October 2016 Update – Only 13 more days to back Kello!

 
 

Whew, these last two weeks have been a whirlwind here at Kello HQ! A quick update:

  • Kello was fully funded in less than two hours. That’s right. We launched at 8am EST on September 20 and smashed our $50,000 USD Kickstarter funding goal by 10am. Thank you to everyone who supported Kello right out of the gate. You know who you are.
     
  • We’re now 521% funded (and still have 13 days to go!). As of this morning, 2,235 backers have pledged $260,537 USD. Incredible. 
     
  • The press loves Kello. Fast Company’s John Brownlee marveled at Kello’s “smarts,” The Verge’s Ashley Carman was intrigued by its “sleep training” capabilities, and Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl was impressed by Kello’s promise to “actually teach you how to sleep better.” We also got a thumbs up by our friends at Slashgear, PD&D Magazine, TechinAsia, and New Atlas magazine.
     
  • Kickstarter called Kello a “Project We Love”. Last week, we were front-and-center on Kickstarter’s homepage as a “Project We Love.” What an awesome accolade to wake up to!
     
  • Our co-founder shares his sleep journey. Before he quit his job and moved to Hong Kong to start Kello, our co-founder Antoine spent one year trying to “hack” his own sleep. Last week, Startup Grind published Antoine’s fascinating tale about why he chose to dedicate his career to helping others find better sleep. Check it out.

And now, a word from the Kello community

One of the best parts of introducing Kello to the world this year has been reading the hundreds of comments, emails and Tweets from the Kello community. We thought it’d be fun to share a few of our favorite ones so far:

… on why Kello is so beautiful

“It’s so beautiful you’d want to lick it.” – Gwynaeth

… on their current alarm clock situation

“I have a radio alarm clock. It's like Russian roulette. Sometimes you're lucky and you wake up with a good song, but most of the time you try to move as fast as you can to turn it off.” – Sebastian

“My alarm was the spawn of some dark insidious creature bent on torturing me at the same time Setting me up for a bad day at work all starting with those monotonous beeps from the depths of purgatory.” – Emileigh

“I wake up every morning to the sound of Dusty Springfield singing Son of a Preacher Man. Obviously, not the real Dusty (she’s dead), so I have to make do with my smartphone as a poor substitute.” – John

“I use this bomb alarm noise that startles me awake, which I've been told is bad for you.” – Dennis

“Can I call my begrudging wife an alarm clock?” – Bryan

… on why they can’t wait for Kello to jumpstart their new nighttime and morning routine

“Every morning, I choose to be awful and go onto Facebook on my phone for 20 minutes rather than make breakfast. Because I'm an adult.” – Becca

“I have been feeling for months now that the smartphone is making my mornings worse.” – Julia

“I try to get to bed early but then I spend another hour playing on my phone. Then I wake up tired and snooze until the last minute. Kello will help me break that cycle.” – Peter

… on why they love the name Kello

“My girlfriend's nickname is Kello also!” – John

… on which Kello features they love the most

“Banking snooze time is actually kind of cool.” – Jessica

“I liked how it can progressively wake you earlier without jarring your system.” – Jess

“I really like that I can connect with Spotify for music, and the 'use up your snoozes' philosophy.” – Melanie

… on why Kello is poised to win the Sleep Revolution

“In a world where there are so many things trying to work against our natural health requirements, I am excited that your team has made it a mission to improve the most important one. Sleep.” – Brittany

“Kello seems like it will fit that bill better than other options on the market, because with a lot of other options the alarm seems like an afterthought rather than the focus.” – Garrett

“Most companies aren't in the alarm clock game to help the consumer – they just want a clock that will scare you awake. I'm excited to see the finished product on my nightstand soon.” – James

For more details and updates on our Kickstarter campaign, head on over to http://ks.getkello.com.

Until next time!

The Kello Team

Kello is now available for pre-order!

 
 

Hey everyone!

