This isn't the first time we've told you about Doorbell, a startup working out of the iLab that's developed a software service that lets building residents, property managers and local business connect and engage with each other as a community. But this time around, we're going to clue you in on its most recent milestone: It has its first paying customers.
Doorbell is currently being used within six apartment communities comprising 483 units - all of which are owned and operated by management company MG2. The startup has set its sights on residential buildings in high-profile spots throughout the country, including the usual suspects like New York City. However, Doorbell has found its first paying foothold in a surprising locale: downtown Worcester.
“They’re on Franklin Street, right on the Common in downtown Worcester,” Benjamin Pleat, founder of Doorbell, told us.
Why Worcester, of all places?
“It was deliberate,” Pleat said. “I heard Worcester’s story and wanted to help contributing to the city’s revitalization… It’s recently gained a lot of momentum. I’m happy Doorbell can be a part of pushing it to the next level and contributing to the growth of the city.”
Already, Doorbell’s technology has facilitated community events at The Grid in Worcester. There have been resident wine and beer tastings, a cornhole tournament and poker nights. A Saint Patrick’s Day party is also on tap for people living in these downtown Worcester buildings.
And local businesses have gotten in on the Doorbell action, as the startup had hoped. According to Pleat, places like Figs & Pigs, Brew On The Grid and the Hanover Theater have offered deals to engage with its nearby community of residents.
For Doorbell, the Worcester properties are already proving that the venture’s goal of having software to facilitate the creation of offline communities is attainable. In addition to management companies coordinating events, the startup has also seen residents organically organizing their own outings, such as group runs, with people in their buildings.
“It’s about face-to-face engagement, so you can actually get to know who you’re living with,” Pleat said. He added that property managers, in turn, can reap the value of these in-person interactions, with increased rental retention and differentiation from other residence buildings.
“It’s the people who make the space, not the space itself,” he told us.
Up next, Doorbell intends to release an app in about a month’s time. To date, the venture has been self-funded.
