4. oxytocin
“the love hormone”
Parihug is the first product
to address this issue by
focusing on physical touch.
Released only through physical stimulus, like a hug,
not through a phone or video call.
Hugs release a blast of
oxytocin into the system.
Why are hugs important?
Colino, S. (2016, February 3). The Health Benefits of Hugging. Retrieved August 04, 2016, from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2016-02-03/the-health-benefits-of-huggingParihug 4
5. A little psychology.
Between the ages of 2 and 7, kids lay
down the foundation for how they build
relationships for the rest of their lives.
That foundation is based on
how much they are hugged
Biello, D. (2005, November 22). Orphaned Babies Show Hormone Disruption Years after Adoption. Retrieved August 04, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/orphaned-babies-show-horm/
Erikson, E. H. (1980). Identity and the life cycle. New York: Norton.
Harmon, K. (2010, May 6). How Important Is Physical Contact with Your Infant? Retrieved August 04, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/infant-touch/
Parihug 5
9. Tech V.1
Piezoresistive sensing.
pros:
• reliable stream of analog values
• little to no power consumption
cons:
• wires run throughout bear
• electronics cannot be contained
• has never been manufactured as a
sensor
Parihug 9
10. Tech V.2
all electronics stored in one removable pouch
WiFi &
Bluetooth
Hall effect
sensing
2-way
communication
Haptic
feedback
AA
Batteries
Hall effect sensors & haptics
Parihug 10
12. Haptic heartbeat.
When both bears are hugged at the same time,
a haptic heartbeat is emitted on each bear.
“Seeing each other is an important factor, and being
aware of the other person's heartbeat strengthens the
feeling of personal contact still further. This doesn't have
to be through sound, the heartbeat can also be transmit-
ted by a beating (tactile) feeling.”
Eindhoven University of Technology. "Personal touch: Hearing a heartbeat has the same effect as looking each other in the eye." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407093118.htmParihug 12
17. CloudPets Hugvie Toymail
Parents can leave a message for their child.
‘As Seen on TV’, online, Walmart
$29.99 per plush
Does not use haptics
No duality - less authentic
Pillow that users can slip phone into
so they can hug while they talk.
Sold in hobby shops
$159 per pillow
Does not use haptics
Technology not integrated into product
Wi-fi enabled plush connected to parent’s
phone that allows parent and child to leave
messages for one another.
On round II pre-order on Kickstarter
$79 per plush
Does not use haptics
No duality - less authentic
Competition.
Parihug 17Parihug
19. 1% Share $160 per pair
in the United States
800K
potential
users.
$64 million
revenue.
2018—2022 2018—2022
Profit potential.
Parihug 19
20. Launch @ CES 2016
January 2016
TechCrunch Disrupt NY
May 2016
Beta Manufacturing
December 2016
First Prototype, MHacks
September 2015
FlashStarts Investment
July 2016
Crowdfunding
Early 2017
SXSW 2016
March 2016
Tech.co & IBM’s
Startup of the Year
Timeline.
Parihug 20
24. Press & recognition.
Voted SXSW
Startup of the Year
(Tech.Co and IBM)
“Possibly the
cutest start-up”
“Keep an eye out
for [Parihug].”
*Click on logos!
“I was smiling, and
happier than I had
been for hours.”- Sarina Finkelstein
- Andy Boxall
- Rob Marvin
Parihug 24
26. 1517 Fund
Danielle Strachman & Micheal Gibson
Danielle and Michael were on the founding team of the Thiel
Fellowship and led the internationally recognized program for five
years before launching their fund focused on working with young
founders. Danielle led design and operations during the founding
of the Thiel Fellowship, where she later launched the Thiel summit.
Michael was vice president for grants at the Thiel Foundation and
a principal at Thiel Capital.
CWRU LaunchNET
Gene Sasso & Bob Sopko
With more than 15 years of communications, public affairs,
marketing and brand development experience, Gene created
KSU's online public relations master's degree program, which
generated over $6 million in revenue. Bob began at LaunchNet
after a marketing and technology career with Revco (now CVS
Pharmacy). He was also VP of marketing at 1-JOBS.com, where
he built staffing to promote 80 tech career fairs and over 600
recruiting websites.
Flashstarts
Charlie Stack & Shannon Lyons
Charles founded books.com, the first online bookseller, which
later sold to Barnes and Noble. He then founded Flashline, which
became the leading web services repository solution with multiple
patents and later sold to Oracle. Shannon ran the LaunchHouse
accelerator for two years, and spearheaded the creation of a $15
million venture fund managed by StartMart.
Advisors.
Parihug 26
