The Mill’s 2nd Annual INX pre-qualification pitch event was held on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Of the 12 pitches that were presented at this event, 5 will be moving on to the INX Pitch Event in Indianapolis, where the winning pitch will receive $100,000 in cash and services. We will be highlighting the 12 pitches at the pre-qualification in Bloomington in a series of blog posts. The following is a profile about ShipperTech, one of the 5 winners moving on to INX this fall.
ShipperTech, the brainchild of Nick Turner, was inspired by the fact that there wasn’t a safe, secure, or convenient way to handle transactions made on online marketplace platforms. Too many people were falling victim to violent crime or fraud when they went to retrieve their purchases. When Nick saw that no one was attempting to tackle this growing issue, he decided to do it himself.
ShipperTech offers a safe and convenient solution to consumers who use marketplace platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Letgo. Online marketplaces are becoming more and more popular, and their growth won’t be slowing down anytime soon. ShipperTech has patents in place and, with little competition, they will be able to grow quickly and efficiently with the demand of these marketplace platforms. Not only is this a great business venture, it also helps to lower the crime rate that was initially built by marketplace platforms.
ShipperTech’s top priority is to keep people safe. They accomplish this by providing unique services like secured payments, real time item inspections, and the delivery of the item. They have been sought out by industry leaders in for partnerships/integrations, which could lead to ShipperTech’s acquisition in the coming years. ShipperTech sees their greatest potential for impact by integrating with platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Letgo.
They also cover vehicles being purchased on the marketplace platforms through their ShipperTech Auto service, which allows consumers to have licensed mechanics go out and inspect the vehicle that they are interested in. These licensed mechanics tell the consumer everything that might be wrong with the vehicle, show them on a live video chat, and then they will give an estimate for repairs. This company is changing the way people buy and sell on online platforms.
ShipperTech is one of 5 pitches being sent to INX in Indianapolis. Here’s what Nick had to say about this opportunity:
“Pitching at INX is huge for us! We have been working incredibly hard to deliver a solid user-friendly experience that will keep people safe when buying and selling on these marketplace platforms. This shows that you do not have to be in Silicon Valley to start a great company in the gig economy, and the tech scene here in Indiana is growing quickly! It’s a huge honor to be apart of something so great, amongst other great companies.
“Winning INX would be incredible for ShipperTech. It would really show that Indy’s tech scene is becoming more diverse! With a ShipperTech win, it would show we are growing and moving in a positive direction. This will give hope to other startups to apply next year and to never give up. For me, this will give other young minority children and teens hope that their dreams can come true when they believe and work hard.”
“When I was younger, my family and I were homeless for a short period of time. I’ve seen so many people go down the wrong path from not having good people around them. This success will boost hope in teens who go to my former high school and others who have gone through State programs like Wheeler Mission.
“My favorite scripture is Mark 9:23, and it reads, ‘What do you mean, ‘If I can?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes!’ I live by this scripture, and it has helped get me to where I am today.”
Learn more about ShipperTech here.