Over the last year, investors have started turning to San Francisco-based Product Hunt to discover the next big thing. On Wednesday, however, investors also started pouring money in. Product Hunt announced it's raised a $6.1 million Series A round, led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Reddit Co-founder Alexis Ohanian's Initialized Capital.
The funding from Ohanian's firm is fitting, given Product Hunt is essentially a Reddit for apps and companies. Makers can submit products, whether a mobile app, website or hardware project, and the community can upvote the products they like, as well as drum up conversation around said products.
"Product Hunt is much more than a site," wrote former Windows President Steven Sinofsky, a board partner at Andreessen Horowitz, in a blog post Wednesday. "Product Hunt is a community."
All the buzz got us wondering, though: What does the Boston community look like on Product Hunt?
Here's a look at the top 8 startups featured on the site's "Made in Boston" page.
Fancred — 75 Upvotes
So, Fancred was submitted by Landon Howell, the startup's head of strategy and content, a fact he does disclose. That said, the sports app has received 75 upvotes regardless, and is bound to receive more considering Fancred officially launched an Android app on Wednesday. With the app, sports fans can capture their favorite moments, from the games they've attended to the articles they've read.
onthebar — 45 Upvotes
With onthebar, bartenders can let their regulars know when they're working, as well as share new drink recipes. Patrons can then get real-time insight into what's going on at their favorite bar, all while reaping the personalized benefits of the iBeacons onthebar rolled at 75 Boston bars. As HeyNow's Ben Basche said on Product Hunt, "Your phone is already your nightlife guide, why not get the most out of it?"
Liberty Teller — 26 Upvotes
Liberty Teller was submitted by Co-founder Chris Yim, but has still started gaining traction. Per Yim's words, Liberty Teller is "lowering the barrier to bitcoin adoption by providing access and awareness. ATMs are step one." The startup's bitcoin ATMs are currently located in four areas: the Garage Mall in Harvard Square; Moksa in Central Square; the MIT COOP in Kendall Square; and Snax Express in South Station.
Codeship — 25 Upvotes
Techstars grad Codeship, which raised $2.6 million in February, provides a platform that allows software updates to be released quickly, automatically and at multiple times throughout the day. Osman Sheikh of Social Tables submitted Codeship on Product Hunt, saying, "We use Github Pages, Middleman (static site generator) and Codeship for our blog."
CogniTea — Upvotes 24
CogniTea is letting people kick their bad habit of guzzling coffee and energy drinks by offering a tea said to clear the mind and help the drinker regain focus. (And you know it's doing its job when its our fitness writer-approved.) John Carmichael, director of operations at WeSpire, submitted CogniTea on Product Hunt, saying it's "great for getting stuff done."
Fetchnotes — Upvotes 21
Fetchnotes provides a simple way to keep track of notes and to-do items, making users all the more productive. Just ask Madison May, the systems architect at indico.io who submitted the app. In her words: "A cleaner, simpler solution for personal productivity simply doesn't exist. They've thought hard about user experience and it shows."
Breeze — 16 Upvotes
Fitness startup RunKeeper debuted Breeze in April as an app to take down Fitbit. With Breeze, users can track how much they move each day and easily view their progress over time. Anna Perko, product manager at Promoboxx, submitted Breeze, saying on Product Hunt, "I love this app because of the notifications — they adjust based on how you use the app — fewer notifications when you're dormant, more relevant info when you want it!"
ScanKart — 16 Upvotes
ScanKart was submitted by Founder Gaurav Tanna and, in his words, "It's like a mobile farmers' market. It's a unique platform to enable small and local businesses selling specialty food and wine products to be discovered by consumers." Who doesn't want to shop from their neighborhood stores?
Image via Product Hunt
