Startups graduate from program that could make them household names

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- Nearly three dozen startups graduated Tuesday from a program that could help make them household names.

Each one is out to convince investors that it is the next big thing.

"They are going to come up on the stage. You will give them your attention. They will present you and then you'll invest money in their company," said the event's emcee.

Thus began Demo Day for the latest class in a program called 500 Startups.

"Demo Day is sort of like a almost graduation for the current accelerator batch," said Christine Tsai, 500 Startups founding partner.

Every graduate gives a speech and some sell to consumers, some to businesses. The partners of 500 Startups invest a little bit in all of them. The startups are more than just ideas.

"Most of them probably won't make it, but we invest in that many because we feel like they're all great potential. And who knows, sometimes we're surprised," Tsai said.

Most of them already have customers and money coming in. They're here for a chance to take it to the next level.