• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

3

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

3

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
TechPointCloud

Startups Face Tough Questions and Jokes at Salesforce’s Pitch Competition

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 5, 2016, 2:58 PM ET
Key Speakers At 2016 The Dreamforce Conference
Will.I.Am, chief creative officer of 3d Systems Corp., from left, Shahrzad Rafati, founder and chief executive officer of BroadbandTV Corp., Chris Sacca, founder of Lowercase Capital LLC, and Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Dallas Mavericks basketball team, listen to a presentation during the Dreampitch Competition at the DreamForce Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. Salesforce.com Inc. isn't wasting any time putting its new acquisitions to use in a bid to strengthen its business software against larger rivals such as Microsoft Corp. New products unveiled Tuesday will blend the company's services with Quip, the document company Salesforce purchased in August for about $600 million. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDavid Paul Morris — Bloomberg via Getty Images

What do you get when you combine two sharks, one music star, the CEO of a digital media company, and a few startups? You get the first startup pitch competition at Dreamforce, the annual enterprise software conference hosted in San Francisco by Salesforce.

On Tuesday, three startups took the stage to present their nascent businesses in front of a crowd of enthusiastic cloud software customers—not to mention a star-studded panel of judges made up of investors Mark Cuban and Chris Sacca, BroadbandTV CEO Shahrzad Rafati, and music artist Will.i.am.

At stake was the chance to participate in Salesforce’s startup accelerator program and a thousands of dollars in free services, but the prize wasn’t easily won. If anything, the judges’ questioning of the startups and their sharp teasing of each other took center stage.

“You can’t say that your unfair advantage is that you’re breathing,” said Sacca, an early investor in Twitter (TWTR) and Uber, in reply to CRM Market CEO Tal Frankfurt’s unconvincing argument about his startup’s qualifications to succeed. When asked why his company is better than competitors, Frankfurt told the judges that he had been working with Salesforce’s software for years and has attended the company’s conference 11 times.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Frankfurt’s startup is a marketplace connecting information technology consultants with expertise in Salesforce’s business software with businesses who need help. The entrepreneur compared his business to an “Angie’s List for the Salesforce ecosystem,” though the catchy riff on the well-known home services marketplace ultimately did little to shield him from the judges’ tough questions.

After a buzzer put an end to the assault, Frankfurt wiped off his forehead as he took a seat in the audience.

Another startup, Appinium, which lets companies that use Salesforce’s software host videos and collect data about them, tried to impress the judges by touting customers like American Express (AXP) and it’s plan for philanthropy modeled after Salesforce’s.

But it was the short clip from an episode of ABC’s Shark Tank television series, depicting Cuban and Sacca arguing about a startup’s business potential, that drew the biggest cheer from the audience during Appinium’s presentation.

Meanwhile, it was Claire, the only startup with a female co-founder to present, that seemed to impress the judges the most. The young company has built a chat bot—a automated software program that interacts with messaging app users—that lets companies gather feedback about a new or upcoming product from consumers via Facebook’s Messenger app. Over the past couple of years, Facebook (FB) has made its messaging app increasingly more available for businesses who want to interact with their customers there. Earlier this year, it opened up access to such chat bots from third-party developers.

“With the Claire folks, I think there was something actually innovative,” said Sacca, who was used as a model during the founders’ demo of their service using an hypothetical Western shirt company. (Sacca, for those not familiar with the investor’s signature wardrobe, is known for donning embroidered Western shirts in public appearances.)

Of course, Cuban couldn’t miss an opportunity to tease his fellow judge.

“Maybe someday you’ll reach a point in your life where you’re able to wear any clothing you want and not some silly shirt,” he told Sacca as they delivered their final thoughts before crowning the winning startup.

Although the judges doled out some of the prizes to all three companies, Claire ultimately won the top spot after impressing even judge Will.i.am with its strategy to weed out so-called “trolls” and “haters” from the users interacting with its software.

And while no one called attention to it on-stage, it was also a small victory women in the tech industry, a cause Salesforce (CRM) only recently made a priority. Just last month, the software giant appointed its first chief equality officer, Tony Prophet, to lead the company’s efforts in treating all employees fairly and equally.

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

bn
CommentaryEducation
Bill Nye: Companies say there’s a skills gap. They’re wrong — and students can prove it
By Bill NyeMay 31, 2026
1 hour ago
Samsung’s UK boss keeps a signed $100 bill she’s never allowed to spend—and shares her best and worst investments
SuccessFortune The Good Life
Samsung’s UK boss keeps a signed $100 bill she’s never allowed to spend—and shares her best and worst investments
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 31, 2026
3 hours ago
A girl holds an tablet in front of her face.
North AmericaEducation
Stop blaming immigration for low U.S. reading scores, top psychologist says. The problem is actually devices giving easy access to social media
By Sasha RogelbergMay 31, 2026
4 hours ago
Elon Musk surrounded by Money symbols
InvestingFinance
If Elon Musk merges SpaceX with Tesla he’ll create a $3.4 trillion behemoth—with zero profits
By Shawn TullyMay 31, 2026
6 hours ago
SoftBank plans up to €75 billion investment in French AI centers
AISoftbank
SoftBank plans up to €75 billion investment in French AI centers
By Benoit Berthelot and BloombergMay 30, 2026
16 hours ago
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA’s entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
Innovationspace
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA’s entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
Economy
Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
By Shawn TullyMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
Politics
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
By Jack Wittels and BloombergMay 30, 2026
22 hours ago
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
Law
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
By Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 30, 2026
16 hours ago
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
Economy
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
By Sydney LakeMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
Innovation
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
17 hours ago
Damn the torpedoes — More ships are quietly slipping through the Strait of Hormuz as helicopters scare off Iran's fast-attack boats
Energy
Damn the torpedoes — More ships are quietly slipping through the Strait of Hormuz as helicopters scare off Iran's fast-attack boats
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.