BtoC: Genius Objects launches a smartphone disconnection pouch

Addiction to screens is a scourge that affects adolescents… but not only. To encourage people to take a digital break, Genius Objectsbased in Bordeaux, launched in May 2021 Pozzz, a connected pocket to put your laptop to sleep. Its rapid success earned it a trial at Cultura, Boulanger and Cdiscount.

The principle is simple, but fun: sensors in the zipper of the device can detect when a laptop is locked and locked inside the pocket. The information is transmitted to an application, which awards points based on the time spent without a phone.

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“Initially, we aimed more at pre-teens, but very quickly the parents got caught up in the game, then certain couples who no longer communicated because of the screens. Today, a third of our sales are ‘family packs’ and 40% of our customers are adults without children”, explains Alexandre Faucherits president.

He founded Genius Objects in 2016 with his partner, Philippe Tourette, founder of Loltech and the family office Tourrette Investissements. After meeting at CES in Las Vegas in January, companies complaining about the time spent by their executives on smartphones, they are preparing to attack the business market.

However, in its early days, the company was not intended to be known to the general public. It focused on BtoB, marketing its connected and patented zippers and supporting manufacturers to integrate this solution into their own products. For example, Genius Objects is working with a luxury leather goods brand to develop a bag that lights up when opened or backpack alarms that send a telephone alert if the bag is opened in the absence of its owner.

“However, penetrating these markets takes a long time,” explains the president. This is why we have chosen to favor BtoC with Pozzz. Launched in May via crowdfunding which generated 400 pre-orders, Pozzz represents 60% of the turnover of the company which generated 200,000 euros in 2021 and which aims to double in 2022. It is already preparing the launch of larger pockets, for tablets and consoles, and is considering a partnership with telephone operators, before an international development expected from 2023.