Ad Age Hacked the Food Network and a Startup Came Away With a Partnership and $25,000

Last week, Ad Age brought together six tech startups to pitch Food Network on creative partnerships during a live event in lower Manhattan. It was Ad Age 's fourth "Brand Hack," a series of events designed to bridge the gap between marketers, media and startups. (Prior Brand Hack alums are Anheuser Busch-Inbev, American Express and L.A.-based agency Ignited). The premise: media companies, agencies and marketers alike are reinventing themselves for the future and what better way to do that than working with cutting-edge startups that are already defining it. More than a hundred startups responded to a call for submissions on AdAge.com to hack Food Network; six excellent startups were picked to pitch: Food Genius, Waze, Good Eggs, KitchenSurfing, Raves and Chop Chop Go. The judges included two Food Network execs, winner of Next Food Network Star Justin Warner , Eater.com co-founder Ben Leventhal and Union Square Ventures partner Andy Weissman. The winner? Food Genius, which pitched a vision of using big data to make all of Food Network's digital properties smarter, creating a more personally-relevant experience for consumers looking for recipes, ingredients or restaurants. The Chicago-based company closed a $1.2 million financing round in July with funding from Hyde Park Venture Partners, New World Ventures, Amicus Capital and IDEO. Here are all the startup pitches, including the winner, Food Genius, which walked away with a Food Network deal and a $25,000 check. Which startup gets your vote?

Ad Age Hacked the Food Network and a Startup Came Away With a Partnership and $25,000

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