Two entrepreneur’s, Mike Lauenstein and Matt Johnson of Contour Innovations, have spent the last two years in stealth mode (building in Mike’s basement offices) inventing a patent pending technology that provides a unique sonar recorder Platform with a wide range of applications for recreational fishermen, research groups, fishing guides, and other geospatial technologies. When we grabbed coffee a few days ago so Mike and Matt could give me an overview, I tossed out ideas and thoughts that were possibilities that were obviously a Phase 2 or 3 for a startup…
…but to my surprise these guys have nailed every single one and then some.
The "CI Device"
The premise and “magic” is this: by building what they call a “CI Device” that connects between any existing depth finder and its transducer to “sniff” and record raw sonar files, they can match those files with their corresponding GPS locations. This data is then uploaded to their servers where it is processed and rendered in various online interactive media and coupled with weather data and other conditions. The processed lake data is accessible by the user’s account and displayed in lake shape files (on smartphones, computers, etc.).
The cool thing? If you’re a guide you can now map a lake, put in your preferred fishing holes and sell the “package” of data. A fisherman could then go to that lake and essentially be guided to great fishing holes by top guides.
A smartphone (iPhone, Windows7, Android) allows on-the-lake navigation to top fishing spots
Private information is accessible by the user (typically this would be the guide) where he/she can develop trend analysis over the course of the summer, create detailed lake maps, convert collected data into file formats that are compatible with various on-board electronics (create own lake chips), or access data (especially if you’re someone out fishing) from smart phones through use of a mobile platform.
Tim O’Reilly, publisher, philosopher, pundit and conference organizer from O’Reilly & Associates, famously started a meme several years ago that “Data is the new Intel inside,” a takeoff on the old Intel marketing campaign touting how important it was to ensure your computer had their CPU inside of it. O’Reilly came to believe (and still believes) that the importance of data—and exactly the sort of data being captured, leveraged and delivered by Contour Innovations—is the key value within product and services online going forward.
You’ll notice when you visit their site that they capitalize the “P” in “Platform” whenever they discuss what they’ve built. No question it has significant upside possibilities and, if I was running a Department of Natural Resources in this or any other State, I’d be all over these guys like a cheap suit to get them to sell me their Platform services. Imagine mapping every lake in the State with cheap fishing boat sonar devices (and yes, extremely expensive GPS satellites up there in orbit!) and end up with highly valuable sets of data for our own use and that of our State residents.
Believe me, these guys have thought-through every aspect of the Platform, mapping, who would (and even might) use this technology, and I guarantee you’ll hear a lot from them going forward. For more, take a listen to Tech.mn’s podcast with them done this week.
Unfortunately it’s too damn cold in Minnesota to be a “garage startup” so when we tell the Mike and Matt startup story in the future, we’ll have to morph it a bit in to a “basement startup” that made magic in Minnesota.