At The TechStars-R/GA Demo Day, Ten New IoT Companies Go Live

Here at the TechStars/RGA accelerator Demo Day, ten companies are looking to make a difference in the world.

Back in August, TechStars and R/GA got together to form a brand new type of accelerator, focused entirely on connected devices and the IoT space. Today, the fruits of all that labor are about to be unveiled, with ten new companies launching into the scene to figure out how the marriage of software and hardware will make our lives better.

We’re here at the demo day to bring you all the live action, and will be updating this post as the companies present.

Developing…

Lisnr

Lisnruses high-frequency audio tones to unlock discounts, second-screen experiences, and other engagement opportunities through ambient noise. The idea here is that Lisnr can provide audio tones, ones outside of the range of regular hearing, that will trigger any device into a certain action. If you’re walking through a baseball game and head up to a concession stand, that stand can send you a menu of items or even let you order online. If you head toward the exit of the stadium, the Uber app can be triggered to open up and ask if you need a ride. But it can go down to something much more granular. Lisnr can send you an immediate replay of the big home run direct to your phone.

Lisnr says using audio is the most efficient and scalable standard for this type of interface layer. The company says it’s on pace to book more than $3 million in revenue for 2015, as well as launching major pilots to replace contactless payments and other NFC-based technologies.

Filament

Filament is a nervous system for the industrial internet. Using a Filament node sensor (equipped with a USB port so it can connect to almost any equipment), Filament creates its own network (not WiFi or Bluetooth) so that different pieces of infrastructure can be monitored and even communicate themselves. The sensors have a range of up to 9 miles, meaning that they can be used in a small space like an office or for a space as large as a factory or city.

Filament sells sensors on a monthly subscription model (they call it “Sensors as a Service”) for under $10/sensor/month, and has done over $256,000 in sales for the past six months. With this model, Filament says it’s on track to generate more than $10.5 million in annual recurring revenue going into 2015.

Diagenetix

Diagenetix is helping food producers and farmers keep track of any diseases that may be traveling through their land so that they can stay ahead of problems. As it stands now, farmers walk around their land and check manually for diseases and pests. In fact, every year $75 million in crops are lost from getting sick.

Diagenetix provides a piece of hardware called the BioRanger, which lets food producers take soil samples and test plants immediately. Usually, it costs about 5 days and $70 to test the soil and the plants that may be sick. With Bioranger, it takes $10 and results come back immediately through a companion app.

from TechCrunch http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TOvP-OTYCHA/

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