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A novel startup calledKinnectaims to avail mass privately save generational memory , tradition , formula and more . The company ’s app , launched this month , lets people create invite - only distance where they can share images , videos , audio , textbook and more with their entire family .
Kinnectwas founded in May 2023 by Omar Alvarez , an entrepreneur who has experience working with telehealth stigma focused on genial health . Alvarez came up with the idea for Kinnect after he lost his grandfather to Alzheimer ’s and his good champion to leukemia .
At the offset of his granddad ’s battle with Alzheimer ’s , Alvarez and his folk were coming to term with the fact that his grandad was going to fall behind his memories . They assay to find a place where they could tape and store his memory , but his grandfather lapse away before they were able to find a way to do so .
Four years later , Alvarez ’s best friend was diagnose with leukemia . He ask Alvarez if he knew of a path for him to privately record and computer memory substance for his married woman so that she could listen to them after he passed .
Alvarez ’s best friend exceed away last November , six months before the launching of Kinnect . While Alvarez wish he was able to plunge Kinnect in metre for his best friend to easily record substance and stories for his wife , Alvarez says his unspoiled friend ’s approximation and experience are very much a part of Kinnect .
Alvarez decided to name the app Kinnect because he believes it ’s the most inclusive full term for family and one that encompass both chosen and blood relative alike . He wants Kinnect to be a platform for everyone to store generational memories , not just blood line phratry .
“ I ’m Latino , and I ’m also gay , so when I think about crime syndicate , friends that feel like family are included in that equation , ” Alvarez told TechCrunch . “ The ‘ Kin ’ in ‘ Kinnect ’ represents the most inclusive term for family . And the ‘ net ’ is for the need to connect . The need to finger like you belong to . I go for that Kinnect does reduce a horse sense of isolation or the sense of feel like you do n’t belong to . ”
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Once you get started with the app , you will be asked about your destination . For case , you’re able to say that you want to “ capture life lesson , ” “ carry on phratry story , ” “ think of loved ones ” or “ portion moment . ” you could take all of the choice that apply to your goal with Kinnect .
The app also feature a “ Storybooks ” feature that lets users organize memories into digital album base on different topics . you may store chapter in your family ’s ongoing story that current or future generations can revisit years down the road .
If a folk member is shy about what to add to their kinsperson ’s Storybook , they can employ the app ’s “ Guided Storytelling ” feature film to find prompt that they can answer . For example , the app may postulate you to tattle about your current home and what made you move there . Alvarez says that while many citizenry desire to entrance their stories , they may be uncertain about where to pop , which is why the inauguration lend the Guided Storytelling feature film . Kinnect plans to use AI in the future to personalize these prompts to each family phallus in a radical .
The app is targeted toward hoi polloi of all ages , from teens to grandparent . Alvarez order it was important for him to discharge an promiscuous - to - use platform that could be used by elder .
Kinnect is currently only availableon iOS , but the startup plan to launch an Android app in the come months .
While Kinnect ’s canonic features are free to utilise , users can sign up for an annual subscription to get entree to unlock limitless Storybooks and unlimited photos , videos and audio uploads per Story . The single subscription be $ 70 per year , and the family design costs $ 130 year and can be used by up to six family member .
As for the time to come , Alvarez teased that Kinnect wants to go beyond the digital world and focus on in - person connections .
“ We do n’t want to be another technical school company that only focalise on digital solutions , ” Alvarez say . “ I ’m very aware of the genial wellness benefit of having in - individual connections and feelings of belonging . We are lead to be thinking about how we show up in the real world as well . ”
The startup has received $ 100,000 in financing throughTechstar ’s Rising Stars program , which aims to avail fund underrepresented founder in the U.S. Kinnect is also presently in an throttle course of study from Slauson & Co.
