The Next Web Is Just Around The Corner

The Next Web Conference 2009 in Amsterdam is quickly approaching, and it’s promising to be a good show again this year even if it won’t be Erick Schonfeld moderating the event this time. TechCrunch Europe’s Mike Butcher will be there though, and so will I, so hook up with us if you’re heading down to the conference too. In case you haven’t registered yet, there’s a page set up for TC readers where you can get a 20% discount on the ticket fee.

Speakers this year include Jeff Jarvis, Matt Mullenweg (Automattic), Bradley Horowitz (Google), Chris Sacca and author Andrew Keen. The full list can be found here.

A web conference would be nothing without a good old startup competition, and today the organizing team of the event have announced the 19 finalists that will be pitching the audience on stage. I’m one of the jury members that will be deciding which European startup takes home the prize, so I’m looking forward to seeing what these have in store:

• yellowBird – currently in stealth mode, something to do with 3D

• Contextured – provides a platform that supports customers on search engine marketing and optimization

• Prezi – an application that allows you to create ’stunning’ presentations

• E – a service that integrates all your existing social services into a so-called “E•ID”, which you can share with anyone in the real world

• Aroxo – stealth model start-up that promises to offer ‘a completely new way to buy and sell online’

• Silentale – store all your digital conversations in one place and access them from anywhere

• Klomptek – software development company that creates advanced Mobile Device Management and Security Solutions for enterprises

• Shout’Em – a platform on which you can start your own co-branded microblogging social networking service

• Quick TV – a web-based ‘Video-as-a-Service’ platform

• Mimic Media – enables online shoppers to fit clothes online with a personalized 3D model and shop real time together with their friends

• YourTour – a decision support system to plan fully-customized trips

• plista – a social recommendation service that follows what you like and don’t across sites and personalizes your Internet experience

• Yunoo – social personal finance platform, looks like a Dutch version of Mint

• Mendeley – social software for managing and sharing (”the Last.fm for”) research papers

• Huddle – combines unified collaboration with social networking

• IRLConnect – ‘visual’ social network that allows you to map where your friends are & what they are saying

• Visibuild – another interactive 3D environment creation application

• tarpipe – makes it easy to share content across different social media applications

• CoTweet – a platform that helps companies reach and engage customers using Twitter

The startups above were selected out of total of 200 companies that submitted their profile for consideration. Each of them will get 5 minutes of stage time to impress the audience and the jury.