content that aligns with the interests of that specific reader. Based on what you view and what you “like,” Prismatic personalizes your homepage with the news you enjoy most!

Prismatic’s design is ultra sleek and really based on user comfortability and experience. Best of all, Prismatic is socially adept! For each article the recommend for you, popular tweets from readers all over the web are shown. Articles read or suggested by your social networking connections are usually recommended for you to encourage interaction and sharing amongst contacts. Prismatic brings news, especially tech news, back to our attention.

Have you used Prismatic? What do you think of it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section or on Facebook and Twitter!

Tech Tuesday: Palantir

Tech Tuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming companies for their innovative ideas and ability to think outside the box!

When you have a problem that you need to solve, who you gonna call? That’s right- Palantir! This software company grew from startup to International corporation with their data analysis software, and they say they can solve your hardest problems.

Palantir, the 2012 Crunchie Award runner-up for “Best Overall Startup,” is a Palo Alto-based company founded by Stanford and PayPal alums well-versed in anti-fraud systems. In fact, PayPal technology to detect fraudulent activity was the basis for their software concept. The Palantir team believes the most effective way to defeat an adversary like a fraudulent hacker isn’t just with Artificial Intelligence but with human analysts. We applaud this company for recognizing that human data analysts are the best way to combat human frauds!

The U.S. Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, and the Armed Forces are amongst Palantir’s clientele. So far, their technologies and data solutions have been used to combat terrorism, prosecute crimes, eliminate waste, and more! It’s easy to see that this company thinks of themselves as modern superheroes with their bold and altruistic uses for technology and product names like “Palantir Gotham.” Palantir aims to use its technology for good around the world alongside the likes of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.

What do you think of Palantir? Are they the superheroes you’d trust to fix your tech problems? Tell us your opinions in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Tango

They say it takes two to tango. But now, a nifty new app can help you connect and Tango with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Meet Tango, ABCey’s featured app for Startup Monday.

Don’t let the frustratingly slow connections, downloading speeds, or unavailablity of other apps prevent you from chatting with your buddy across the country. Tango is a free app for virtually any phone that connects you to your friends via any means possible. You can video chat, phone call, play games, or send text messages to anyone with the Tango app. The best part? When someone calls you, the app says, “Dave would like to Tango with you!”

There are many apps and phone features out there that allow users to call and text, but Tango’s inventive spin makes this app that much better than the rest. In our experience, when you have a bad connection and other similar apps are dropping calls, Tango calls come through clear and strong. For this alone, Tango is an app worth downloading. Additionally, there are countless fun features on this app that you’ll never stop discovering, like Tango eCards, avatars, the best emojis, or video filters. These added bonuses allow the users to tailor their Tango experience to their own specific needs and personalities. Personalization of the social media interface is a popular territory for app developers, and Tango features more options than ever for its users.

As a company, Tango is becoming one to keep an eye on. With over seventy-five million users and lots of investor funding, the app keeps expanding and bettering itself for its consumers. Some have even called Tango its own social network! Download Tango today and share your thoughts with ABCey.

What do you think of the Tango app? Tell us below in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!

BlackJet San Francisco Launch Event

You heard it here first!! Tomorrow (aka Valentine’s Day), ABCey Events will have the pleasure of producing BlackJet’s San Francisco Launch Event celebrating their new direct service route connecting San Francisco with Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas.

BlackJet, already dubbed the “Uber for Private Jets” is an online service and phone app that connects travelers with the reliability and convenience of a private jet experience at prices commensurate with premium commercial carriers. Recently featured in TechCrunch, BlackJet aims to revolutionize private and charter air travel to become “the world’s cheapest, easiest way to book private jet service.” The startup is backed by Garrett Camp, founding CEO of StumbleUpon and co-founder of Uber, and has an all-star list of investors including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, First Round Capital, Shervin Pishevar, SV Angel, Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary, Tim Ferriss, Steve Jang and more.

