Five gig economy companies will be judged in the style of “Shark Tank” at Staffing Industry Analysts’ upcoming Collaboration in the Gig Economy conference next month in Dallas.

The finalist companies that will be judged during the event are:

• Bonsai — Online freelancer tools and management system
• Bunker — Automated insurance for independent contractors
• Gustav — Open-source VMS
• Koru — Predictive hiring
• Talentify — Automated talent sourcing

“This session is an opportunity to highlight some of the innovations happening around the workforce solutions ecosystem and hear firsthand how the founders of these firms interact and respond to a panel of industry veterans and investors,” said David Francis, senior research analyst at Staffing Industry Analysts.

Judging the event are Jonathan Kestenbaum, managing director of Talent Tech Labs; Fabio Rosati, a board member, investor and former CEO of Elance & Upwork; Raza Syed, director, corporate development and partnerships at Indeed; and John Nurthen, executive director, global research, at Staffing Industry Analysts.

“I think the conversations will be lively and dynamic, and I’m as curious as anyone who will be crowned victorious,” Francis said. “I also think it’s important to mention the large number of firms that made nominations; while we could only select five finalists, the sheer volume of excellent nominations we received in and of itself demonstrates the pace of technology advancement and innovation in this market.” 

The event will take place at 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 14 at the Collaboration in the Gig Economy conference in Dallas.