Nonda: A Smart Device Platform for Appcessories
Table of contents
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises us that in the future, everything around us will be connected. Your car will be connected to your insurance company. Your phone will be able to talk to beacons located everywhere that convey useful information. Various smart hardware devices, also known as “appcessories”, will enable you to automate even the most simple tasks like finding your car keys or even your car for that matter. One startup that is targeting the appcessory space is Nonda.
About Nonda
Founded in November of 2014, Silicon Valley-based startup Nonda has raised $9 million in funding so far to develop a “community-based platform for smart devices“. While a cursory look at Nonda shows your typical “Kickstarter company” which funds itself from pre-orders, in fact, Nonda has much grander ambitions. The man behind “the only smart hardware startup in Silicon Valley” is Jia Li, a seasoned entrepreneur whose last startup Baixing.com raised $560 million to become the largest online classified website in China. With Baixing having an IPO this month, Mr Li. has turned his attention to making Nonda a smart hardware development platform that launches new cutting-edge smart device products about every 3-4 months. Let’s take a closer look at some of the products they’ve released so far.
The ZUS car charger device is a dual function “appcessory” that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and lets you charge two Android or Apple devices at the same time with 2X the charging speed of normal car chargers. The ZUS app also allows you to find where you parked your car even without phone reception. The product was initially launched as a crowdfunding campaign which raised over $270,000.
What’s the use of finding your car if you can’t find the keys you need to drive it? The iHere item finder appcessory from Nonda helps you find lost items within a 75 foot radius and is the only rechargeable item locator in the world. That’s not all this device does however. Have you ever tried to take a selfie and had to contort your fingers like you were flipping a gang sign just so you can press the little icon on your phone screen that takes a photo? Ever try to do that while it’s raining? The iHere device uses Bluetooth and can be configured to automatically take a picture when clicked so you can stop worrying about getting shot and focus on taking that perfect selfie.
We’re not Apple users so the idea of needing an adaptor for USB charging is a foreign notion. For all you Apple users out there, Nonda has built the world’s smallest USB-C to USB 3.0 mini adaptor.
Conclusion
Nonda has a very scalable business model now having already designed and delivered some award-winning smart devices. Being of Chinese descent, Mr. Li. has all the connections he needs in China to ensure reliable manufacturing and design of whatever smart devices the company decides to manufacture. Not only do they use crowdfunding to test the market for new products successfully, but they also offer a beta testing program that allows you to receive their new products for free in advance if you provide them with product feedback. We can’t wait to see what exciting “appcessories” Nonda comes out with next.
Share
