Tile (company)

Tile
Type of business Private
Founded December 2012 (2012-12)
Headquarters San Mateo, California
Created by Mike Farley
Nick Evans
Industry Consumer electronics
Products Key finder devices
Website thetileapp.com
Native client(s) on iOS, Android

Tile is an American consumer electronics company which produces key finder devices which use Bluetooth 4.0. The devices work with a companion mobile app for Android and iOS, which allows users to locate lost items through Bluetooth or where they were last seen.[1] In September 2018 GoPro vet CJ Prober became CEO of Tile[2]. In September 2015, Tile launched Generation 2 hardware that includes find-your-phone functionality and other feature upgrades, which by January 2016 sold over 4.5 million units.[3][4] In August 2017, two new versions of the Tile were launched, the Tile Sport and Tile Style.[5]

Function

By attaching a Tile hardware device to a keychain or other item, a user can later use the Tile app to help locate the item if the object is lost.[6] The Tile application uses Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 radio technology to locate Tiles within a 150-foot range.[7] Each Tile comes with a built-in speaker so the user can hear it within close range. Generation 2 of the Tile device has a volume of 90 decibels,[8] three times louder than Generation 1's volume.[9] The Gen 2 adds a "find your phone" feature.[8] Tiles are 1.5 square inches and waterproof.[10]

The application can locate Tiles beyond the 100-foot Bluetooth range, using "crowd GPS":[11] If an item with an attached Tile device is reported lost and comes within range of another user's Tile application, the nearby user's application will send the item's owner an anonymous update of that item's location.[7][12][13] Alternatively, a user can share their tile with another user, to let both users locate the tile.[14]

The Tile Mate can pair with Bluetooth devices running Android or iOS. One can only pair up to 250 Tiles to one account. Further, tile mate is meant for a single owner i.e. once you have paired tile with your account, you need to directly email the company with device information to un-pair it and let someone else use it.[15]

Tile's built-in batteries begin to wear out after one year of use. Users are automatically notified when the batteries are nearing depletion, and can receive a discount on a replacement product.[16] The used Tile can then be sent back to be recycled.[10][17]

Tile has partnered with Blunt Umbrellas to create a "smart" umbrella that can be located through Tile when it gets lost.[18]

Funding

Tile's developers used Selfstarter, an open source website platform, to crowdfund the project through pre-orders.

As of July 7, 2013, Tile had raised over US$2.6 million by selling preordered Tiles directly to 50,000 backers through their website.[19]

In 2014, Tile raised additional Series A funding of US$13 million led by GGV Capital and a further US$3 million from Khosla Ventures in 2015.[20][21]

Lawsuit

Tile's founder Nick Evans was sued, along with his company Reveal Labs, on November 7, 2013, for allegedly stealing the Tile idea while Nick was under employment by Jonathan C. Coon.

The case was eventually settled out of court.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Perez, Sarah (December 17, 2014). "Lost-Item Tracker Tile Arrives On Android". TechCrunch. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (September 24, 2018). "Tile names GoPro vet CJ Prober new CEO, adds Comcast as investor and new product partner". Greenwich Time.
  3. ↑ "The stuff-finding Tile now helps you find your phone". Engadget. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  4. ↑ Martin, Jim (February 11, 2016). "Second-gen Tile review: the Bluetooth tracker that helps you find lost items". TechAdvisor. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ Yurieff, Kaya (8 August 2017). "This startup is cashing in on our forgetfulness". CNNMoney. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Thornberg, Molly (July 20, 2013). "Never Lose a Thing Again with the Tile App". Babble. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Pasolini, Antonio (June 25, 2013). "Tile tracks objects with help from app users". Gizmag. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Matney, Lucas. "Updated Tile Item Tracker Boasts Louder Ring, Find Your Phone Feature". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  9. ↑ Tweney, Dylan (18 August 2015). "How Tile went from crowdfunding to 2M units sold in two years". VentureBeat. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  10. 1 2 Kolodny, Lora (1 October 2014). "Tile Picks Up $13 Million to Make Any Object Trackable". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Boehret, Katherine (April 1, 2015). "TrackR vs. Tile: The Lost-and-Found Face-Off". Recode.
  12. ↑ Stampler, Laura (July 16, 2013). "Here's The First Ad For A Small Device That Will Never Let You Lose Your Keys Again". Business Insider. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  13. ↑ VanHemert, Kyle (August 1, 2013). "Tile Might Be a Revolutionary Gizmo For Finding Lost Keys and Stolen Purses". Wired. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  14. ↑ Perez, Sarah (31 March 2015). "Tile Launches Sharing, Allowing Others To Help You Find Your Lost Items". TechCrunch. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Tile Mate Review: A Must Buy for a Loser Like Me". Tile Mate Review. 2017-05-06. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  16. ↑ Thomas, Owen (13 October 2015). "Hardware As A Service: Tile Finds A Way To Keep Making Money". ReadWrite. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  17. ↑ Perez, Sarah (22 July 2015). "Lost-Item Tracker Tile Rolls Out A Renewal Service Offering Early Adopters Discounted Replacements". TechCrunch. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Pelletiere, Nicole (27 October 2014). "'Smart' Umbrellas You Can't Lose". ABC News. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  19. ↑ Natasha Lomas. "Tile Grabs $2.6M Via Selfstarter For Its Lost Property-Finding Bluetooth Tags Plus App". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Tile has $13M and dreams of helping Android users find their keys, too". VentureBeat. 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  21. ↑ "Tile snags $3 million from Khosla Ventures to build a crowdsourced lost-and-found network". Fortune. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  22. ↑ Coon vs. Nick Evans. Justia. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
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