There are so many great startups out there that don’t get nearly the attention they deserve, because they simply don’t fit into my publishing schedule. That’s why since March of 2013, we’ve been bringing you one innovative startup, every month. Check out our past list of startups, and check back monthly for a new innovative startup.
A note on innovation: Innovation is one of those buzz-words that are overused, so we’re very careful in who we use it with. We think that these startups qualify as incredibly innovative. What do you think? LEAVE a comment.
- March 2013: Boomtrain. Boomtrain has an awesome new solution for reliably discovering, and watching new videos series from around the web.
- April 2013: Fastfig. Fastfig is a fantastic new cloud-based math word processor. It’s basically Google Docs with smart math functions and equation-solving built right in. This will be really useful for schools and labs once it comes out of beta.
- May 2013: Followletter. I love the convenience of newsletters. I don’t have to search for posts, because bloggers tell me when there’s something worth reading. What I don’t like is how crowded my inbox gets with all of those newsletters. Followletter eliminates that problem by providing a separate area for you to receive your email, so you stay informed, without the inbox crowding. Brilliant.
- June-July of 2013 I spent in China, exploring a whole other world of technology and manufacturing, so we didn’t release a startup of the month.
- August 2013: Geartag. Don’t you hate losing stuff? Geartag uses bluetooth to prevent you being separated from your stuff. Put one of the $30 geartags in or on your wallet, your keys, etc, and when you get a certain distance from them without deactivating, the Geartags will let out a buzz. A smartphone app provides further geolocation assistance. It’s a bit expensive – perhaps ahead of its time – but it’s a good idea, and an interesting use of bluetooth.
- September 2013: Flamestower. This was the coolest product we’d covered so far on startup-of-the-month. Charge your phone or tablet using fire. the Flamestower is a crowdfunded device that uses heat to charge devices. It’s well-designed, a cool concept, and a new twist on renewable energy.
- Short Hiatus
- February 2014: Simple. Simple is a smarter, faster, more customer-friendly bank, with live, American customer support, and a fee-free structure. It’s basically the Apple of banks (great support, great products, great design).
- May 2014: New Matter. New Matter is a crowdfunded company that offers an impressively simple, affordable, and well-designed 3D printer, which has already raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- September 2014: Midnight Scooper. Sometimes innovation is about more than complex machinery, and heavy coding. Sometimes, the simple things amaze me.
- October 2014: Final. A credit card that gives a unique number to each merchant to prevent fraud and make your life easier. No more having to cancel a card to get rid of one number!