Startup Reinvents Business Presentations And, Once Again, ItselfStartup Reinvents Business Presentations And, Once Again, Itself

FreshBrew is preparing to introduce software that turns business presentations into rich Internet applications. The company has characteristics of a startup--a new name and Web site, soon-to-be-released software application, and financial backers--though its roots go back 20 years.FreshBrew's technology, in beta test now, is aimed at letting non-technical users create interactive presentations without special training in Adobe's Flash software. FreshBrew promotes it as "the power of Flash in the hands of mere mortals." From an outdated job posting, it looks like the FreshBrew platform involves a mix of Microsoft's .Net and C#, Adobe's Flex and ActionScript 3.0, and Web services.

According to the Arizona Republic, Phoenix-based FreshBrew was chosen last month to receive a $200,000 investment from SCF Arizona after competing with 13 other up-and-coming companies at the Invest Southwest Capital Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. The newspaper reports that FreshBrew board member Pat Sullivan has agreed to become the company's CEO and that FreshBrew has lined up additional funding from Sierra Ventures. Sullivan was co-founder of software companies SalesLogix and ACT!

FreshBrew's Web-based software is comprised of "models" that users can download to create interactive presentations. For example, there are models for three dimensional bar charts, rotating text, and photo slide shows. It appears from FreshBrew's Web site that hundreds or even thousands of models are envisioned, including those developed by its user community. I have a call into company founder Don Pierson, but haven't heard back. On the site, Pierson is listed as FreshBrew's current CEO.

FreshBrew is a relaunch of Interactive Alchemy, which specializes in creating online training for busineses. When Interactive Alchemy was launched in 2003, it said it had been in business since 1988. Reinventing itself yet again, the company's hoping the third time's a charm.