35,000 backers love the $9 computer, Final Call for HAX 7, Recent & future talks, Some tangential news
(you are receiving this email as we met either offline or online, or maybe on Second Life or Tinder, who knows?)
I am finally settled in Paris for a few weeks, before heading back to Shenzhen for more HAX.
See what's new!
Summary
1. HAX projects rocking Kickstarter
2. Last chance to apply to HAX 7!
3. Talks
4. A video!
5. Tangential and orthogonal news
Are we friends? Help us spread the word!
CLICK TO TWEET
Building a Hardware Startup? Last chance to apply to HAX 7! => www.hax.co
==
[ 1 ] HAX ROCKS KICKSTARTER
Yes we do.
- The $9 computer C.H.I.P. is nearing $2M with 5 days left! Get yours here. Big investors ready to back the next Apple can email me at ben@hax.co for an intro.
- Kokoon, the "Beats for sleep" bluetooth EEG ergonomic headphones are doing well beyond our wildest expectations. Looks like many out there need better sleep! I certainly do. Kokoon has topped $550k with 39 days to go. It might reach $1M! It does not have the D.R.E. but the audio tech is from ONKYO, which is arguably better (if that's a concern) than BEATS.
- Electroloom, the world's first printer for fabrics (turns liquid polymer/silk into a tshirt) just cleared their goal, with 14 days to go. Get one and be part of history. Or simply print your garments at home, forever.
- The tiny Arduboy hackable gaming system has passed $300k with 9 days left. The perfect gaming geek gift for Christmas!
- You got girls? I mean daughters? Here is their way to STEM mastery: Linkitz is the coolest programmable wearable tech for girls. 4 days left to clear their goal- don't be selfish!
How can HAX teams achieve so consistent success on Kickstarter? It's all about the diet!
[ 2 ] APPLY TO HAX 7
We have started interviewing and confirming teams, you'll be in good company.
The application deadline is over but we still accept referred applications.
Where? www.hax.co
CLICK TO TWEET
Building a Hardware Startup? Last chance to apply to HAX 7! => www.hax.co
[ 3 ] TALKS
I spoke at Pioneers Festival in Vienna and Connected Conference in Paris. Two great shows!
Next up:
Paris IOT Meetup (June 4)
NOAH (Berlin, June 10)
Hardware.co Meetup (Berlin, June 10)
Hello Tomorrow (Paris, June 26)
HAX partners Cyril and Duncan are doing their share in Korea, China (TechCrunch Shanghai) and UK.
[ 4 ] A VIDEO!
Maybe I need Ritalin, but I can't give the same talk more than a few times, so here is a new one given at the Pioneers Festival last week, called "8 Things We Learned Accelerating 65 Hardware Startups" (it's 30 minutes, but oh boy, how interesting!).
Among personal highlights, I talked with robotics guys and a real-life magician. Who knew there was so much in common between magic and startups? Next step: robot magicians? ;)
As a side note, our popular Hardware Trends report passed 126,000 views in 3 months. Mary Meeker at KPCB got about 10 times that in one week for her Internet Trends report. We'll catch up! Or not ;)
Regardless, we are planning an update soon as quite a few things happened in the hardware/IOT world.
[ 5 ] TANGENTIAL AND ORTHOGONAL NEWS
You've made it so far? You deserve a treat :)
- Computers in Things: What caught my eye recently is the rise in hardware investment, and VCs focusing on the category. Not only VCs or hardware accelerators cropping up but also many corporates paying attention to all this connectivity, data and onboard processing entering their industries.
- More hardware startups: their presence is increasingly noticeable in conferences. It's a multi-trillion dollar opportunity, after all!
- The "Girls in Tech" topic might have competition! I started reading Zimbardo's new book (I have a sustained interest in social psychology and sociology) and it looks like pretty soon we'll need to switch topics to "boys in tech" or "boys in school", or simply "boys". Zimbardo argues about the disappearing male teachers and role models. If there are too few of some, there must be too many of others. It's certainly a complex and controversial topic, and we really measure results one or two generations down the line anyway, so it's all a vast experiment. In the meantime, let's argue!
=> Thanks to K. for the great chat in Vienna on this topic (and others), you know who you are!
- On a less controversial note (maybe?) I really enjoyed the book written by the Dilbert guy, Scott Adams, on success and many others things. Notably his view on "systems vs. goals" and a few other things. I recommended it a few times. Eleven dollars well invested. I also enjoy his blog, he's an unusually thoughtful writer and really makes us of his readers to explore all aspects of topics. Recently: assisted dying, dignity and ego.
- Last, I mourn the end of another blog I enjoyed lots called "The Last Psychiatrist". It stopped almost exactly one year ago and the entire backlog is worth reading. I hope the author (an anonymous fellow) is alive and well! If you know of valuable blogs like this one, feel free to recommend!
I'll be working remotely from the sunny terrace of a Parisian cafe during most of June (it was raining yesterday - it's a mindset).
Enjoy the Summer, wherever you are!
Ben @ HAX
PS: As usual, questions & comments are welcome => ben@hax.co