Look out Northface and Columbia, you might have a new competitor thanks to crowdfunding! Chicago startup Baubax has successfully captured $2.2 million on Kickstarter for its new all-in-one “travel jacket.”
As previously reported, the jackets have 15 features that makes it perfect for those traveling. Such features include a neck pillow, earphone holders, eye mask, phone pocket, drink pocket, microfiber cloth, sunglass pockets, blanket pockets, and even a portable charger pocket. The jacket is available in four styles for both men and women, which are Sweatshirt, Windbreaker, Bomber, and Blazer.
Yoganshi Shah, founder and chief design officer of Baubax, stated:
“No one wants to carry a big goofy neck pillow when traveling. All of our jackets include an inflatable pillow that’s discreetly tucked away in the hood. This innovative valve technology allows the consumer to inflate a neck pillow in just two seconds and deflate with a simple press of a button.”
Co-founder and CEO of Baubax, Hiral Sanghavi, explained:
“I’ve always found traveling cumbersome and harder than it should be – from fumbling around at security, to trying to find a pen for customs forms, to holding a drink when my tray table is occupied by a laptop. I knew there had to be a better way so we have designed clothing to solve each and every problem out there and give travelers everything they need in one jacket.”
Sanghavi recently told the Chicago Tribute that the company also recieevd backing from a venture capital firm and individual investors. These funds has already allowed the company to get a 45-day head start on designing the jacket’s molds. It also helped the company to expand into new product lines.
Sanghavi also revealed that the jackets will be produced in Asia but he’ll be managing warehouses in Illinois for shipping in North and Central America. He then went on to share that the company has secured deals with four Asian manufacturers, one of each of the jacket styles, and that he expects the head start will keep them on track for the November 2015 shipping date.
He then added that quality control will be a challenge:
“There are so many parts, we just cannot afford to miss out on one single item.”
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