耐克企業(yè)孵化器不容小視
FitCause:這家位于紐約的公司平均每天能斬獲5000多耐克能量積分(比Nike+加速器中的任何一家創(chuàng)業(yè)公司都高)。它正在首倡一個(gè)運(yùn)動(dòng)——將健身數(shù)據(jù)變成真金白銀,為各種社會(huì)活動(dòng)募捐。首席執(zhí)行官勞拉?特美爾希望能募得50萬(wàn)美元。她介紹了個(gè)人用戶(hù)如何發(fā)起活動(dòng),或是企業(yè)如何贊助活動(dòng),讓人們能捐出自己的耐克能量積分。目前像Make-A-Wish 基金和美國(guó)心臟協(xié)會(huì)(American Heart Association)等非盈利機(jī)構(gòu)已經(jīng)和它簽約。它的目標(biāo)是,募集每年各大品牌捐獻(xiàn)的200億美元和各類(lèi)慈善活動(dòng)捐獻(xiàn)的40億美元,以證明這個(gè)設(shè)想的潛力何等巨大。Facebook公司似乎也很支持這家公司的理念,它為FitCause提供創(chuàng)業(yè)輔導(dǎo),并為其應(yīng)用提供開(kāi)放的圖表整合。 FitDeck:這家公司的創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官菲爾?布萊克一登場(chǎng)就來(lái)了幾個(gè)側(cè)板式俯臥撐,引得觀眾一片驚呼。隨后大家才知道,這位創(chuàng)業(yè)者畢業(yè)于耶魯(Yale)和哈佛商學(xué)院(Harvard Business School),曾是高盛公司(Goldman Sachs)的證券交易員,還曾在海豹突擊隊(duì)(Navy SEAL)服役(是海豹突擊隊(duì)有史以來(lái)個(gè)子最高的隊(duì)員),并且已經(jīng)在自己的車(chē)庫(kù)里賣(mài)出了總額高達(dá)430萬(wàn)美元的健身紙牌。入駐Nike+加速器后,這家位于圣地亞哥的公司希望把自己熱銷(xiāo)一時(shí)的健身卡組合實(shí)現(xiàn)數(shù)字化并獲得量化數(shù)據(jù)。這些卡包含了多達(dá)40種運(yùn)動(dòng),比如瑜伽、壺鈴,甚至還有高爾夫。它的募資目標(biāo)是50萬(wàn)美元。在手機(jī)應(yīng)用領(lǐng)域它已小有成就,它售價(jià)為10美元的系列應(yīng)用下載量已達(dá)2,600次,并且有66%的用戶(hù)會(huì)在這些應(yīng)用里購(gòu)物。 GeoPalz:該公司首席執(zhí)行官里奇?施梅爾策說(shuō):“請(qǐng)想象一下這樣的情景:孩子們每天在運(yùn)動(dòng)的同時(shí)就能為數(shù)字設(shè)備充電?!比缃竦暮⒆悠骄刻旎?.5個(gè)小時(shí)玩各種電子設(shè)備。對(duì)許多父母來(lái)說(shuō),這種情景是個(gè)遙不可及的夢(mèng)想。這家位于科羅拉多州博爾德的公司推出了一款用于iOS設(shè)備的游戲外設(shè)iBitz,要讓孩子和父母?jìng)儦g快地跳躍起來(lái)。iBitz裝在鞋上或臀部,與一個(gè)虛擬iOS寵物同步——孩子走動(dòng)的步數(shù)越多,這個(gè)寵物就越健康。耐克能量積分可以轉(zhuǎn)化為虛擬硬幣,孩子們能按照父母同意的方式花掉這些錢(qián)。薩莉,你想要《挖礦爭(zhēng)霸》(Minecraft)里的一把鶴嘴鋤嗎?那就走上5000步吧。如果完成了特定的運(yùn)動(dòng)目標(biāo),還能獲得來(lái)自亞馬遜網(wǎng)站(Amazon.com)的獎(jiǎng)品,或者用追蹤器讓iPad自動(dòng)解鎖。塔吉特百貨(Target)和百思買(mǎi)(Best Buy)今年秋天準(zhǔn)備上架這款產(chǎn)品,21個(gè)國(guó)家的零售商已經(jīng)簽了零售協(xié)議,目前已經(jīng)投產(chǎn)100萬(wàn)臺(tái)。因此GeoPalz準(zhǔn)備募資500萬(wàn)美元。而且施梅爾策也有輝煌的成功紀(jì)錄。還記得“智必星”(Jibbitz)嗎,就是那個(gè)用于Crocs“洞洞鞋”的裝飾小配件?是的,那就是他的杰作。 GoRecess:精品健身課正在搶奪大型健身會(huì)館的市場(chǎng)。在美國(guó),光這類(lèi)健身班就有超過(guò)10萬(wàn)家,每年的營(yíng)業(yè)收入高達(dá)240億美元。但是就算有這類(lèi)課程,還是有更具優(yōu)勢(shì)的選擇來(lái)攪局。就像訂餐服務(wù)Open Table闖進(jìn)飯店訂餐市場(chǎng)一樣,GoRecess的首席執(zhí)行官梅根?史密斯也一頭扎進(jìn)了健身課市場(chǎng)。它主打的是一套系統(tǒng),通過(guò)推薦位于用戶(hù)附近,與其興趣相符的課程來(lái)賺取傭金。通過(guò)Nike+的資源整合,這家公司打算募集50萬(wàn)美元,把能量腕帶整合到這類(lèi)課程中去,不僅讓朋友們能結(jié)伴共同訓(xùn)練,還能推薦特定活動(dòng),幫助人們實(shí)現(xiàn)個(gè)人的健身目標(biāo)。 |
FitCause: Pulling down an average of more than 5,000 NikeFuel points per day (more than any other Nike+ Accelerator startup) the New York City-based team behind FitCause is starting a movement for good, converting fitness data into currency to fundraise for causes. Looking to raise $500,000, CEO Laura Temel outlined how individual users can build campaigns or corporations can sponsor their own causes that people can donate their NikeFuel points to. With nonprofits like Make-A-Wish Foundation and the American