With the holiday season well under way, it’s time again for Rhode Island Inno to look back at some of the most promising technology and innovations of the year, as we try to see what’s coming next. In 2021, we covered a cascade of talented entrepreneurs, start-ups, funding rounds and everything in between,
Metrics include fast-paced scale, representation in pitch competitions and originality, in addition to grit, and a willingness to pivot in an unpredictable market. This year’s selections represent a cross section of new Rhode Island-based business ventures that have found inspiration tackling today’s problems with future solutions.
Kerja: Founded by Tim Wijaya, a Brown University senior from Indonesia, Kerja.io is a platform that pre-screens candidates and employers to create a network aiming to make better matches for everyone involved. Although the platform is open to anyone, Kerja is primarily focused on helping Indonesian companies in the tech, finance and consulting sectors find qualified talent, initially targeting Indonesian students. As of this November, Kerja has been active for a year, largely targeting tech and venture capital firms in Indonesia seeking talent.
Bombi Gear: By creating a stroller that features a lightning-fast fold up and is made of recycled materials, Mike Fusco, founder of Bombi Gear has found a niche in the ever expanding ‘eco-friendly’ market. Fusco, whose background is toy and juvenile product development, said the idea grew out of frustration with restrictions put on product developers by big retailers, whose process and need for a certain profit margin ended up compromising how user-friendly the products could be.
BuzzButton: For the one billion people living off-grid worldwide — everyday travelers such as backpackers, hikers and campers — The BuzzButton could be a game changer. Founded by Brown University students Sai Allu and Tyler Jacobson, the BuzzButton is a portable, low-cost, lightweight and powerful charger built on a 5,000-year-old button spinner toy. At its most recent version, the device will weigh under 1 pound and be able to generate 20 watts of electricity, roughly the amount of power needed to charge the most recent iPhone battery in under 25 minutes.
Mocingbird: Although it’s intended to improve healthcare quality and ensure the competency of its physicians, for some medical professionals certifications and their management sometimes can feel like a costly burden that does nothing more than distract from patient care. Mocingbird, a Wakefield-based company, is trying to streamline the medical certification process with a platform that simplifies the ability to track and store medical certifications.
Medicircle: Founded by Eliza Sternlicht and Jack Schaeffer, MediCircle connects leftover, unexpired cancer medications to financially burdened patients by employing a rigorous, three-step quality assurance process. The product relies on a team of pharmacists to ensure that the medications redistributed are compliant with pharmaceutical standards.
Tasium : Inspired by a brother with Aspergers and a passion for clothing, Jose Rodriguez Jr. founded Tasium, a company that makes T-shirts with fidget toys attached to them. Each fidget is attached to the bottom corner of each shirt with a clip to ensure that the toy is never far from the person wearing it.
Lotus Noire: Initially sidelined by the pandemic, Temperance Taylor pivoted to launch Lotus Noire with the mission of providing sexual health care via telemedicine to communities of color and LGBTQ+ folks — those who had the most difficulty accessing care due to time, geography or poor treatment in the past. Now, operating as a fully functioning primary care telehealth provider with an office, she’s partnered with Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) to provide a "one-stop shop" Covid-19 clinic: testing, treatment, education, and soon, vaccinations. Taylor, who runs and staffs the site with help from RIDOH, also gives out N95 masks, hand sanitizer and other pandemic necessities.
Pangea.app: Providence-based startup Pangea.app built a marketplace to connect companies to college students looking for work and has had a busy year joining up with one of the most well-known startup accelerators in the world, Y Combinator. In July, Pangea CEO and co-founder Adam Alpert told TechCrunch that his company had set out to secure $1.5 million, but finished with $2 million. This year, the company, which has four full-time employees, intends to jump to nine.
Zaar: Started as a hyper-local version of Craigslist and/or Facebook Marketplace, Zaar was founded by Brown University seniors Madeline Griswold and Sarah Hall to be a safe alternative. Zaar was exclusive for students at Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to buy and sell items from one another. It expanded to the University of Pennsylvania over the summer. Users can exchange items via pick-up or by leaving the merchandise on their doorstep, ensuring a contact-free transaction. Zaar has so far amassed 400 users and completed 50 purchases across the platform. While Zaar does not charge any fee for transactions completed by two independent students, it does take a 20% commission when the platform sells products for students.
Tagg: With $2 million in seed funding from the likes of Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Facebook’s former VP of International Growth Ed Baker and TripAdvisor founder Stephen Kaufer, Tagg has generated enough buzz and capital to make a serious push forward. The new social network is being rolled out exclusively at Brown University. According to its co-founder and CEO Victor Loolo, Tagg aims to allow for better social branding tools with the goal of “allowing people to find better friend groups or connect with people on a deeper level.” There’s no likes, just comments, sharing and views, Loolo said.
