Presenter:
Jeremy Nagel, Founder of Focus Bear.
Startup:
Focus Bear is a routine building and anti-distraction app for neurodiverse individuals.
Transcript
[00:00 – 01:05] Jeremy
Hey, I’m Jeremy, the founder of Focus Bear. I’ve got ADHD and autism, which is my superpower. My brain constantly fires out creative ideas and I can concentrate on my ideas for hours on end.
I’ve started multiple businesses, I sold my last one, and have had a pretty good career. However, it didn’t start that way. I got fired from my first five jobs, which was both financially destabilising and a massive hit to my self esteem. I turned my career around, but many neurodivergent people never experience stable employment. Unemployment rates amongst people with autism are eight times higher than for neurotypical folks, and it’s also an issue for people with ADHD. With more and more people getting diagnosed, this issue is only getting worse.
We need a way to tap into the creativity and problem-solving skills that neurodivergent people can offer. I’ve been working on an app called Focus Bear that can help neurodivergent people channel their hyperfocus and not get distracted.
Speaking of channels, I found an awesome competitive axe-throwing channel on Youtube. It’s so good that I just have to show you it right now.
[01:10 – 02:52] Jeremy
Oh, this pop-up is saying that axe-throwing might not be relevant to delivering the pitch. It’s probably right. Did I mention I have ADHD? I should probably go back to telling you about the app.
It uses AI to determine whether a website is relevant to the work you’re doing. If it’s not, it lets you save the page to view after work or you can block it completely. Distraction blocking isn’t a new concept. Many other apps do part of what Focus Bear does. What’s different about us is our focus on neurodiversity, our holistic approach, which includes daily habits and rituals, and our support of all platforms, desktop and mobile, because blocking on one device isn’t enough. If I start focusing on my computer, I want my phone to be free of distractions, too.
The app also prepares the brain for productivity through a unique approach to habit formation. It guides you through a morning routine one habit at a time, reducing overwhelm.
The app is live in the market and we’ve had rave reviews from the community. We’ve got paying customers with excellent retention. Our business model is a monthly subscription starting at $5 US per month for consumers.
I’ve got an outstanding team building the app with me. I’m an experienced founder with a successful exit. Manish, our lead developer, has 20 years of experience. And most of our other team members are neurodivergent and can thus empathise with our customers.
We’re opening a $750k fundraising round to bring Focus Bear to B2B. We’ve had some promising initial conversations with businesses and will be refining the product with features like a Slack and Microsoft Teams integration, hiring a B2B sales specialist and investing in marketing. The round will allow us to grow to 10,000 paying customers.
To learn more, visit focusbear.io/invest
Together we can help neurodivergent people thrive in the workplace.
