Tile (company)

Tile (stylized as tile) is an American consumer electronics company which produces tracking devices that users can attach to their belongings such as keys and backpacks. A companion mobile app for Android and iOS allows users to track the devices using Bluetooth 4.0 in order to locate lost items or to view their last detected location.[1] The first devices were delivered in 2013. In September 2015, Tile launched a newer line of hardware that includes functionality to assist users in locating smartphones, as well as other feature upgrades.[2][3] In August 2017, two new versions of the Tile were launched, the Tile Sport and Tile Style.[4] As of 2019, Tile's hardware offerings consist of the Pro, Mate, Slim, and Sticker.[5]

Tile
Type of businessSubsidiary
FoundedDecember 2012 (2012-12)
HeadquartersSan Mateo, California
Created by
  • Mike Farley
  • Nick Evans
IndustryConsumer electronics
ProductsKey finder devices
ParentLife360
URLwww.tile.com
Native client(s) oniOS, Android

Since September 2018, former GoPro executive CJ Prober has been the CEO of Tile after he replaced co-founder Mike Farley.[6] In November 2021, Life360 agreed to acquire Tile in a $205 million acquisition, and is expected to integrate the two services.[7]

Function
Tile Sport

Tile manufacturer's hardware devices, "Tiles", that can be attached to items such as keychains. By attaching the device, a user can later use the Tile app to help locate the item if it is lost.[8] The Tile application uses Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 radio technology to locate Tiles within a 100 foot (30 meters) range, depending on the model.[9] Each Tile comes with a built-in speaker, and the user is able to trigger the device to play a sound to aid in the location of items at close range. The second generation of Tile devices produce sound at a volume of 90 decibels,[10] which is three times as loud as the previous generation of products.[11] The second generation also added a "Find My Phone" feature, which can be used to produce a sound on the user's paired smartphone when the user presses a button on the Tile device.[10]

The Tile app can locate Tiles beyond the 100 foot (30 m) Bluetooth range by using "crowd GPS". If a Tile device is reported as lost and comes within range of any smartphone running the Tile app, the nearby user's app will send the item's owner an anonymous update of the lost item's location.[9][12][13][14] Users can also share their Tiles with others, which allows both participants to locate shared Tiles.[15]

Tile's first generation products have built-in batteries with a battery life of about one year. Owners of these devices were automatically notified when the batteries were nearing depletion and were eligible to receive a discount on a replacement product.[16] Users could then return Tiles with depleted batteries in order for them to be recycled.[17][18] In October 2018, the Tile Mate and Tile Pro were redesigned to have user-replaceable batteries.[19] These models have lower water-resistance ratings than models that require factory battery replacement.[20]

Funding

Tile's developers used Selfstarter, an open source website platform, to crowdfund the project through pre-orders.[21]

As of July 7, 2013, Tile had raised over US$2.6 million by selling preordered Tiles directly to 50,000 backers through their website.[22]

In 2014, Tile raised additional Series A funding of US$13 million led by GGV Capital and a further US$3 million from Khosla Ventures in 2015.[23][24]

Dispute with Apple

In May 2020, Tile sought assistance from the European Union in a dispute it had with Apple regarding the provision of its services on Apple devices. It claimed that its app was not activated on Apple devices while the Find My service provided by Apple is activated automatically. Apple denied the allegation.[25] In September 2020, Tile joined the Coalition for App Fairness which aims to reach better conditions for the inclusion of apps into app stores.[26]

See also

References
  1. Perez, Sarah (December 17, 2014). "Lost-Item Tracker Tile Arrives On Android". TechCrunch. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  2. "The stuff-finding Tile now helps you find your phone". Engadget. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  3. Martin, Jim (February 11, 2016). "Second-gen Tile review: the Bluetooth tracker that helps you find lost items". TechAdvisor. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  4. Yurieff, Kaya (August 8, 2017). "This startup is cashing in on our forgetfulness". CNNMoney. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  5. "Find Your Keys, Wallet & Phone with Tile's App and Bluetooth Tracker Device | Tile". TheTileApp.com. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  6. Lunden, Ingrid (September 24, 2018). "Tile names GoPro vet CJ Prober new CEO, adds Comcast as investor and new product partner". Greenwich Time.
  7. Lawler, Richard (November 22, 2021). "Tile is selling its Bluetooth tracking business to Life360 for $205 million". The Verge. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  8. Thornberg, Molly (July 20, 2013). "Never Lose a Thing Again with the Tile App". Babble. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  9. Pasolini, Antonio (June 25, 2013). "Tile tracks objects with help from app users". Gizmag. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  10. Matney, Lucas (August 20, 2015). "Updated Tile Item Tracker Boasts Louder Ring, Find Your Phone Feature". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  11. Tweney, Dylan (August 18, 2015). "How Tile went from crowdfunding to 2M units sold in two years". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  12. Boehret, Katherine (April 1, 2015). "TrackR vs. Tile: The Lost-and-Found Face-Off". Recode.
  13. Stampler, Laura (July 16, 2013). "Here's The First Ad For A Small Device That Will Never Let You Lose Your Keys Again". Business Insider. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  14. VanHemert, Kyle (August 1, 2013). "Tile Might Be a Revolutionary Gizmo For Finding Lost Keys and Stolen Purses". Wired. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  15. Perez, Sarah (March 31, 2015). "Tile Launches Sharing, Allowing Others To Help You Find Your Lost Items". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  16. Thomas, Owen (October 13, 2015). "Hardware As A Service: Tile Finds A Way To Keep Making Money". ReadWrite. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  17. Kolodny, Lora (October 1, 2014). "Tile Picks Up $13 Million to Make Any Object Trackable". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  18. Perez, Sarah (July 22, 2015). "Lost-Item Tracker Tile Rolls Out A Renewal Service Offering Early Adopters Discounted Replacements". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  19. "Tile's new Bluetooth trackers come with replaceable batteries". Engadget. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  20. "Is my Tile dust or waterproof?". support.thetileapp.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  21. Alexander Pascal Borner. "Crowdfunding - A Successful Way of New Venture Financing?". Section "4.2.1. Tile Smartphone Application". 2016.
  22. Natasha Lomas (July 24, 2013). "Tile Grabs $2.6M Via Selfstarter For Its Lost Property-Finding Bluetooth Tags Plus App". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  23. "Tile has $13M and dreams of helping Android users find their keys, too". VentureBeat. October 1, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  24. "Tile snags $3 million from Khosla Ventures to build a crowdsourced lost-and-found network". Fortune. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  25. "Tile files EU complaint against Apple's alleged anticompetitive behavior". Engadget. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  26. "App makers band together to fight for App Store changes with new 'Coalition for App Fairness'". TechCrunch. September 24, 2020. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
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