What’s in a name?
Could you imagine if the internet was organized alphabetically? Absurd, right? So, in a contextual world, why are our digital contact databases organized that way?
Humin is a new phone app that captures all of your contacts and remembers them in the way you naturally think – in context. For example, remember that guy you met at that networking event last week? Ok, so you remember where you met him, but the name escapes you. Humin will track him down for you – it’s all right there, in the Humin database.
Or, let’s say that you’re heading to Chicago on business. Humin’s way ahead of you, and will bring up the database of everyone you know there, and just might need to touch base with while you’re in town.
Co-founded in 2012 by five humans who happen to be good friends (Ankur Jain, Jake Medwell, Jonathan Shriftman, Daniel Pourbaba and David Wyler), Humin wants to make technology feel more human, starting with your contacts. Simply put, Humin is a replacement for the old Rolodex-style phone app on your device. Think of it as a smarter, more evolved phone that remembers everyone you meet in the way that you naturally think – and recall them.
They’re launching in New York, and what better place? This is a networking kind of town, filled with millions of human, although you might not recall all of their names off hand.
CEO Ankur Jain fills in the details…
Tell Us About the Product.
Humin is a service that remembers people the way you do. Never forget a name or the person you met last week. No gimmicks.
The phone contact list hasn’t evolved over the past few decades, so Humin was set up as a better alternative to our existing options. Humin adds the contextual touch to your contacts so Aaron won’t be first name you see every time you open your phone app. When you land in NY, your contacts in NY are shown. We are currently in invite-only beta period in New York and are giving out access to a select group of consumers first.
How Is It Different?
Technology needs to see the world through your eyes. Rather than consume us, it needs to fade into the background, sift through the overwhelming chaos to find what we need and make it matter again. Even with the incredible advances in technology that have led to some amazingly smart devices, we have yet to build a truly smart phone – a phone that works the way you think. Humin is finally bringing intelligence to the phone by turning your contacts into a hyper-personal social network, organized the way you think.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
Currently, Humin is in its US roll out, but the goal is for this new app to become the standard social operating system for smartphone users around the globe.
What is the business model?
Humin is free-to-use. We continue to focus on bringing our phone experience to a global audience. We’re building for the long-term and our first, second and third priorities are user growth.
What is the reaction that you have seen from users thus far?
The reaction to Humin has been overwhelmingly positive. Our Early Access consumers love having a tool at their fingertips that is intuitive and adapts to their needs over time. Additionally, given the massive networks that people amass these days, having a way to better manage your social interactions has been empowering to our users.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve in the next six months?
We will end our early access period this month and move into the official domestic launch, making the Humin app available to US iPhone users through the App Store. Following the iPhone launch, we will look to follow that up almost immediately with an official Android launch. Beyond that, we will begin opening international markets later this year.
If you could be put in touch with one investor in the New York community who would it be and why?
We never comment on our investors and finances. Humin has already assembled a wonderful group of investors who believe in the product and the direction of its visionary founders.
You guys are from Los Angeles, based in San Francisco. How come you are choosing to launch in NYC?
New York is one of the most diverse metropolitan cities in the United States. It’s also one of the most concentrated cities in this country, in terms of population It made sense for us to pre-launch Humin here to meet the needs of the most socially connected people in the world.
What’s your favorite summer time beach destination close to NYC?
Wherever our friends are. Fortunately with Humin you can quickly see if you should go to the Hamptons or the Jersey Shore depending on where your friends are headed for the weekend. The beach is always better when your favorite people surround you.