Today is a big day. Why? Because as of this morning at 8:00am EST, Kello is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter! 

Just click this link to head on over and snag one of your own. It’ll be the best decision you’ll make today. Trust us.

For all of you who have stuck with us on this incredible journey, thank you. We could not have made it to this major milestone without your support. 

For those of you who are new to the Kello family, here’s an official press release detailing who we are and what we stand for!

Kello, the First Smart Alarm Clock that Actually Improves Sleep, Now Available for Pre-order on Kickstarter

More than an alarm clock, Kello is an advanced sleep trainer that trains you to snooze less, wake up earlier, and much more.  

 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 – Kello, an advanced sleep trainer designed to help you tune your body clock to snooze less, wake up earlier, fight jet lag and much more, today announced it has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Its plans are to raise funds for mass production of its patented product to ship by March 2017.

By using scientifically-proven techniques, the Kello system—which includes a bedside device and a companion app for initial setup—was designed to help users develop good sleep habits to kick-start their morning routine.

“People don't need another app, sleeping pill, gimmicky alarm clock, or spreadsheets full of sleep data,” said Kello co-founder and CEO Antoine Markarian. “They need to change their lifestyle. Kello helps you do just that.”

Here’s how:

01 | It’ll help you look forward to waking up.

  • Kickstart your mornings with content you love. Kello integrates with Spotify, Deezer, internet radio and more, so you can wake up with whatever gives you a boost.
  • Become a morning person in 30 days. Big goals to wake up 1 hour earlier everyday? Kello will program a sleep schedule to gradually trim a few minutes off your daily wake-up time. In just 30 days, you’ll be an early riser.

 

02 | It’ll train you to change your nighttime routine.

  • Fall asleep faster. The “Deep Sleep” feature prompts Kello to emit a gentle pulsing light that mimics a rhythm typical of breathing. Just follow the lights with your breath, and you’ll quickly slow down to your own natural sleep rhythm.
  • Commit to a bed time. Restorative sleep is achieved through regular bedtimes. Just input your goal wakeup time for the month, and a sky full of stars will automatically appear when it’s the optimal time to hop into bed.

 

03 | It’ll train you to keep your snoozing under control.

  • Limit your weekly snooze allowance. With Kello, you can limit how many times per week you can hit snooze. Once you’ve used up you're allotted snoozes, you can program your Kello to ring louder, change playlists or even turn on the lights.

 

04 | It’ll help you prepare and recover from jet lag.

  • Adjust your body clock before and after your trip. Traveling to a new time zone in 10 days? Kello will compute a custom light and sleep schedule to help you minimize the effects of jet lag. Just enter your destination and travel dates, and Kello will help you gradually adjust your body clock to prepare and recover.

 

The Kello Companion App will be available on both iOS and Android devices. With the app, users can access and adjust all of Kello’s Smart Programs, including: “Snooze Less,” “Wake Up Earlier,” “Fall Asleep Faster” and much more.

Kello is also compatible with smart home devices and can automate simple tasks with If This Then That (IFTTT). For example: You can program your Kello to sync with your smart coffeemaker to brew a cup of coffee when you wake up.

The Kello device is now available on Kickstarter at a discounted price starting at just $89 USD. Available colors are Cerulean Blue, Taupe Grey, or Mint Green. For just $199, users can pre-order a Kello in their own custom Pantone® color.

Kello was founded by Antoine Markarian, Gregoire Markarian and Fred Germain and was developed at Brinc, an IoT and connected devices accelerator & fund based in Hong Kong.

For more information, visit getkello.com.

Click here to download our press kit containing high-res images and GIFs

The Science Behind Kello

 
 

Let’s take a step back from Kello’s launch September 20th to look at the science that is behind Kello.

We like to think of ourselves as a sleep revolution device that uses scientifically-proven techniques to tune your body clock to get to sleep fast, snooze less, wake up earlier and prepare & recover from jet lag.

