Announcing the Amazon Web Services Start-up Challenge

This is an exciting announcement. Did I say EXCITING!!!?

Amazon Web Services is launching--right now--the Amazon Web Services Start-Up Challenge, a contest for entrepreneurs and software developers that will award the winner a first-place prize of $50,000 in cash, $50,000 in Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits, mentoring sessions from an AWS technical expert, and an investment offer from Amazon.com. Four second-place winners will receive $5,000 in AWS credits and all qualified contestants receive up to $25 in service credits during the contest to start building their new business. Contestants will be evaluated on the originality and promise of their venture, and the degree to which the business leverages the pay-as-you-go technology solutions offered by Amazon Web Services. Developers and entrepreneurs can learn more about AWS, the Start-Up Challenge, and start building the winning idea today at aws.amazon.com/startupchallenge. Entries are due no later than 11:59 P.M. (PT) on October 28, 2007.

As most readers of this blog already know, AWS delivers access to in-the-cloud services based on Amazon's own back-end technology infrastructure. Developers and entrepreneurs already use AWS to build web-scale applications with zero up-front investment and low, pay-as-you-go pricing. That's a long way of saying that everyone is already a winner; with or without the contest!

Contestants must submit the online application form by October 28, 2007. Five finalists will be notified in early November and announced shortly thereafter. Each finalist will be profiled in an online video viewable on the AWS website where registered Amazon Web Services developers can let the judges know who their favorite contestant is by voting. The finalists will also present their business ideas to a panel of Amazon executives at Amazon headquarters in Seattle and meet with various Amazon technical teams. An awards dinner attended by venture capitalist firm representatives and Amazon leadership will be held in early December and the winner will be announced publicly the following day. The finalists will also have an opportunity before the awards dinner on December 6 to present their ideas to the venture capitalist firms.

Eligible Start-Up Challenge contestants need to be individuals who are legal residents of the U.S. or privately-held companies based in the U.S. that have not generated more than $10 million in annual revenue. Business ideas submitted for the contest must use fee-based solutions offered by AWS, such as Amazon S3 and EC2 (see contest details for list of eligible services). A complete description of the prizes and contest rules can be found at aws.amazon.com/startupchallenge.

Don't know about you, but I'd describe myself as a capitalist. And as a capitalist this is an incredible business bootstrap opportunity. So what are you waiting for? Sleep is optional...

-- Mike

Comments

[Nico Lumma]

the announcement is exciting right to the part where it says "based in the U.S.". Our company is based in Germany and we'd like to participate since we are using AWS quite a lot for our website.

[Al]

Is this another example of domestic U.S. thinking. Why is it so much of Amazon's web service stuff is confined to the U.S. ? A payments system that only works for U.S. residents, EC2 and S3 physically only within the U.S. (where are the international data centres Amazon must have them), no International Paid AMIs, Mechanical turk confined to U.S only. And now a U.S. only competition for startups, We (outside of the U.S.) internationals really like what Amazon is doing with web services (My startup for example is building around them, like a number of others I know), but this Domestic U.S only thinking is starting to rub off on me badly, it can be frustrating for businesses outside of the U.S. and this domestic thinking doesn't help your international customers and prospects believe me.

regards
Al

[Jan]

Hi,

why is the contest not open to non-US residents? Are you planning to open it?

Regards,
Jan

[Adi]

Hi Mike,

its unfortunate amazon is keeping developers outside US out of this, there will be a lot of developers who would have got a good platform and maybe a chance to met Jeff.

I wish the rules are revised still.

Aditya

[Roman]

Nico, Jan, Aditya

Let's assume a guy from Tadzhikistan comes with the best idea. How could Amazon.com capitalize on this? How could they invest in such a company or individual?

And IIRC most of the big services are from the U.S.: eBay, Google, Amazon, Yahoo, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, Reddit, Del.icio.us, PayPal, Wikipedia. There are only a few globally successful services from outside the U.S.: Skype, Kazaa.

Therefore it's quite understandable that they limit it to U.S. residents.

Perhaps AWS Start-Up Challenge could have two categories "U.S" and "Rest of the World". But maybe competition from outside U.S. would be too strong ;-)

[mobile wonderer]

I just read that Amazon had "shutdown" txtreviews.com because they did not have permission(?) to use amazon ecs with mobile applications. How do you go about becoming an entity that CAN use ecs with mobile applications? Is the contest not accepting application entries that use this?

[Trev]

le sigh.... Wishing there was a rest of the world category.

[James Chapman]

AWS announcing this start-up challenge is a very positive approach to entrepreneurs, but they seem to think that it is only possible for US citizens to be able to achieve this status.

Why is it not open to all wherever they are in the world, because many businesses including mine use AWS all over the world.

Think again and invite non US citizens please.

[Narad Muni]

"Amazon Web Services (AWS) is searching for the next hot start-up that is leveraging AWS to build its infrastructure and business"
So I have to used amazon web services.I think same amount of time I can invest in studying comcepts in web services rather than helping some corporation.

[cosma]

And again:

Why is this challenge US-based only? Could an Amazon representative please respond to the international community - this is in no way understandable from a European perspective and I am sure this will be reflected in the European community in a way Amazon may not like.

Please re-think the rules and open the program to the strong Amazon supporters and developers outside the US.

Thanks,
Cosma

And Roman: Please, what do want to tell us with your Tadzhikistan example??? Try to open your eyes and get rid of this preconception about "the rest of the world"...

[Marc liron]

...darn it.

here we are, in the UK, developing a product using Amazon S3, selling it to folks in the USA and we can't enter the Startup Challenge!!!

VERY Frustrating.

If Microsoft can fly me to Seattle each year why can't Amazon?

Marc Liron - Microsoft MVP

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