Heart Association already signed on, FitCause is eyeing the $20 billion donated by big brands and $4 billion raised by charity races each year to show how much potential this idea has. Facebook seems to think so, too, mentoring the startup and giving its app open graph integration. FitDeck: Hitting the deck and pumping some side plank pushups, FitDeck founder and CEO Phil Black wowed the crowd immediately. Then the audience learned the former Goldman Sachs bond trader has graduated from Yale and Harvard Business School, is a former Navy SEAL (and the tallest one on record), and has already sold $4.3 million in fitness-based playing cards out of his garage. But with the Nike+ Accelerator, the San Diego-based company is looking to digitize and quantify data from its popular fitness card sets that range 40 activities, like yoga, kettle bell, and even golf. Seeking $500,000, the company already has success in the app space, with 2,600 downloads of a series of $10 apps that has 66% of users making in-app purchases. GeoPalz: "Imagine a world where kids' daily physical activities powered their digital devices," says GeoPalz CEO Rich Schmelzer. For modern parents, whose children average 7.5 hours per day consuming media on devices, this is a distant dream. But the Boulder, Colo.-based company's iOS device gaming peripheral, iBitz, is poised to get kids and parents jumping for joy. Fitting either on shoes or the hip, iBitz syncs with a virtual iOS pet -- the more steps the child takes, the healthier the pet gets. NikeFuel is converted to virtual coins that children can spend in ways their parents agree with. Want a pick-axe in Minecraft? That'll be 5,000 steps, Sally. You can even pick prizes from Amazon.com (AMZN), or use the tracker to automatically unlock your iPad after certain activity goals are hit. With Target (TGT) and Best Buy (BBY) ready to stock it in the fall, retailer agreements formed in 21 countries already, and 1 million units in the pipeline, GeoPalz is seeking $5 million in investment, and Schmelzer has a solid track record of success. Remember Jibbitz, the decorative toggles for Crocs? Yeah, you can blame him for those. GoRecess: Boutique fitness classes are eating the big box gyms' lunch, with more than 100,000 locations in the U.S. doing $24 billion in business each year. But with all those classes come overwhelming options. Much in the same way Open Table puts butts in restaurant seats, GoRecess CEO Megan Smyth has started getting them to fitness classes, with a system that earns commissions by recommending nearby classes that match users' interests. With Nike+ integration, the company is raising $500,000 to integrate FuelBand performance into classes, not only allowing friends to pair off against one another, but to recommend specific activities to help people reach their individual goals. |