There is a bubble in the tech world and Pebble is to blame. With Pebble’s unprecedented successful Kickstarter campaign last year ( a record 10 Million raised), a gaggle of other entrepreneurs have decided to deep dive into the Smart Watch pool.
Following Pebble’s steps, most new smart watch launches (remarkably) have successfully raised funding on crowdsourcing platforms. Whether these products will be a one hit wonder or grow to become an economically viable and sustainable company will highly be determined by: (1) If they can deliver the full promise of their product on time earning the trust of their initial investors (all thousand of them). (2) If they can continue to dream up and deliver new products and services that are truly more exciting than current offerings, especially once the big players Apple, Samsung and Google cannonball into the pool.
Below are a few products that have successfully been funded. Which do you think will survive?
Martian Watches: Voice Command Watches for iPhone & Android
These guys want you to speak to your wrist literally. You can use your Martian watch’s voice commands to dial calls, read & respond to texts and access information.
Raised: 221,298
Cost: $249-299
Leikr: A Danish Designed GPS Sports Watch
Leikr is a GPS sports watch that features color maps on a 2” screen specifically designed for athletes. Leikr monitors your performance, guides you through your route as well as through your downloaded workout.
Raised: $267,389
Cost: $449
Cookoo – The Watch for the Connected Generation
Cookoo connects with your smartphone, keeps you alerted, and unlike other smart watches, does not need to be recharged.
Raised: $305,393
Cost: $129.99
ALPHA – Heart Rate Watch
Built for the high performance athlete, Alpha uses an electro-optical sensor for continuous heart rate monitoring.
Raised: $321,314
Cost: $199
Bia: Multi-Sport GPS Sports Watch with SOS Safety Alert
Designed specifically for women, Bia is the first multi-sport GPS watch with a SOS safety alert.
Raised: $408,160
Cost: $249
