Nice work: three startups to watch and inspire
UNIQUL - The payment company that is replacing credit cards with your face.
Founded in Helsinki in February 2013, Uniqul’s aim is to create the ‘world’s fastest payment service’, based on facial recognition. To pay for shopping or services, customers previously registered with Uniqul have to simply stand next to the terminal, look into the camera and press ‘OK’. Algorithms process their biometrical data to find their account in a database as they approach the cashier. The whole transaction is done in less than five seconds – the time it usually takes you to pull out your wallet. Customers can use all major credit cards or even a PayPal or Square account when registering for a Uniqul account. What we like about Uniqul is the leapfrogging over the idea of phone payment currently trending and projecting further. Find out more here.
LIKEMIND – The app that wants to create platonic hookups
Likemind addresses the age-old problem of how people new to a town make few friends. Not swinging friends, you understand, just friends with shared interests. The app is free to download, and browsing and posting flyers, and starting conversations are also free. However, additional features, such as better interest matching options, flyer targeting or image sharing, require financial stump-up, which need to be bought for real cash or earned by inviting friends to join the service. Likemind was founded in 2012 and is backed by Christophe Maire and JMES-Investments, and other private investors. This geo-specific thinking we like: an adjunct to your Facebook profile you can build when re-locating. Find out more here.
THE CHAPAR – custom styling for the discerning
For the fashion savvy over-30s market. Upon signing up to The Chapar, a personal stylist takes your details and builds a ‘style profile’ cut to your cloth. Through The Chapar's website, you give your height, weight, clothing size, favourite brands, and your "style". It isn't just an automated system, they claim, an actual person is involved in creating your personal profile, tailoring it to suit your particular tastes. With these details, Chapar hand-pick clothes for you, pack them up and send them to your home or work. You get to try all the clothes in the box (usually enough for four different outfits), pick which ones you want to keep, and send back those you don't – all for free. The idea came from 24-year-old Sam Middleton, who noticed the success of a similar business in the US. "I won't lie, I didn't come up with the model all by myself," he admits. "But we are the first company to try it out in Europe." Find out more here.