Oklahoma City tech company wins spot in international startup competition

A small Oklahoma City company that created an online application aimed at helping creative types collaborate online has gained recognition as one of the top 50 startup companies by an international conference in Vienna.

BitConfused co-founder Sandip Patel said he and his partner probably won’t be able to attend the Pioneers Challenge later this month, “but the honor is still pretty amazing.”

The application, called Cage, was selected as one of 50 finalists from more than 850 submissions from 58 countries.

The finalists win the opportunity to pitch their products for the chance to win 25,000 euros (about $32,000).

Patel said the event also offers participants a chance to reach a large number of venture capital representatives and individual investors.

The Oklahoma City product, designed to help teams and clients collaborate online, was one of only three finalists from the United States. It was the only one from Oklahoma.

Cage initially focused on Web design, but the current version is geared toward various types of creative projects, including illustration, video graphics and 3-D work. The application allows users to upload and present files, manage tasks, organize revisions and receive approvals in one secure environment.

The program has exited beta testing and is profitable, Patel said. Pricing ranges from $14 a month with access and storage that would be appropriate for a freelancer to $179 a month that offers much greater storage and access to an unlimited number of team members.

“We’ve signed up quite a few big companies: Starbucks, HGTV, Ogilvie (& Mather ad agency), Leo Burnett,” Patel said.

He said the firm is not currently seeking new investors as the small company continues rolling out new product features.

“We’ve got paying customers — lots of them,” he said. “We’re growing steadily. There are not many complaints right now.”