I always talk about how technology is bringing people together but what about tech bringing people and pets together? The concept is not as crazy as it first sounds. After all, we all love tech and we all love animals right? Imagine having a mobile app on your phone that contains everything about your best canine or feline friend such as vet appointments. Now let’s take it a step further. Imagine your pet collar communicating with your phone to alert when your pet is hot, cold or thirsty or even a GPS tracker to tell you if they get lost.
I always talk about how technology is bringing people together but what about tech bringing people and pets together? The concept is not as crazy as it first sounds. After all, we all love tech and we all love animals right? Imagine having a mobile app on your phone that contains everything about your best canine or feline friend such as vet appointments. Now let’s take it a step further. Imagine your pet collar communicating with your phone to alert when your pet is hot, cold or thirsty or even a GPS tracker to tell you if they get lost.
What if you are at work and your dog is barking and annoying the neighbors? What about having an alert on your phone that will allow you to push a button and prevent your canine friend from barking? Greek entrepreneur Leon Yohai came up with the Kyon Pet Collar. After smashing their target on Kickstarter I invited him onto the show to share his story.
Can you tell my listeners a little bit about yourself?
For the past twenty years, I’ve been trying to build things around technology. I started with selling ring tones twenty years ago. I was born and raised in Greece and built a Greek eBay. I came to the states and made the first company selling ring tones from media outlets such as Rolling Stone Magazine. Then I jumped into a new start-up called ZuluTrade.com which is a financial platform.
Three years ago I came out with an idea about how to track my dog and see how he is doing and feeling without putting something on his existing collar. I wanted to build something slick that looks like a collar and not like an electronic device, so we designed the Kyon collar. It was bulky in the beginning but the technology has allowed us to make it thinner and thinner and now it looks awesome. It doesn’t look like an electronic device, it looks like a collar, but it gives you messages through an LED screen and tells you how your dog is feeling through patterns we have developed over the last three years.
Leon Yohai
Can you tell us about your Kickstarter journey?
I was stressed because for two and a half years I hadn’t told anyone about this. I couldn’t tell anyone anything because I was building this silently here in our office in Greece. So the first feedback came out when the Kickstarter was live and the reactions were amazing.
At the time of this recording, you guys have raised over $85,000 already. That has to feel great doesn’t it?
Yes, it feels great but the big thing is the reaction of the people.
If there is anyone listening to this show that has their own idea and they are thinking of putting that idea on Kickstarter what is the best advice you could offer them?
Kickstarter is really cool for promotion. Everybody will see you on Kickstarter if you build something. The problem with most Kickstarter projects is someone who has an idea today (let’s say it’s an electronics project) from the moment you have the idea you need at least 2-3 years to make something happen because if you build the thing in one year electronic components become smaller and smaller and you have to rebuild it from scratch. That’s why you need 2-3 years, it’s a long process. You also need some money to start your project before Kickstarter. You need to raise money from someone who believes in you, build something for 1 ½ to 2 years and a little bit before you are ready then you put it on Kickstarter.
What technology does the Kyon Pet Collar need?
There is a SIM card imbedded but it’s not like the SIM card in your phone. It’s a tiny microchip imbedded on the surface of the collar.
With dogs and cats coming in different sizes are there different size collars?
The collar is ideally manufactured for dogs but it could fit bigger cats too (not small ones). There are three collar sizes: small, medium and large.
How long does the battery typically last on the pet collar?
About thirty days. It has six times more battery than a fit bit. You will need to charge your collar approximately once a month.
For anyone wanting one of these how much do they cost and where can they pick one up?
The retail price of the collar is $249 right now. We are now accepting pre-orders on www.Kyontracker.com because the Kickstarter campaign has finished. The first orders will start end of August to Mid-September.
What do the next 12-18 months have in store for you guys?
I think we will be very busy working on the next model that will be out in about a year and a half to two years. They will be much smarter, much faster and have a better battery life. There will also be a much thinner model for cats.
If anyone wants to get in touch with you, we have the website but are you on Twitter or anything like that?
We are on Facebook. If you search for Kyon collar you will find our page. We are also on Twitter.
Check Out Neil’s Column at INC. called Tomorrow’s Tech
Please also see check out the related article from my column: Will Wearable Tech for Pets Be a Hit on National Dog Day?
