SAN FRANCISCO -- What do The X Files, the X Games, and developing an Internet-based business have in common? All are about extremes, involve an element of insanity, and can be more than a little scary.
Inspired by the X Games, prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm Hummer Winblad invited the pitches of 12 San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneurs with "extreme ideas, dangerous Internet business models, and a fanatical desire for their companies to win big," as Hummer-Winblad executive assistant Sherri Law put it.
The company sent out the word that locals had two days to submit their proposals. On Thursday, 12 companies plucked from more than 50 aspirants had 30 minutes each to present their ideas and receive feedback from a Hummer Winblad partner, a contest the firm dubbed X-Deals.
RenoMarioni, CEO of Globalistic, one of the 12 finalist companies, said it was a smart business move on Hummer's part.
"I think they rightly want to move into the next generation of Internet deals, and that it is very smart of them to link it to the X Games, which represents part of that culture," said Marioni, co-founder of the digital adventure media company.