Thursday’s launch will feature a $6M Giveaway including 1,000 comped memberships (first 1,000 to arrive) with a complimentary companion seat to any BlackJet destination. One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive Roundtrip Private Jet Seat Service to Las Vegas for two leaving just post contest on Thursday and returning on Sunday. The winners will also be comped a 3 nights stay at the acclaimed Bellagio hotel along with $1000 in cash. How’s that for a Valentine’s Day gift for your special someone? Local SF fave dj David Carvalho will playing some lunchtime beats, so come on down and get your free membership along with your photo taken in our aviation themed digital photobooth!

BlackJet is currently invite-only, but ABCey has got the hookup – you can login to their site with the code forbesvip300. What do you think of BlackJet? Let us know if we’ll be seeing you at the launch in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

TechCrunch Crunchies Coverage: Biggest Social Impact

ABCey Events is super excited for tomorrow’s 2012 Crunchie Awards here in our beloved SF! For our final awards coverage, we wanted to spotlight the startups that are up for Biggest Social Impact, those that have contributed to some meaningful and significant social impact in our society.

1. Donors Choose – Donors Choose is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers post classroom project requests on the site, and one can give any amount to the project that most inspires. When a project reaches its funding goal, Donors Choose ship the materials to the school. In return, donors get photos of the project taking place, a letter from the teacher, and insight into how every dollar was spent. Give over $50 and you’ll also receive hand-written thank-yous from the students. This truly makes giving back an easy and fun task. After all, we’ve all been there when someone ate all the glue.

2. Indiegogo – Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform where people who want to raise money can create fundraising campaigns to tell their story and get the word out. Indiegogo is also a place to discover what people all over the world are passionate about and how to get involved. IndieGoGo campaigns receive all the money they have been pledged, whether the initial funding goal was reached or not. IndieGoGo is available internationally.

3. Kickstarter – Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. They are particularly useful and great for finding and funding creative projects such as music albums or indie movies. Every project creator sets their project’s funding goal and deadline. If people like the project, they can pledge money to make it happen. If the project succeeds in reaching its funding goal, all backers’ credit cards are charged when time expires. If the project falls short, no one is charged. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing.4. Kiva – Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. Loans funded through Kiva have a 98 percent repayment rate, so the money you lend to a small business owner is likely to come back to you. By connecting people through lending, Kiva has empowered small businesses and served as an important catalyst for positive change and job growth.

5. Reddit – Reddit is a source for what’s new and popular on the web. Users like you provide all of the content and decide, through voting, what’s good and what’s junk. Links that receive community approval bubble up towards #1, so the front page is constantly in motion and (hopefully) filled with fresh, interesting links. This is far more effective and significant than when you “like” something on Facebook. Interestingly, Mashable has a complete section devoted to “Reddit Facts” learned each week.

Which of these startups have made the most social impact on your life? Who did you vote for? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.

TechCrunch Crunchies Coverage: Best Overall Startup of 2012

It’s only one week away until The Crunchies 2012! At ABCey, we’re excited to see what fun surprises the planners will have for the attendees. Of course, we’re also dying to find out is the results! Here are the finalists for the most coveted award of Best Overall Startup of 2012…

1. Fab: See last week’s Crunchies Coverage on Best E-Commerce Application

2. Github: Github has created the perfect niche for itself in the Age of Startups. GitHub is a (virtual) place where friends, co-workers, classmates, and even strangers can share code with each other. The goal is to encourage people (over two million as of right now) to code, build, and create things together. Github offers a multitude of collaborative features on their desktop and mobile applications which is revolutionizing the way individuals and teams can improve on code writing.

3. Instagram: Instagram describes itself as a “fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family.” Instagram allows you to take a picture with your smartphone, choose from one of many fun, interesting filters to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. You can instantly share your photo on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr so picture-taking becomes a social activity! Everyone is a photographer with Instagram.

4. Palantir: Palantir is smart. Palantir’s creation is a high-powered analysis platform that can scan multiple databases simultaneously primarily geared toward providing a tool for government officials and corporations to tackle complex problems. Essentially for Palantir, “data matters” and their goal, as it seems, is to try to relate to the rest of us why it does matter.
5. Square: Hook your Square up to your iPhone, Android or iPad and instantly you have a tool that allows you to collect cash, credit or debit for your mobile/small mobile business. Square has truly transformed the way individuals and small organizations can do business.

What do you think of these startups? Have they changed the way you and your business operate? Tell us how they have changed your life in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter.