For the non-technical entrepreneurs out there, here’s something that should lift your eyebrows: iRise is a software solution that enables you to create an interactive demo or preview to show to prospective buyers without writing a line of code. While VC’s typically like to see an actual working version of an application for first time entrepreneurs, it might be sufficient to attract a seed investor and there are exceptions to every rule. In terms of technical specifications, you can use iRise to create a “simulation” of your application and then hand it off to your development team.

For those of you using Visio or other ways of conveying an idea, this would be a great replacement - it enables you to bring those pictures/workflows to life.

While I imagine iRise is slightly easier to use for web-based applications, if you’re plugging into Outlook you can upload a screen shot, create buttons and make the picture interactive.

Collaborative Work
iRise iDoc Reader (free) lets you collaborate with your team, prospective customers and developers remotely. For example, you could send your simulation to developers as well as add comments/requirements in a side column for them to read (see slide show).

Our developers are in India. If I had known about this before, you can bet my team would have been using this app. instead of creating lengthy and tedious technical specifications that ended up going through round and rounds of iteration as we changed our ideas about what we wanted when we saw the results come out.

You can see some screenshots here

Downside
Sorry Mac users, it only works on a PC.

Cost
Qualified start-ups (You'll have to ask Tom about whether you qualify) can enroll in a special program to obtain the product in one of two ways:

After 2-3 days of hands on training, you’ll get a 90-day renewable license at no cost. While a 2-day training session costs $3,500, the license period can be extended at no additional cost. The extension depends on where your team is in terms of getting financed. During the training session, they'll help you build out your prototype or flush out ideas your team is exploring.

On a case-by-case basis, iRise may allow you to opt out of the training to obtain the 90-day trail. There is no cost here and, as above, the trial is extended on a case-by-case basis. Although you won’t get any training here, iRise has a 300 page help system and tutorials to guide you through instruction.

Who To Contact
You can contact Tom Humbarger, Start-up Program Manager, at thumbarger@irise.com for more info. Tom has also posted start-up information on his Squidoo Lens. According to Tom, a start-up called Agistics successfully used iRise before launching their application.