In the Spotlight: Curbside app lets shoppers skip trip down aisles
No need to get lost in the aisles — app lets users order items for pickup or delivery
Editor’s note: Here are five Bay Area startups worth watching this week.
Jaron Waldman remembers driving home after a late night at work and needing to stop at the store to pick up a few things. He’d go into any store he passed along the way, and try to find what he needed in an unfamiliar maze of aisles.
To make that detour less tedious for others, he co-founded Curbside — a service that allows shoppers to select items online or through a mobile app and pick them up at a retail location in under an hour.
While the app was initially designed for parents with young children who don’t want to get their kids out of the car to run errands, Waldman says it’s for anyone who is “time-starved.”
Curbside is currently at more than 4,000 locations nationwide, and Waldman says there have been millions of Curbside pickups since the service started more than three years ago. Some of its business customers include CVS Pharmacy, Pizza Hut and Sephora (pick up is available only at select locations). Orders can come in through Curbside’s mobile app or a retailer’s
While the app was initially designed for parents with young children, the co-founder says, it’s for anyone who is “time starved.”
website or app.
Last week, Yelp and Curbside announced a partnership to add a “Shop Now” button to restaurants and stores on the Yelp mobile app. This feature is already working for Pizza Hut and CVS Pharmacy locations that use Curbside, with more retailers to come.
Waldman said the partnership with Yelp allows people to make purchases through an app they probably have installed on their phone.
Curbside originally staffed retail locations with its own employees who would run into stores and pick up items, but now, most companies use Curbside’s e-commerce software to take orders and fill them themselves.
Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose is one of the few locations Curbside still staffs, according to Waldman. He said the company has 75 employees and a little over $40 million in funding.
Increasingly, retailers and restaurateurs have been looking to add delivery to their services. Curbside uses Uber and Postmates couriers to deliver for an additional fee, but Waldman believes that for most of the country, pickup orders are cheaper and faster.
With Curbside, there’s no markup or delivery fee — instead, the startup gets a small cut of the order price. Businesses also pay a monthly subscription for use of Curbside’s software.
For suburban commuters who pass retail locations on their way home, this makes pickup a logical choice, says Waldman. “They were going to be driving by anyways.”
Also trending: MapD
What it does: An analytics software company that crunches large data sets into interactive graphics. What happened: The company announced a partnership with Harvard University’s Center for Geographic Analysis, and another one with Chinese telecommunicationsequipment maker Huawei. Why it matters: Visualization tools like this help users understand the underlying information in enormous data sets. For example, researchers at Harvard plan to use MapD to analyze the U.S. National Water Model to improve water management and public safety. Headquarters: San Francisco Funding: $37.1 million, according to Crunchbase. Employees: 45
Cardiogram
What it does: Makes an Apple Watch app that measures heart rate and then charts the data. The company also conducted a study with UCSF to detect atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia that could cause a stroke. What happened: The company measured its users’ heart rates during a recent “Game of Thrones” episode and published that data. Chief Technology Officer Johnson Hsieh also said the company plans to publish the results from the UCSF study in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Why it matters: Mobile apps help people notice trends in their health, and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. Headquarters: San Francisco Funding: $2 million, according to Hsieh. Employees: 6
Lark
What it does: Develops wearable fitness monitors like the Lark Activity Tracker, and offers an artificially intelligent “nurse” that offers 24/7 health care advice. What happened: The company could not be reached for comment. It last raised money in January 2015, which suggests it might be in the market for more funding. Why it matters: This is yet another product in the crowded space of fitness trackers and health care apps. However, as smartwatches have increased in popularity, growth in the fitness wearable space has slowed. Headquarters: Mountain View
Funding: $21.1 million, according to Crunchbase.
Employees: 11-50
Endless
What it does: Builds cheap computers with apps and study tools already installed — with the goal of improving connectivity and access to information in emerging markets around the world.
What happened: Endless has started shipping “millions of units” to Southeast Asia and recently updated its funding numbers on Crunchbase, said CEO Matt Dalio.
Why it matters: “People are describing (the Internet) as a human need,” Dalio said. Affordable computers that come loaded with useful tools — such as a word processor and an encyclopedia — can be transformative for people in lowbandwidth areas, Dalio said.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Funding: $47.98 million, according to Crunchbase.
Employees: 80