Name: GiftlyQuick Pitch: Giftly lets users create custom gift cards for any store.
Genius Idea: Bypassing the merchant in the gift card process by using a mobile checkin for redemption.
In theory, gift cards are a great way to cut down the number of wrongly-sized sweaters, useless knickknacks and uninspired coffee table books you receive. But the fact is these cards — the virtual version alone consulting firm Aite Group predicts will grow into a $10 billion industry by 2015 — often go unused. The average American family has about $300 worth of them collecting dust at home.
