BeNative hosts first successful pitch competition in newly established Silicon Valley Content Lab

July 10, 2015 - PRLog -- Redwood City, California -- July 10, 2015 -- Just after announcing the opening of its new Content Lab in Silicon Valley, edtech startup BeNative hosted its first pitch competition in the newly acquired space.

The participating startups were recommended by local accelerators in the Silicon Valley area. Contestants introduced their business models and pitched in front of a live crowd. Judges included Sam Hayes, former Vice President of NASDAQ Private Market and current CEO of InsideRound Financial; Atusko Jenks, a top consultant in US-Japan affairs for over 20 years; and Alan Moonsoo Kim, CEO of BeNative. Also present was West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.

The prize for the winners, a trip to Korea and Japan to meet with VCs, is a nod to the global spirit on which BeNative was founded. "It was a pleasure to host a pitch competition for startups in Silicon Valley, the hub of the world’s technological innovations. We will share these promising American startups with venture capitalists in Korea and Japan." Kim said.

Books That Grow, an edtech company that provides an adaptive reading platform, was awarded first prize. Their interactive reading service adjusts content based on reading level and has been featured in many media outlets including CNN and MSNBC. Fit3D, a healthcare company that uses a 360° body scanner to collect big data from users, was awarded second prize.

BeNative provides a global business English learning platform to corporations and customers throughout East Asia, specifically including China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. BeNative's business English courses are based on the video interviews and presentations of more than 100 American business leaders, including top executives from 3M, Box, and General Motors. These executives introduce their business models and share business strategies in English, where the content is then used by language analysts to create lessons and exercises.

BeNative plans to develop new content and proceed with a variety of projects in the edtech innovation field with the help of local industry experts in education and IT in Silicon Valley. The pitch competition is the first of many projects supporting BeNative's global expansion.


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