FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information: Dan Collins, dan.collins@wastebits.com, 330-354-9591
Las Vegas, NV, Austin, TX (and highways in between) March 11, 2012
A team of 7 ‘buspreneurs’ 5 of which are from Northeast Ohio, have been traveling from Las Vegas on Startup Bus to Austin, Texas. Working sans sleep since Tuesday, March 6 participants have been coding, marketing, and planning. Their goal is to conceive, build and ultimately launch a successful application - a technology-oriented start-up business within a 72-hour time frame. The tech caravan is headed to the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, March 9-11.
Teams on 10 buses traveling to SxSW equipped with Internet access, forego sleep and in some cases have just met their teammates. Their group ideas are to be presented to venture capitalists once they arrive in Austin. The Vegas Team participants have launched Wastebits, the first universal business to business web platform solution for profiling non-regulated waste. WasteBits is building an online application allowing waste businesses to streamline waste profiles so that they can harness the power of the Internet to view and approve the processes in real time. Waste is generated and cleaned at all times of the day, and is then profiled by waste professionals. Waste professionals who profile the material must take time to fill out necessary paperwork, go back to an office, fill out back up documentation and wait a period of time to get a review and approvals. The standard industry practice is to fax documents. WasteBits streamlines the process of profiling waste and the approvals process immediately as it is generated, according to WasteBits Business Development buspreneur Ray Lewis.
Lewis stated, “the average profile and supporting documents numbers around 10 pages and that same document gets printed about 10 times. That’s 100 pages of paper! If a state like Ohio can pump out about 1500 profiles each month, we could save about 216 trees a year. Nationally, it amounts to 11 thousand trees.”
Due to its ease-of-use and marketable value proposition, the ‘universal’ waste profile is expected to be well received by waste disposal facilities and may eventually become the single, universal waste profile for the industry. Until now, companies needing to dispose of waste have had to complete multiple profiles, and each facility has its own company specific template.
With the exception of a few disposal facilities nationwide, the bulk of waste profiles have been handwritten and faxed, yes faxed, to the waste disposal facility for consideration of acceptance. WasteBits subtle slogan says it well: Paper not required.
“Adopting WasteBits services will allow waste service professionals to create standards and reliably and credibly protect the environment,” said Doug Yoder, Developer buspreneur with Wastebits.
The team has already received support from waste industry veterans who have reached into their networks. Team members have resorted to the old school method of cold calling. WasteBits received a break through on their bus ride securing a letter of intent from Capitol Waste and Recycling Service as its first customer. Capitol Waste and Recycling Service based in Columbus, Ohio, is a solid waste and recycling collection operation. Their fleet centers on commercial and industrial collection services. The agreement secures a commitment by Capitol Waste to begin utilizing WasteBits’ waste profile solution to all of its facilities.
“We strongly believe that WasteBits will be a strategic advantage in our pursuit of superior customer service and will be a differentiator between us and our competition. The waste profile system allows our customers to easily characterize the special waste streams they are generating,” said Rob Smith, President of Capitol Waste and recycling Services.
Smith noted that Capitol has been in an active search for a system with the ability to be proactive with their customers to easily characterize the special waste streams that are generated. “WasteBits allows us to be proactive with our customers as it relates to required upcoming renewals. This data management aspect of WasteBits system assists us in building more value into our client relationships and makes us truly customer focused. The development of high value client relationships is the key to growing a successful company and we see WasteBits as a integral part of our service offering to prospects,” added Smith.
In discussions with prospective customers, the team anticipates at least four more letters in intent before the week’s end.
“The waste industry is ripe for technological innovation. We have the right combination of knowledge, skills and abilities to develop and implement those technologies,” said Scott Meier, buspreneur Hustler for Wastebits.
“We have a strong programming team, strong industry knowledge within the team, strong support from a developed off-the-bus network and excellent timing will be what will make us a strong contender when we get off the bus and pitch this at the conference on Friday,” according to Dan Capri, Wastebits Developer buspreneur.
Capri also cited that customers should feel safe knowing that Wastebits uses the same technology as banks to protect data and are housed in the Federal Reserve building.
“Creating standards, and helping the business feel more comfortable with the environment. And oh yeah, we could actually win this competition when we get the conference! I have a feeling that the industry has already found a winner,” said Lewis.
Vegas Team Participants
http://launch.wastebits.co
- Doug Yoder (Representing Ohio on the Vegas StartupBus as Developer)
- Ray Lewis (Representing Ohio on the Vegas StartupBus as Bizdev)
- Chris Laco (Representing Ohio on the Vegas StartupBus as a Developer)
- Dan Capri (Representing Ohio on the Vegas StartupBus as a Developer)
- Scott Meier (Representing Ohio on the Vegas StartupBus as a Hustler)
- Prat Argawal (Representing Ohio / San Francisco / Nepal on the Vegas StartupBus as a Hustler)
- Frabrizio Milo (Stolen from LA StartupBus to join the WasteBits effort)
About Start Up Bus
Making good on pub promise, Startup Bus Founder Elias Bizannes started a road trip in San Francisco with friends and ended up launching a startup on arrival in Austin in time for the SxSW technology conference. In its third year, 2012 brings an expansion of 10 buses with some of technology’s best thinkers.
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