CHIPOLO
A team of young entrepreneurs from Trbovlje, Slovenia wanted to make their idea a reality and so they started their Kickstarter campaign in 2014. Since then Chipolo, a Bluetooth tracker that attaches to virtually anything you might lose has grown quite a bit. We asked Tadej Jevševar, CEO at Chipolo some questions to find out more about what drove their team to make this product.
WHAT IS IT?
Chipolo is a Bluetooth-enabled keychain that wirelessly tethers to nearly any mobile phone equipped with Bluetooth. It helps you find your stuff, whether it’s lost or was just left somewhere. Chipolo isn’t just portable, it’s wearable, too. Clip it to your home or car keys, wallet, backpack, cat, dog – you name it.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Chipolo has got a built-in Bluetooth 4.0 interface and an interchangeable battery that gives it juice for about half a year. It connects to an app on your phone that shows Chipolo’s last known location and even the temperature of the air. Its range is around 60 meters and with a press of a button, Chipolo will start ringing to help you find your lost item.
Tadej Jevšar, CEO Chipolo
Q: What has inspired you to start the company?
Our close friend was constantly looking for his misplaced things such as keys, wallet and sometimes even his backpack. Because of that he was always late so it was time to help him out and this is how Chipolo became a reality.
Q: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Once we solved our friend’s problem we found out that on average people spend more than 10 minutes per day finding their lost or misplaced belongings, so at Chipolo we want to help people find their peace of mind by always knowing where their belongings are.
Q: What are your biggest challenges at the moment?
Our biggest challenge is to make the best products for our customers because this is what we always want to achieve.
Q: If your startup was an animal, what would it be and why?
Dolphin, it’s an animal that is known to help others in need.
