PRODUCTS
Irvine-based Huckleberry Labs Inc. is incorporating artificial intelligence into its baby tracker app, which helps parents maintain and improve their child’s sleep patterns.
The app includes a diagnostic quiz that accounts for the personality of the child and the lifestyle of the family, as well as a “SweetSpot” feature that predicts the best time to put a child to bed—and aims to keep them there for the whole night.
“We’re using artificial intelligence and human experts to provide parents with the same quality of care for their children as they would receive when working with pediatricians,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Jessica Toh. “And because of our artificial intelligence, we’re able to provide the service at a much lower cost, and in a more time efficient manner.”
The company plans to release a new mode next year, which will aid parents dealing with a case of the terrible twos. In addition to helping with sleep, the company thinks its products can help prevent tantrums and reinforce positive behaviors in babies.
Huckleberry launched in 2017, and since then, the mobile application has been downloaded by more than 175,000 users.
Toh and her husband, Seng, who is the company’s chief technology officer, founded the company after experiencing many sleepless nights with their own newborn son.
Toh has a triple major in electrical engineering and computer sciences, math, and statistics from University of California-Berkeley, and an MBA from Cambridge University.
Additional team members include Daniel Huang, Ph.D., data scientist; and Jean San Agustin, director of marketing, along with a few advisers and pediatric sleep consultants.
Huckleberry is backed by Palo Alto-based Spero Ventures and Irvine-based Tamarisc Ventures.
Reviews.io, a digital consumer feedback platform with a focus on online reputation, recently launched a new marketing product—called Influence—that allows users to craft Instagram campaigns and interact with consumers in one place.
The package includes a “discover” feature that identifies key brand ambassadors, an “engage” feature that provides a brand-specific feed, and a “publish” feature that creates shoppable galleries for Instagram viewers.
According to Chief Executive Callum McKeefery, the product has gained popularity quickly, and the company expects it to be a major driving force in helping them reach $13 million in revenue this year. In 2016, the Irvine-based company saw about $6 million in revenue.
The self-funded company is one of only a handful of review companies in the world that has a review publishing license with Google, and is growing by all metrics.
Reviews.io began in the U.K., but now has its operations in 400 Spectrum Center tower, where it employs 22 people. It still has workers in the U.K and also has offices in Australia. Globally, the company now employs 56.
Reviews.io was founded in 2015 by McKeefery and his wife, Marketing Director Nikki Albano.
NEW HIRES
Newport Beach-based Aeromates Co., an aviation technology startup that connects private charter, aerial tour and pilot training seekers with FAA-certified operators, has hired Troy Bradley as chief technology officer.
Bradley will lead the Aeromates’ development team in their use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve services within the private aviation industry.
He was previously a factory representative at LaserBit, an Intel-backed startup in Budapest, and has held numerous marketing roles within tech firms. He has certifications in computer science and data science from Lambda School.
“I recently started working toward my private pilot license, and I immediately noticed that the aviation industry is overdue for a disruption,” said Bradley. “So, I’m excited to work in the high energy startup environment and contribute to Aeromates’ success.”
Irvine-based accelerator Cie recently brought on Albert Chow to lead an in-development startup focused on caregiving.
Recently, he served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at SleepScore in Carlsbad, where he led the development of a sleep-tracking device. Chow started his career in consulting at Bain & Co. and later worked at Yahoo.
Chow was previously a client of Cie’s and said “they have a stellar track record when it comes to launching and accelerating startups.”
“I’m excited to work with the team at Cie to solve an unmet need in the market and develop a solution that will positively affect millions of lives around the world, using technology in a way that elevates the human aspect of caregiving.”
FINANCING
Aliso-Viejo based MyShoperoo, a personal assistant concierge service—think Uber for the local grocery store, department store and more—has raised $300,000 in pre-seed funding. The round is still open.
Rather than working one-on-one with customers, MyShoperoo sells its products to employers, who pay a fee to provide the service to their employees. Employees can request grocery items, retail purchases or returns, dry cleaning and laundry services and even fresh flowers be delivered to their office; there is no service charge to use the service for the employees.
Companies get an indirect return on investment in the form of employee productivity and reduced absenteeism as a result of the perk, according to Chief Product Officer Shaz Shaukat, who was recently brought on full time.
Shaukat was previously a senior product manager at Verizon Connect and Telogis Inc. in Aliso Viejo.
Chief Executive Krishna Vanka started the company after realizing that working professionals often dash to the store on their lunch hour or right after work, which results in a long line wherever you go.
The company works with several local companies including law firm Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa, and operates from San Diego to Los Angeles, with hopes of entering San Francisco next year.
MyShoperoo took first place at Eureka Fest last year, earning $6,000 worth of office space at Eureka Hub in Irvine. The company plans to extend its lease there.
Alfoto Inc., a maker of a multifunctional microphone that works with smartphones and cameras among other electronic devices, has raised nearly $125,000 from over 1,000 backers on Kickstarter.
The Newport Beach-based company’s fund-raising campaign runs through late September.
The company has already started manufacturing its product, called the Q Mic, in South Korea and plans to ship the product by December, according to founder and Chief Executive Soon Kwon.
The wireless microphone has three modes: ASMR, which detects quiet noises; a directional mode that eliminates surrounding sound and focuses on a single voice; and an omni mode that records all the sounds around the microphone.
