Featured Startup Pitch: More than just security, Butterfleye’s intelligent camera tech is built to be a ‘third-party photographer’ for the home

By Ben Nader, butterfleye founder and CEO

Elevator Pitch: butterfleye is the intelligent camera that lets you see and hear what’s happening in your home when you are away. When you are nearby, butterfleye becomes your personal photographer, capturing candid moments that might otherwise be missed.

Product/Service Description

butterfleye is a smart, wireless camera featuring Active Eye Intelligence that automatically captures HD videos and pictures throughout the day and uploads them to the cloud, where they can then be accessed via an iPhone app that allows users to create, view, edit, and save photos and video clips, and share them on social media networks. With butterfleye, users can stay connected to their home, pets, children, and loved ones when they physically can’t be there. butterfleye also serves as a third-party photographer when users are home, automatically taking pictures and videos and allowing users to live in the moment and not have to document it from behind the lens of a camera. Lastly, butterfleye delivers peace-of-mind to users, knowing that their homes, loved ones, and valuables are safe when they are away.

Founder’s Story

The idea of butterfleye began out of necessity. Constantly on the go, I more than once had my home broken into while I was away. I began looking for a solution that would not only protect my valuables, but also keep me connected to my home when I couldn’t be there. I soon realized that there wasn’t a solution that met my needs. I had a strong background in engineering and in video and decided to build it myself. I left my job in May of 2013, recruited a team, and, with lots of hard work, we set out to build a camera that would not only deliver peace-of-mind, but connect people to their homes, their families, and their pets anytime, anyplace, anywhere. One year later, butterfleye is ready to fly and the sky’s the limit.

Market Opportunity

The market opportunity in the U.S. alone is more than $17 billion. That represents the number of homes with access to high speed Internet.

How We Differentiate From the Competition

butterfleye is the first home monitoring camera that is 100 percent wire free. Users are never restricted from choosing the perfect location to place the camera, and can take the camera with them on the go. The butterfleye camera also incorporates Active Eye Intelligence that features a learning algorithm and video analytics that actually allow it to learn behavior. It knows when people are home and when they are not. It recognizes when there is an important event happening that needs to be recorded and understands when it is time for the camera to shut down. Instead of recording an empty living room, the camera’s energy sensor detects humans and pets and turns on when a live being enters the room. The camera is also triggered by audio intelligence that listens for specific sounds.

Business Model

butterfleye’s business model is two pronged: Initial revenue will come in the form of sales of the butterfleye camera; the sustained revenue generator will come in the form of optional cloud storage packages for videos and pictures, with monthly fees starting at $9.99.

Current Needs

butterfleye is currently raising $250,000. We will launch a crowdfunding campaign on May 21 on Crowdtilt to take preorders and raise money for production of the smart cameras and apps, Android capabilities (currently available for iOS only) and additional future performance features.

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Headquarters: San Francisco