[ From left: Dave McClure, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Cohen, Kevin Rose and Naval Ravikant. Photos of Dave, Kevin and Naval from LAUNCH '11 (cc) Kenneth Yeung - www.snapfoc.us ]

Entrepreneurs want honest feedback from the best in the business, which is why we're thrilled to announce the first five amazing judges for the LAUNCH Festival in San Francisco March 7 & 8, where 40 companies will launch or launch new products on stage.

David Cohen [ @davidcohen ] is the co-founder and CEO of TechStars.

Dave McClure [ @davemcclure ] is the superangel behind 500 Startups.

Chamath Palihapitiya [ @chamath ] runs the The Social+Capital Partnership.

Naval Ravikant [ @naval ] co-founded AngelList.

Kevin Rose [ @kevinrose ] is the co-founder of mobile development lab Milk.

We're especially proud that LAUNCH '11 judges Dave, Naval and Kevin are joining us for the second year in a row. Check out the complete bios for all five and their savvy quotes about startups here.

If you have a killer stealth startup -- or a killer new product -- that will be ready to launch in March, apply here. [ We evaluate applications as they come in. ]

For boostrapped startups we're selling demo area tables with FIVE tickets for just $500, but only a limited number are available: buy yours now.

Want VIP treatment, including waiter service, at our event? These tickets are 10% off until Jan. 1 (just $899) so if you've had a great exit or you're a lawyer or headhunter, get yours before the price goes up!

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