setting the scene
- you’re at the beach with your friends, the sun is setting, and Instagram has to see it 🌅
- in an attempt to take a group photo, you set your phone between two cans of sunscreen and start the timer cam
- after a few failed photo attempts, the sun sets 😔
- is self timer really the best way to take a group photo?
- this week’s company provides a software that not only could have captured that photo with the clap of your hands (demo here), but uses sounds in our environment to improve how devices function
in a sentence
PumpML is a software company that allows developers to make devices responsive to non-voice sound
- devices: anything from smart speakers to robots
- responsive: after a few samples, products gain an understanding of a sound
- non-voice sound: clapping hands, a baby crying, a doorbell ringing
bulleted version: just like you can train a dog to respond to a clicker, PumpML trains devices to react to sounds in our environment 🐶
the basics
- industry: b2b saas
- headquarters: Cleveland, OH 🏙
- year founded: 2019
- company size: < 10 employees
- amount raised: $200k
due diligence
what we like
-
♾️ infinite possibilities: PumpML’s software has a wide range of use cases
- a smart speaker can play music when it hears the front door open
- a sensor in a factory can listen for machine malfunctions
-
human-like tech: technology continues to take on our everyday tasks
- self-driving cars, home speakers, and security cameras will replicate our actions better by understanding the sounds around them
- 👩🏼💻 customizable: developers have complete control over what sounds they program to achieve an endless array of jobs
potential risks
- targeting developers: PumpML can take their business many directions; communicating to a broad range of developers may pose a challenge
- Alexa & Siri: several companies have products that detect voices; what’s stopping them from branching into non-voice sound?
- consumer app: the clap & record app is a great tool for creators, but it could distract from catering to the core customer base of developers
founder profiles
- Jonah Katz (CEO, student @ University of Wisconsin)
- Andrew Hamilton (CTO, student @ Cornell)
comps
why PumpML: we’re pumped that this company is creating software that enables developers across industries to build fully customizable AI listening products 🔊