To achieve that, we analyzed hundreds of studies on sleep, on waking up, on the body clock. Here is a summary of the most important research that we based Kello features on.


… on the problem of sleep.

  • According to the Institute of Medicine, between 50 million and 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders or sleep deprivation. (SOURCE)

  • In 2015, the CDC declared chronic sleep disorders a ‘public health problem’. (SOURCE)

 

… on the abuse of sleeping pills

  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 8.6 million Americans take prescription sleeping pills to catch some zzzs. (SOURCE)

 

… on why regular bedtimes means better sleep

  • According to the National Sleep Foundation, keeping a regular wake-up time will train your body clock and will make it a lot easier to wake up. (SOURCE / SOURCE)

 

… on why gradually adjusting your bedtime helps you wake up earlier

  • According to the National Sleep Foundation, waking up in small increments means more chance to achieve waking up earlier. Gradually changing your habit will also make it easier for your body clock to adjust. (SOURCE)
  • According to the National Sleep Foundation, spending a few days at each increment will give time for your body to learn the new habit. (SOURCE)

 

… on why snoozing is a bad thing

  • According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep, waking up, hitting the snooze button and drifting back to sleep is called fragmented sleep. Fragmented sleep has been proven to be not restorative. (SOURCE)
  • According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, falling back asleep after snoozing starts a new cycle and thus increases sleep inertia. It makes it even harder to wake up the 2nd time the alarm goes off. (SOURCE)
  • According to a study published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Sleep Disorders Association, snoozing throws your body's natural clock off its natural rhythm, which causes you to feel less refreshed in the morning. (SOURCE)

 

… on why sleep is an investment

  • According to a study published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Sleep Disorders Association, sleep time has been proven to be better use of time than the additional wakefulness earned through sleep deprivation. (SOURCE)
  • According to a fascinating paper by economists Matthew Gibson and Jeffrey Shrader, sleep is a crucial determinant of productivity. In fact, it rivals both ability and human capital in importance. (SOURCE)

 

… on how preparing and recovering from jet lag

  • Tailored sleep/eat schedule, critically time exposure to light before and after departure help minimising the effect of jet-lag. (SOURCE / SOURCE) 

 

… on why your smartphone is “kryptonite”

  • Numerous studies suggest that one should be wary of screens before going to bed. Light is one of the factor but keeping your mind engaged can trick your brain into thinking that it needs to stay awake.
  • Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults (SOURCE)
  • Light-Emitting E-Readers Before Bedtime Can Adversely Impact Sleep (SOURCE)

 

… on how to get to sleep fast

  • Difficulties in getting to sleep is most of the time a problem of your brain being unable to stop being awake. (SOURCE)
  • Breathing exercises can help concentrate your thoughts and reduce heart rate to the best rhythm for sleep  (SOURCE)

Summer 2016 Update - Color choice, prototypes, pre-orders

 
 

What's up everyone?

Summer is in full swing and Kello is getting ready to warm up those dark back to school days.

Let's dive into our news, and start with a quick summary of the questions you've asked us this month.

In which flavors will Kello be available?

After numerous tests, polls, blog posts, comments and feedbacks, we're proud to announce Kello will come in 3 different colors (to start).

Meet Cerulean Blue, Taupe Grey, and Mint Green!

We think you'll love them.

We've added a special silicon finish on the shells so they are extra soft to the touch and don't get dusty or stained over time.

For extra colors, we'll have a little surprise for you in the coming weeks. Can't say more just yet.
 

When will Kello be available for preorders?

We have a few milestones we need to achieve, but we can tell you preorders will open in the back to school period. More details soon!

How are the prototypes going?

Very well, thank you! We've ordered a batch of 10 prototypes, a few beta testers and the Kello team are already waking up to them everyday!

We built special prototypes for our marketing video using advanced machining techniques in our factory. We think they look gorgeous (but you be the judge of that). 


