Studio Theater, Cohon University Center
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
May 24, 2024
10:45 AM – 12 PM EDT
The LaunchPad event offers a unique platform for first-time entrepreneurs who have created a technology product intended to impact world language education.
How it works
Five startup companies pitch their technology innovation to a live audience at CALICO, an international language technology conference. A panel of highly specialized judges provide feedback and select a winner based on the pedagogical merits of the product. The winner receives formal recognition in the form of an honorary plaque. Additionally, a People’s Choice award is determined by the audience and also receives an honorary plaque.
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About the Location
Once again, LaunchPad joins forces with the premier meeting for world language education and technology! The competition will take place during the 2024 Conference of the Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO) May 21-25, 2024 hosted by Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. The LaunchPad event is free for all conference attendees. Register to attend CALICO so you won’t miss LaunchPad 2024!
CALICO Conference
May 21-25, 2024
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA USA
Hayo Reinders
Master of Ceremonies
Dr. Reinders is TESOL Professor and Director of Research at Anaheim University and Professor of Applied Linguistics at KMUTT in Thailand. See innovationinteaching.org.
Lisa Frumkes
Master of Ceremonies
Dr. Frumkes is an independent language educator working at the intersection of language, technology, and education since 1989 at companies like Rosetta Stone and Duolingo.
Meet our 2024 finalists!
Hallo
CEO and Founder: Joon Beh
Primary Audience: Government/Adult Ed., Graduate, Undergrad, Community College, High School, Translators
Hallo is powered by advanced language models for learning 50+ languages through actual conversations with AI teachers. Hallo is designed by language experts to provide a scientifically proven method to improve speaking and listening skills by practicing anytime, anywhere. By focusing on conversation-based interactions, learners can overcome their fear of speaking and advance in their career opportunities. This app can also track learners’ progress and give feedback based on learners’ fluency and work.
Langiddy
CEO and Founder: Noah Duran
Primary Audience: Government/Adult Ed., Graduate, Undergrad, Community College, High School, Translators
Langiddy is a Social/Chat application that provides subtitles and audio in 100+ languages. This app fosters a supportive environment where learners can connect and chat with peers worldwide, regardless of the language they’re learning. By engaging in authentic conversations, learners can master phrases relevant to their daily life effortlessly. In particular, learners are able to customize their study experience by selecting from a wide range of captivating topics and reviewing what they have learned through the dynamic flashcards integrated in the app.
Linguado
CEO & Founder: Alexander Kaplan
Primary Audience: Graduate, Undergrad, Community College, Translators
Linguado is a mobile app designed for language learning and cultural exchange, ideal for the higher education sector. It connects users by proximity or worldwide with native speakers, addressing needs from language proficiency and accent reduction to cultural insights and business communication with a global community of polyglots, translators, teachers, and students from over 250 countries and 300 languages, making it a comprehensive tool for expanding linguistic and cultural knowledge. Linguado also offers text and audio messaging, audio/video calling, and an in-chat translator with a range of educational content, such as country-specific facts and language slang, to enhance an interactive learning environment.
Newcomer
Founder: Jason Kappes
Primary Audience: Government/Adult Ed., High School, K-12
Newcomer is a language-learning video game that immerses players in their target language. Newcomer is unique from other language learning games in that it situates the player in a highly contextualized and input rich environment similar to an immersion experience. The game carefully guides players through increasingly difficult conversation tasks that naturally scaffold the language learning process. As players participate in conversation, their proficiency improves and new in-game areas and experiences become available. Beginner mode gives language learners the opportunity to converse by building multi-word expressions, while intermediate mode users can type and speak with in-game characters.
Roxxem
Co-Founder and CEO: Hugo Xiong
Primary Audience: Undergrad, Community College, High School
Roxxem is an app that helps teachers engage their students with authentic music. Teachers can choose from hundreds of their favorite songs and turn listening into a fun activity with Roxxem’s interactive song-based lessons and games. They can play live classroom games or assign songs for homework and track student progress. Built by language teachers, for language teachers. The song-based lessons and games incorporated with the latest AI technology behind-the-scenes to generate grammatical and contextual information make learning a new language through music interactive, deep, and compelling.
Data Sheet
Benefits
Exposure to thousands of language educators and several successful companies in the field through the Tech Center news and website.
The Tech Center will add your company to its network of 31 language programs at 21 leading institutions of higher education and will invite your company to participate in select targeted Tech Center-sponsored events and projects.
Past participants will provide mentoring for the competition.
Inclusion in our network of innovators, which includes highly specialized professionals in the field of language learning technology.
Winners will be featured in promotional materials for the event.
LaunchPad Award
The LaunchPad Award is given to a single finalist and is determined by a group of judges appointed by the Tech Center. Judges typically include Flagship stakeholders (program directors, teachers, and students), leadership of established companies, and potential investors.
LaunchPad judging criteria:
- Flagship Fit: the product has potential to be used in the Flagship context. Learn about The Language Flagship here.
- Product Alignment: the product’s purpose is aligned with its affordances, features, and functions.
- User Experience: the product supports user engagement and the user experience through a well designed user interface.
- Innovation: the product utilizes innovative approaches and/or technology to address a need in technology-enhanced language learning and/or teaching.
- Pitch Quality: the product pitch is well structured, convincing, and utilizes visual media in effective ways.
Qualification Criteria
Companies must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a seed- or early-stage company (must not have raised over five million in funds from combined funding sources) with a main focus on the language education market.
- Have a language technology product designed (or adaptable) for use in higher education.
- Have a language technology product, process or service in use by customers or early beta (testing) customers at time of application.
People’s Choice Award
Voted live by the LaunchPad audience
The People’s Choice Award is determined at the end of the competition and is based on a simple majority of votes. Only one LaunchPad finalist receives this award. The awardee may or may not be the same recipient of the LaunchPad Award selected by the judges.
Competition Rules
Companies may present only one technology product, process or service and are responsible for protecting their own intellectual property (IP) rights.
Each company has an equal amount of time to present but may opt to forgo presentation time for feedback.
LaunchPad in the News
Learn More About LaunchPad and Our Previous Finalists
The LaunchPad Competition started in 2017 and was inspired by the the Japanese TV show Dragon’s Den, and its U.S. successor, Shark Tank. LaunchPad is designed to facilitate early dialogs between startup companies and world language professionals.
Read More
Contact Information
TECH CENTER
1890 East West Road
Moore Hall 256
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808) 956-5121
tech.center@hawaii.edu
