Stephane Doutriaux had the idea of Poken, a device for the exchange of contact information, while studying at the Switzerland IMD business school
By Sommer SaadiEditor's Note: this story is part of the occasional series of Bloomberg Businessweek on the world of startup companies. The series focuses on the MBAs and students of first cycle of business that developed their ideas or launch their businesses still at school and the many ways that helped them to their schools take off their new businesses. For a blow of eye to some students in business trying to build their own business, see our slide show.
Stephane Doutriaux at the beginning of the program MBA at IMD in 2007, he was eager to meet with his classmates, but do not follow their business cards. So just has after the beginning of the school, he had the idea of Poken, a tool that facilitates much the exchange of contact information and much more fun. "The Poken is like a fashion accessory," said Doutriaux. "Makes entertaining networking and it is a really big part to be successful at it.".
The small device that resembles a typical USB is available in two styles: the playful and innovative pokenSpark designed and more discreet pokenPulse. When the logos of hand four fingers of two Pokens are temporarily kept together, they exchange an encrypted code that contains digital information of the person. Doutriaux called the action "four high". Then, when the Poken is plugged into the USB port of a computer, it connects to the profiles of all the people with that device came into contact. Poken owners register the pokenHub, which is a Web site that organizes contacts in a time line. On the time line profiles include links to social networks that users choose to incorporate.
The system allows people to put a name on a face easily, and to follow the social events of new contacts separately without having to hunt for these profiles. Poken profiles can be linked to accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, among other sites. "People remember that they meet someone, two weeks ago and perhaps where they met their or what they look like," Doutriaux said, but they cannot always connect these things in their name or company. Poken solves this problem. ?
A profile is not to be built before using the Poken, the device was popular in corporate conferences and trade shows where massive amounts of Pokens are distributed. People events can increase devices and exchanging information immediately. Until a user has registered, the profile appears to be empty, but it is immediately updated when a user connects and choose what information they want to appear automatically.
Doutriaux began work on his company in his one year MBA program, first application for patents and then hiring contractors. In most classes, he was able to work on the model of business Poken its missions. "Stephane came to the class with the seed of an idea and spent the whole begging of feedback and refining, gradually explains Benoit Leleux, Professor of entrepreneurship and of finance at IMD."
After Doutriaux graduated, Smith continued to support him giving students in the IMD 2008 class a team of the project for Poken. The first round of capital raised to Poken — 600 000$, Doutriaux estimates - included Leleux investments and the other members of IMD faculty and classmates of IMD.
Doutriaux said that he had had some balancing difficulties of starting a business and go to school full time, especially at the IMD where a full MBA teaching is packaged in a calendar year. But it also offers the possibility to bounce ideas off the coast of his peers and the comments of the customers in the classroom. "There were so many freedom of exploring different ideas," Doutriaux said, "that is something that you cannot be as easily in a workplace.
The company was incorporated in December 2007, and in February 2008, just after the graduation, Doutriaux has hired the first employee and full time. Poken is now 29 employees from its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, a Romania Engineering Office and a small team to the United States. The pokenSpark, a version of basic, no-frills which contains up to 64 contacts, sells for $ 19.95, while the pokenPulse, which offers a stylish design and 2 GB of storage space for contacts, and important files, sells for $34.95.
Expansion plans include mobile applications and profiles of user Poken broader and Doutriaux is currently a tender for another round of venture capital. In the meantime, its focus remains to make the process effective and exciting networking. "I wanted to create a tech product that was not devoted to the technology but rather the user experience, Doutriaux said." And this is what makes the special Poken - there character. ?
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Saadi is a journalist for Bloomberg Businessweek in New York.
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