As we all know, a name can be the lifeblood of your company on the web. Common or overused terms can be lost in search results. If the spelling is too complicated- forget about customer recognition. The name must be poignant and provoke the right response. We've delved into the world of quirky tech startups and have selected a few whose innovative products are gaining traction worldwide. Their products span innovating private security, tackling data storage in new ways, and scanning insurance comparisons. And, their names are strangely awesome.
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Funding rounds raised: Bootstrapped
What their product does: Customers have an endless array of tracking, forwarding, and archiving options when using Shango’s ‘smart number’- a product that unifies messaging systems between operators and applications. The smart number essentially breaks the barrier between systems, allowing services to be automated and bundled. Think auto-archiving discussions for searchable phrases and figures, sharing across applications, and giving callers the ability to transcribe voicemail to text.
Cool tip: A VPN can save you thousands of dollars in purchases- from airfare to hotels- by allowing you to search anonymously.
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Funding rounds raised: In the process of raising their Series A
What their product does: An auto insurance comparison engine, enabling users to compare and find the best car insurance, first emerged from Pittsburgh incubator AlphaLab. The Zebra acts as a licensed insurance company throughout the US and collects revenue when consumers purchase a policy through their platform. The best part about it: no personal information is shared. One of their claims to fame is investor Mark Cuban, and of course growing to 30 employees and tracking 4X revenue growth over 2014 iterates their market strength.
Cool tip: In order to get the best deal, make sure you are doing apple-to-apple comparisons on policy inclusions, and review policies from multiple providers annually. Their platform saves customers an average of $600 annually. Read more about 6 Common Car Insurance Myths
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Funding rounds raised: Series C (36 investors contributed to their most recent funding round in August.)
Pop-ups often prompt users to ensure their browser is using a secured connection. As you may have guessed, these aren't nearly as effective as a system that autosecures individual browser windows. Quarri enables organizations to enforce secure web sessions on demand to prevent malicious & external threats from intruding. Quarri has been vocal in the past year by contributing knowledge and insights on the growing concern of attacks and data security.
Cool insight: They’ve analyzed the data and have identified the 5 top vulnerabilities attackers use on browsers
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Funding rounds raised: Series A
What their product does: Simplifies software-defined data centers to the point that any size customer can use them efficiently, with minimized costs. The product, basically termed a ‘data-center in a box’ launched in 2012 with a goal of decreasing the amount of man time and cost spent on managing products. The team has expanded 3x since then and is still growing.
Cool fact: You can setup the entire system in under 9 minutes
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Funding rounds raised: Bootstrapped
What their product does: As the internet and personal privacy are in constant flux, new products are shifting the security balance. Golden Frog is a leader in creating products that guarantee internet freedom and privacy. VyprVPN, is a secure personal VPN service, and Dump Truck, allowing users to safely share, store, & sync files without third-party access. Their newest product, Cyphr, is an encrypted messaging app. Although the company is headquartered in Switzerland, they're growing their Austin team heavily.
Cool tip: Check out their 7 Myths about VPN Anonymity