What are the next steps?

We're preparing our crowdfunding campaign, and making sure everybody is ready for Kello's big launch.

We're going to need you.

You guys are early supporters of Kello (thanks again for the support) and we'll need your help to get things moving, so we set up a little something... More on that in about 3 weeks!

What we've been up to these last few months

Industrial Design

Shapes? Checked. Colors? Checked. Material and finish? Checked. Our design is done.


Mechanical Design (phase 1)

Our prototype works. Buttons, snooze, display, speakers, everything is as it will be in production.
The next step (phase 2) is Design For Manufacturing, where our engineers will design the steel molds that will be used to inject Kello's plastic parts (and this one will start in September).

 
 

Acoustics

The speaker we’ve selected is incredibly powerful yet still very sharp. We're quite happy with the result, but it’ll continue to improve when we start tweaking Kello’s built-in equalizer.


Electronics

Kello's motherboards boot and every feature is working!
This is a major accomplishment as it takes a few iterations to nail everything right.

Firmware & App

The first few Smart Programs have been integrated in the app and we're currently ironing out the bugs.

That's a wrap for this month. We know the wait is long, but trust us, it's worth it. In the meantime, give us your feedback in the comments below!

Talk soon!

The Kello team.

This is how our ancestors used to get out of bed

 
 

Have you ever wondered how people used to wake up?

Sounds like a simple question, but the reality is that humans have had schedules long before traditional alarm clocks, which means that we’ve been using unconventional methods to wake up ever since the early days.

Bladder Control

 
Definitely not the first version of the alarm clock you were thinking about.

Definitely not the first version of the alarm clock you were thinking about.

 

People have actually been using this method ever since the dawn of time (and some continue to do so).

It is said that in the Canadian military, rookies would drink 8 cups of water right before going to bed so that they would wake up in the middle of the night to make their bed spotless before the 5am inspection.

It forced them to wake up and use the washroom, but then also make their bed, clean their room, get dressed in uniform... and spend the rest of the night sleeping with nothing but a pillow on their desk.

And you thought your mornings were rough.

The Fenjaan

The very first timekeeping device ever.

The very first timekeeping device ever.

With the earliest evidence dating back to 4000 BC in China, water clocks were the first physical products to be used as a timekeeping device.

There are many iterations of water clocks, but the one pictured is a Persian Fenjaan that dates back to 500 BCE.

This system consisted of cups of water communicating with each other. When the smallest bowl hit the bottom, a bell would get knocked, and a manager would then drop a stone in a bucket to keep track of the amount of times the bowl was filled. Pure genius, isn't it?

The Knocker Upper

Aka "the weird dude with a stick".

Aka "the weird dude with a stick".

During the Industrial Revolution, people continued to use other individuals as part of the waking up process.

The Knocker Upper was a gentleman who was hired to get up early and walk through the streets knocking on people's windows at the desired wake up time. 

Definitely a step up from drinking gallons of water before bed. Still, you had to make friends with the guy to get some extra minutes of sleep.

The Mechanical Alarm Clock

Not sure you'd pass airport security with this device in your luggage.

Not sure you'd pass airport security with this device in your luggage.

The first mechanical alarm clock was built in 1876. Their major advantage was that they could be set for any time - a significant improvement over the previous alarm clock that would only go off at a predetermined time (generally 4am).

Let's admit it: these alarm clocks are so darn sexy. That's why they continue to be treasured around the world (and on eBay).

However, they don’t have the functionalities that we have grown accustomed to, and generally only ring with an annoying and very loud bell noise.

The Radio Alarm Clock

From a time when all day to day devices had a gorgeous design.

From a time when all day to day devices had a gorgeous design.

To replace the annoying sound of the previous mechanical alarm clock, James Reynolds created the world’s first radio alarm clock in 1940.

People were now able to wake up with their favorite radio station and listen to music as they got ready for the day ahead.

