Ten months after selling 1Form to REA Group for $15 million, Melbourne-based tech entrepreneurs Chris Koch and Chad Stephens are ready to unveil their latest venture Pop!. Their new mobile app, available on iTunes and Google Play, allows users to store, manage and control the personal details they give to companies online.
The app was inspired by the growing use of mobile devices when purchasing goods, making bookings and interacting with websites that aren’t optimised for mobile devices. Put simply, Pop! functions as a ‘personal data wallet’, enabling users to auto-fill online forms over multiple pages in one click, while tracking which companies and websites have their data. Whereas many other keychains and autofill apps store data in the cloud, with Pop! data is saved on the user’s mobile device, protected by PIN code and can be deleted at any time by the user.
Users can also update their details – like new credit cards or mailing addresses – and choose to send that information to Pop! partners via the app.
There are ultimately two main purposes of the app: to put an end to online data trails and to allow businesses to regain the estimated 10 to 25 percent of revenue lost every year due to outdated customer databases.
“For consumers, there is no efficient, trusted way for people to monitor and control their global data footprint and keep it up to date. For businesses, there is no existing method that allows them to maintain their databases in real–time like Pop! does,” said Pop! co-founder and CEO, Chris Koch in a media release.
“Think about when you take a holiday — you purchase a ticket, buy travel insurance, book hotels, cars, tours. There are so many forms and with each one you leave a massive data trail with countless companies. We really believe it’s time we start managing our online profiles better, both consumers and businesses alike.”
The startup is in the process of partnering with various banks, retailers, government organisations, as well as travel and ecommerce companies.
It seems Pop! is off to a good start, having already caught the gaze of investors, and recruiting Carsales Founder and CEO, Greg Roebuck, onto its advisory board.
As part of a quirky marketing initiative, Koch will be hosting the Pop! The Boss competition in which he will play human guinea pig. In the competition, taking place on the 20th of October, participants will be able to ‘pop’ their entries into a small, custom-built computer in the shape of a pill, which Koch will swallow.
Entrants will then be able to follow their data’s journey through Koch on a 24-hour live stream at letspop.com. A winner will be drawn at random on October 21st and will receive $10,000 cash, with other prizes also up for grabs throughout the day via the Pop! Twitter feed (@Pop_HQ).
Trending
Daily startup news and insights, delivered to your inbox.