Stanford's brightest were lining up to get jobs from these startups you've never heard of
Presented by the school's Career Development Center, the Startup 101 Entrepreneur Career Expo invites employers from startup companies to promote their organization, collect resumes, and screen potential candidates.
Startups have to cough up $500 for a table, though many company representatives tell me it's a worthwhile investment considering the caliber of applicants in one room.
We crashed the career fair to see what startups grabbed the most attention of the best college in America's students. See if you recognize any.
Lark
Lark came out swinging in 2010 with the launch of a silent alarm device, but its signature product these days is an app described as "Siri for fitness and sleep goals." The Lark app analyzes data that the iPhone's HealthKit collects - tracking your activity, eating, and sleeping habits - and chats with you to help you improve.
The startup raised over $3 million in a late 2013 round of funding.
Invoice2Go
Each month, more than 124,000 small businesses create invoices from their phones, tablets, or computers using Invoice2Go. The mobile invoicing app allows users to create customized invoices from a range of templates, sync documents across devices, and easily figure out who has paid and who still owes money.
Invoice2Go raised $35 million in a Series A round last year, led by Accel Partners and Ribbit Capital. The company also tapped Accel's CEO-in-residence, Greg Waldorf, as its new CEO.
Finding your keys is possibly the most frustrating part of your morning routine. Tile has the solution: a small, lightweight tracking device that you can clip to your keychain or attach to any surface. The Tile casts a Bluetooth signal up to 100 feet, and your phone alerts you as you draw near it.
One of the original poster children of crowdfunding, Tile launched a Selfstarter campaign in 2013 with the goal of raising $20,000, and pulled in $2.6 million.
Crossover
With the web site launched just last week, fresh-faced startup Crossover is an online hiring and management platform that seeks to match employers with the best job candidates around the world. Users log onto the site and take technical tests relative to the jobs they want; if they pass, they earn Crossover's endorsement.
Crossover easily had the most popular booth at the fair, although it probably had something to do with the swag. They gave away $5,000 in cash (stacked on the table) to the student who scored highest on Angry Birds at their booth.
Inflection
Inflection's portfolio of products aims to build trust and connection online. From its "people search engine" to its identity management tool, the company democratizes public records by aggregating the information and sharing it with respect for the owner's privacy.
The only startup to rival Crossover's swag, Inflection gave out 90s-themed items, like hair scrunchies, magnets, and Pokémon cards, branded with the logo. Employees dressed in neon track jackets, mini skirts, and beanies, and looked not much older than the students seeking jobs.