It was a massive hit. It led to an entire ecosystem of content and was the reason why morning radio shows are so popular today.

The iPhone

First thing most of us hear every morning.

First thing most of us hear every morning.

A leap in technology for cell phones, for sure, but not so much for alarm clocks.

While the iPhone deeply changed how we communicate with one another, it really isn't that different from the good old mechanical alarm clock: it just gets the job done.

The only advantages of waking up with the iPhone is that it's always near you, and setting up an alarm is dead easy.

Kello

The best way to wake up in the 21st century

The best way to wake up in the 21st century

Okay, we might be a bit biased, but it's time for alarm clocks to do more than just wake you up with the same irritating sound every day.

Up until now, inventors and companies have taken the science approach to creating better alarms. At Kello, we’re flipping the tables on conventional strategy - we’re taking the human approach.

What's YOUR weird way to wake up? Are your more a "45 alarms and 10 snoozes" or a "phone at the other side of the room" person? Tell us in the comments!

May 2016 Update - A Colorful Name

 
 

Hey everyone!

Curious to hear about what we’ve been up to this month?

First things first... Why "Kello"?

Back in October 2015 we booked a meeting room together with 15 of our IoT accelerator's best minds (Brinc.io) and we brainstormed.

A LOT.

We came up with more than 200 names!

 
 

The runners-up were Ristretto, Bloo, Dawny, and Kello. After hundreds of surveys and hours of self-questioning, we chose the contraction of "hello" and "clock", Kello.

Now you know, dear Kelloists.

Color poll!

 
 

We sent a poll in early May to Kello's Pre-launch Program Members to find out what colors we should make.

Starting now, everybody can vote, but votes of Kello's Pre-launch Program Members will count as double. The poll closes on June 15th, so make sure to give us your feedback as soon as possible!

NB: Pre-launch Program Members, you can change your mind and vote again. Only your last vote will count.

 

 

Get involved in designing Kello! If you want to join the Pre-launch Program (it's free!) simply add your email below.

Bonus point: you'll get a special price when we launch Kello!

 

What we've been up to this month

Industrial Design

Almost there. We moved the screens up a bit so that they don't mess with the speaker box. In terms of colors, we're waiting for your vote to choose the right ones and try them for real!

Mechanical Design

The first phase (rough design of the plastic parts) is finished. Now we're iterating with our engineers (which means that our office is full of plastic Kello parts).

Next steps will be Design For Manufacturing (DFM) and Design For Assembly (DFA).

 
 

Acoustics

We are testing speakers. We designed our audio chamber (the box that amplifies the sound), and we're tweaking it to improve audio quality.

Next up, calibration of the chip in our vendor's acoustic chamber.

Electronics

We're producing our first printed circuit boards. If all goes well, soon, we won’t need our clumsy development boards anymore.

Firmware

Our CTO is working with our app vendors to make sure that Kello gets along with its apps.

App Design

Our designer has finished 60% of the screens of Kello's app.

iOS and Android Apps

Our mobile developer is making great progress on the iOS app for our prototypes. The onboarding and alarm setup are finished. Next priorities are the integration of Smart Programs into the app.

Another busy month! Our goal is to get everything ready to manufacture the best Kello possible. When this is achieved, we'll open pre-orders.

That's all, folks! Have any feedback? Simply drop a comment below. We LOVE to hear from you!

Prelaunch Program members: help us choose Kello's colors!

 
title_blog_post.jpg
 

August 2016 update: this poll is now closed as Kello's colors have been chosen. Thanks for participating!

We believe the 21st century alarm clock should perfectly match your personal tastes.

We decided to let YOU select which colors are the best for Kello. Only the most voted colors will be manufactured.

Vote at the end of the page and feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!

Only votes from Kello's Prelaunch Program members will be taken into account.
Click here to register to the Prelaunch Program!

