Early-Stage Companies in the Internet of Things

Kontakt provides hardware, backend, and software development services for Beacon. Mattermark Score: 1294.

Estimote builds a sensor-based engagement platform for users to communicate with nearby smartphones. Mattermark Score: 1169.

The Orange Chef Company develops smart kitchenware that facilitates nutritional intake. Mattermark Score: 491.

From the Investors

David Rosenthal of Madrona Venture Group calls for all men to speak up and police the industry in “What Men Can Do to End Sexism in Tech: If You See Something, Say Something”

David Cohen of TechStars achieves progress towards the long-term vision through immediate-term focus in “Reconciling Vision and Focus”

Angel Investor William Mougayar builds on Fred Wilson’s reblog from 2005 about the future of media in “The Future of Pulling Content is You”

Ben Levy of BootstrapLabs reimagines the venture model in “VC Disruption: How to Build a Next Generation Venture Firm?“

Semil Shah of Haystack Fund contemplates risk, regionalization, and mobile growth in “Consumer Attention, Friction, and Investing”

Shahin Farshchi of Lux Capital shares her PhD piece on five pressing issues in robotics in “Five Myths and Facts About Robotics Technology Today”

Michael Arrington of CrunchFund follows Lyft line “to its logical conclusion” in “Lyft Line v. the Humble City Bus”

From the Operators

Poornima Vijayashanker of BizeeBee forgets her expertise to make mistakes and learn from them in “A Beginner’s Mindset Leads to Breakthroughs”

Zac Townsend of Standard Treasury shares an internal email on his vision of serving the underbanked in “Building the Next Generation of Financial Infrastructure”

From the Community

Claire Cain Miller of the New York Times wonders if we’re changing cultural values or just  fueling the fire of consumption in “Is Owning Overrated? The Rental Economy Rises“