Techless

Forget about smartphones. Techless has created a “dumb” phone.

It’s a phone aimed at curbing users’ addiction to their mobile devices. More than 100 million Americans are looking to cut back on screen time, and Techless’ device can help them do that, while potentially disrupting the $485 billion smartphone market.

This company’s phone, called the Wisephone, is the first phone designed with mental health in mind. It offers the convenience of a smartphone and the simplicity of a dumb phone. It also comes equipped with carefully-vetted third-party apps that empower users to take back their attention.

Every year, people spend more than four trillion hours on their phones. And this interest can quickly turn into addiction.

Thirty-eight percent of adults, and nearly sixty percent of teens, acknowledge feeling addicted to their phones. That’s partly due to the design of smartphones, which use notifications and new features to convince users to keep coming back for more.

This increase in addiction has sparked demand for simpler devices and the rise of initiatives like the “digital-detox movement.” The problem is that a lot of non-smartphone options eliminate the convenient offered by smartphones. That’s a big reason why many users who try out “dumb” phones often find themselves going right back to their smartphone.

But Techless’ Wisephone combines the convenience of smartphones with the simple nature of dumb phones. How? By removing features that are most likely to lead to addiction, and leaving only the essentials that help users maintain productivity and peace of mind.

The Wisephone features a 6.5-inch high-definition display and a triple camera system. It also features USB-C charging and 128 gigabytes of internal storage.

Standard tools like a clock, alarm, maps, music, messaging, and photos are all there. And so are a collection of third-party apps like calendars, weather, and two-factor authentication.

But what separates the Wisephone is a unique operating system that restricts access to certain proprietary functions. For example, it intentionally omits Internet browsers and social-media platforms. And it prioritizes user privacy with a strict policy against scraping or selling personal information.

Techless invested more than three-and-a-half million dollars into the Wisephone. And to-date, the device has brought in more than two million dollars in sales. The company achieves fifty-eight percent margins on each phone sold.

Most importantly, Techless’ phone has a ninety-nine percent user-retention rate. And the company has a Net Promoter Score — this is a metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a company’s product or service — of 61. This is the same score as Apple, and falls under the “Great” category on the NPS scale.

Techless’ Wisephone retails for $399, significantly cheaper than the latest iPhone or Android smartphone. The company also offers all-in subscription plans that offer software updates and cellular services. Plans start at $24.99 per month and go up to $69.99 per month.

Techless is raising funds to bring the second version of its dumb phone to market, just two years after the release of its initial prototype. The company projects to reach ten million dollars in revenue in three years.

Team Background

Christopher Kaspar - Founder & CEO

Chris is an award-winning entrepreneur who has worked with notable clients including Chick-Fil-A and worked on content that aired during the Super Bowl.

Prior to starting Techless, he co-founded Espresso, an advertising-services company. Before that, he was President and Creative Director with Dancing Fox Films, a film-production company.

Earlier in his career, he was a work-crew director with Pine Cove, a non-profit religious ministry group. Before that, he worked in marketing for a China-based solar-panel manufacturing business.

Chris earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Texas A&M and a Master’s degree in Studio Art from Drury University.

Waleed Yasin - Head of Engineering

Waleed is a software engineer who built and scaled Burger King’s mobile app to more than ten million users.

Throughout his career, he has led projects for Staples, Synchrony Bank, and Deloitte. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Software Engineering from the International Islamic University.

Wesley Lyons - Board Member

In addition to his role with Techless, Wesley is a general partner at Eagle Venture Fund, a venture-capital firm. He is also a three-time private-equity-fund Founder.

Earlier in his career, Wesley served in the U.S. Navy Reserves and went on to lead the U.S. detachment to the Philippines.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Co-Investors