Color 1 - Gin Green

Color 2 - Pearl Grey

Color 3 - Colorado Ocher

Color 4 - Apricot Orange

Color 5 - Cerulean Blue

Color 6 - Foggy White

Color 7 - Taupe Grey

Color 8 - Mint Green

Color 9 - Hawkes Blue

 
 
 

Now vote!

 

 

Update August 2016: the color choice has been locked. The poll is closed. Thanks!

Note: this page is public but only Kello's Prelaunch Program members' vote (who received a special link via email) will be taken into account.

If you want to join the Prelaunch Program (it's free!) simply add your email below.

In exchange for giving us a hand, you'll get exclusive access to a special price we launch Kello!

 
 

April 2016 Update - Meet Kello's Great-Grandfather

 
title_strawberries.jpg
 

Hi there,

We couldn't be more excited to bring you our very first update! We'll write one every month to get you guys in touch with the very latest news of Kello's development.

A quick word before we start -- we wanted to give a huge THANKS to all of those who joined our Prelaunch Program (720 people as of right now).
We've been amazed by your answers to our questions and your feedbacks will make Kello stellar. You guys rock!

 
 

If you're not in the Prelaunch Program yet, you can join us by dropping your email -- we'll send you fortnightly updates and give you exclusive sneak peeks of Kello's features.

 
 
 

First, let's start with a quick explanation of how we came up with Kello, shall we?

The story behind Kello

We're 3 passionate entrepreneurs who chose to follow their dreams of removing the dullness out of morning.

Some Monday morning of April 2015, we had to wake up very early to catch a flight. All three of our iPhones went off with this well known (and well cursed) "Radar" default sound of every iPhone alarm.

 
 

So irritating. Not only did we had to wake up at 4AM, but this horrible sound welcomed us to the day. Awful.

Then we had an idea.

What is there was a way to wake up refreshed, on our own terms, with a different song every day, thanks to a device that'll guide us into being actual morning persons?

So we worked with designers who came up with a stunning design and Fred, our CTO, coded a prototype in no time.

Kello was born.

 

Kello's great-great-grandfather (May 2015).

An early prototype of Kello (December 2015).

An early prototype of Kello (December 2015).

 

So, what's the status of Kello's development?

Bringing a hardware device to the world is a long haul, but we've managed to overcome all major roadblocks and are stepping deep into execution.

Industrial Design

The design is definitive, the last thing we have to choose is not the least: colors!
Prelaunch Program Members: watch your emails in the next weeks. We'll need your advice.
 

Mechanical Design

The first phase (design of the plastic parts) is almost finished.
Once this phase is finished, we'll work with our factory to design the plastic injection molds. Next will come Design For Manufacturing (DFM) and Design For Assembly (DFA).
 

Acoustics Design

We believe Kello should to have a top-notch sound quality, so we've asked experts to design all of the acoustics of Kello. The design is ready but we're still looking for the best speaker.
Next: calibration of the sound chips in an acoustics laboratory (yep, we really care about sound).
 

Electronics Design

Our engineers are putting the final touches to the electronic board and we will order a new batch of prototypes in the coming weeks
 

Firmware Development

Almost everything is ready for alpha testing (and bugs are ready to be hunted!).
 

App Design

We are working with some of the best app designers and we think you're going to love what they do.
Prelaunch Program Members: we'll soon ask for your opinion (watch out for screenshots!).
 

iOS and Android Development

We will ship Kello with iOS and Android compatibility (which means our app developer has twice the work to do). We decided to start with iOS, and the core (the hardest part of the app) is working: our phone and Kello can talk together!

 
 

In a nutshell, we're making huge progress every day and everything is happening smoothly. We'll have more prototypes to show you during the month. Stay tuned!

Kello will hit the shelves very soon. The exact date is still secret but rest assured that we're doing everything we can to bring Kello to your nightstand as soon as possible.

That's it for this month. Got anything to say? Just drop a comment below!