ContestMachine
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched1 / 4
Sections to complete：02
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
ContestMachine was a Y Combinator web service ('roll your own contest or giveaway') that made it easy to run promotions from any website or blog: clients could launch a contest or giveaway and the service handled the rest - collecting submissions, contacting winners, and offering options like entry requirements, start and end times, and prize management. It was built to bridge the gulf between the big-budget promotions of companies like Ford and GM and small businesses trying to run similar campaigns from their blogs. Its parent company, Crystalroot, was founded in Southfield, Michigan, in the summer of 2007 by Savraj, Kalid, and Lee. The service is no longer in business.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded (Crystalroot)
Crystalroot, the parent company of ContestMachine, was founded in Southfield, Michigan, in the summer of 2007 by Savraj, Kalid, and Lee; the startup raised a $20K seed round with Y Combinator participation.
- No longer in business
Y Combinator's company directory marks ContestMachine as 'No longer in business'; CB Insights lists its stage as 'Seed | Dead'.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
Raised approximately $20,000 in a seed round from investors including Y Combinator.
- 02
Ceased operations around 2010.
- 03
No audited loss figure was publicly disclosed.