1 min read
Here's one for gadget geeks: a service that enables users to receive customised information about their favourite gadgets. Drippler, founded by Israelis Matan Talmi and Dotan Galron, is a free mobile application and website.
It provides customers with personalised updates about consumer electronics such as smartphones, e-readers, tablets and MP3 players - basically anything techie that they might want to know about. Launched this year the app has received close to 400,000 downloads with the website generating one million monthly impressions. But the duo say they knew they were tapping into a big market. "The demand is there," says Mr Talmi, a 30 year-old engineer. "Gadgets are getting more complicated resulting in a need for more relevant content. "They have become a part of people's lives and there is a big increase in spending on them. The market is growing exponentially."
According to some sources the consumer-electronics market in the US alone is valued at around $170 billion. Around 600 million global gadget shipments took place in 2011 and this is expected to rise to 1.5 billion by 2015.
Mr Talmi, a self-confessed "gadget lover", spent three years in the technological unit of the IDF before studying electrical engineering at Tel Aviv University. Then came stints at leading software and telecommunication companies. Drippler is his first start up. "Dotan and I were always getting new gadgets but felt like we often missed out on important information about them so we decided to solve this problem." They raised $250,000 in seed funding from some of Israels top high-tech entrepreneurs including Reuven Agassi, founder of SAP Business One, Yanki Margalit, founder of Aladdin Knowledge Systems and David Assia, founder of Magic Software Enterprises, and Drippler was born.
Mr Talmi explains: "In the same way you might build a finance portfolio of stocks and shares, you can build a portfolio of gadgets." Users register before choosing the gadgets they want to receive information on. Drippler's technology scans the web collating all the relevant content before sending it to the customer. "We are doing the work for them. Our aim is to help users make the most of their gadgets ensuring they don't miss any valuable content such as tips, software updates, tech-support, rumours, apps and accessories."
The app only supports Android devices but there are plans to introduce an iPhone version. The company also intends to increase the range of gadgets it features and will eventually start monetising through targeted advertising and revenue shares. "We think there is very big potential here."