![]() Even the shipment being postponed from September to January is a bit of a miracle for us.”įranci hopes to build a company whose main purpose is to reconnect with nature, and Bird Buddy is the first step towards doing so. Shipping costs increased by a factor of 8. Availability was decreasing, prices were fluctuating, we had to have redundant components because we were not sure which ones we would even be able to get. We also have to take into account that 2021 was the worst possible year to build hardware. You have to order components, pay taxes, deal with shipping, etc. “When building hardware, millions of dollars disappear overnight. Why does the company need another $8.5 million after three consecutive and successful crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter, IndiGoGoGo and a standalone system? ? Watch the video below to see how Bird Buddy works: In that case, they could name it and compare it with a friend or neighbour. This would be a great asset for birdwatchers who are interested in which species of jay or finch visit their bird feeder. Bird feeders can also be made public, not for permanent viewing but for individual bird visits.Ī very attractive feature that the team is still developing is the identification of individual birds, not just species. The app offers various features such as special achievements - "New bird", bird tracking and sharing pictures with other users in the app or on social networks. The Bird Buddy app offers a huge variety of featuresīird lovers usually can't sit by the window all day and watch the birds come and go, so Bird Buddy is a great alternative to always know which bird has stopped by and if they have been surprised by a special guest. The team hired Kyle Buzzard, who has a great track record of designing various tech products for consumers, including Chromecast, to create it. The feeder also looks big enough, which means it can accommodate medium-sized birds, such as jays. The Bird Buddy smart bird feeder is charming and consumer-friendly in design. Birds are 'the perfect collector's item'," said Zidar, adding that this is both an observation and a key insight.Ī nifty app with various notifications, the ability to share on social networks and a ton of other modern features may not be what people envisioned as a way to grow this community, but it may just be the one that will be the key to making it happen. It is obvious that birdwatching existed before the popular game of 'collecting monsters', but they have the same 'collect them all' instinct that some people have. "The secret is that birds look a lot like Pokémon. ![]() Bird Buddy is a way for everyone to easily get involved in this hobby, not just those who are avid birdwatchers. Similar to catching Pokémonīird Buddy may not look much different from existing smiliar feeders at first glance, and it costs about the same - $200 for a pre-order, but it's something special. We focused on people who were interested in birds but didn't engage with it because it seemed passive, so we did something in the company that turned passivity into activity. ![]() We needed a beautiful product that people would love to have in their backyard and that would reconnect them with nature. But we realised that it's not just about making a smart bird feeder, it's about a brand and a company that wants to reconnect people with nature. ![]() "The original camera bird feeders were designed for people who are into birdwatching. Zidar believes that these companies have the wrong approach: Many people wonder why other camera feeders have not become commonplace if people love birds so much. Every metric that came back was crazy." A feeder that connects you with nature We have spent a lot of time in the first half of 2020 researching these facts and have confirmed that this is something that people are passionate about. This trend has undoubtedly increased during the pandemic when birds were a pleasant reminder to many people that there really is a world outside their windows. "Birdwatching is the second-largest outdoor hobby in the US and huge internationally. Their first product is a smart bird feeder that uses technology to help people enjoy nature even more.īirdwatching is the second biggest outdoor hobby in the USĪlthough many of us may not realise the size and importance of bird watching and the bird feeder market, the company's co-founder and CEO, Franci Zidar, explained that this market is something of a sleeping giant. After launching several successful campaigns and raising funding for its smart bird feeder, the Slovenian company Bird Buddy, crowned this year's Slovenian Startup of the Year, has once again managed to raise USD 8.5 million in seed funding.
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