Nest Alums Launch Software-Powered Brick & Mortar Retailer Exclusively for the Internet of Things

(December 9th, 2015) -- Today, b8ta, a technology company born from the frustrations of retail felt by both consumers and manufacturers, announced the opening of its first physical location to provide consumers access to the most innovative technology products. Founded by four Nest alums, b8ta is the first brick-and-mortar retailer dedicated to the Internet of Things. Retail has not evolved, let alone to meet the needs of the rapidly changing hardware industry, so b8ta developed a way not only to get new products in its store within days instead of years, but to transform retail entirely. This required the development of a proprietary software stack to provide companies selling products in the store with real-time insight into essential conversion metrics, as well as empowering them to curate every step of the customer journey to control their brand identity and consistency.
 
The flagship b8ta location will officially open its doors to the public this Friday, December 11th, at 516 Bryant Street in downtown Palo Alto, California.
 
New technology companies don’t have the resources or know-how to enter traditional retail channels, and are forced to sell products directly on their website or through crowdfunding campaigns. While the products seem great online, consumers lose the real-life, tactile experience that is a crucial aspect of their path to purchase.
 
“Right now, consumer desire for innovative products is booming, and there’s never been a better time to be a maker,” said Vibhu Norby, CEO and cofounder of b8ta. “However, most new products don’t make it into stores until months or years after they’ve launched because traditional retail is fundamentally broken and the product introduction process is arduous, especially for new companies. At b8ta, we’ve built technology that makes brick-and-mortar retail easier and quicker to set up and sell.”
 
To provide shoppers with the best in-store experience, b8ta offers:

• Hands-on experiences - The space is designed to make experiencing new technology products cohesive, simple, and interactive.
• Today’s latest hardware products, available now - b8ta offers access to the hottest tech products, many of which are only available online. b8ta is proud to announce that the following products can be found at b8ta Palo Alto: Stack Lighting, Gi Flybike, The Prynt Case, Thync Calm and Energy Wearable, Teforia Tea Maker, Avegant Glyph, Awair: Smart Air Quality Monitor, Foobot Indoor Air Quality Monitor, Oura Ring, Anymote Home, Plastc Card, Nuimo Controller, sevenhugs, Caruma Car Camera, Skylock, Hexo+with 3DGimbal, and the Lily Flying Camera. These products are not sold in any other physical retailer in the world.
• Comparison shopping - Put your phone away because there’s no more need for “showrooming.” b8ta displays real-time information for every product including inventory, reviews, and price comparisons.
• Expert staff - Highly trained staff will provide curated product tours, that can be booked ahead of time online, to deliver the ultimate brand experience. Companies selling in b8ta can customize the information and training staff receive so they’re equipped to address every selling point.

 
Along with delivering the ultimate shopping experience to consumers, b8ta is dedicated to providing innovative makers with control over their in-store brand in ways currently impossible in other physical retailers:

• Online benefits in the offline world - By reverse-engineering the strengths of e-commerce for the physical world, b8ta has created a proprietary software stack to offer things like in-store A/B testing and flash sales. b8ta is partnering with RetailNext to give companies access to anonymous foot-traffic and engagement data, similar to Google Analytics, to better understand how shoppers are interacting with their products and make more informed decisions.
• Companies are in control - b8ta gives companies complete control over marketing, pricing, training, and inventory from an intuitive online dashboard. Changes are synced automatically through in-store signage, accompanied by notifications to store staff.
• From years to days - While b8ta’s inventory is curated to include only the most innovative products, the application process is simple and takes only five minutes. Companies can apply on b8ta’s website to sell their products and can be in-store in a matter of days, where similar deals with traditional retailers can take upwards of a year.

 
“By streamlining the onboarding process and providing makers with better tools, b8ta is able to focus more of its resources on delivering an exceptional consumer experience,” said Phillip Raub, CMO and cofounder of b8ta. “At b8ta we are building a transparent and passionate culture by providing our visitors with reviews, competitive pricing, and a highly trained and knowledgeable staff.”  
 
The retail experience you’ve been waiting for is here. Learn more online at b8ta.com, or visit the flagship store at 516 Bryant Street, Palo Alto.
 
About b8ta
Founded in 2015, b8ta was started by four Nest alums—Vibhu Norby (CEO), Phillip Raub (CMO/Head of Retail), William Mintun (COO), and Nick Mann (CPO)—to remove the frustrations new companies and early adopters currently face with traditional retail. To meet the needs of the quickly evolving technology industry, b8ta developed a unique and proprietary software stack to give companies full, real-time control over their brand to create the best possible experience for consumers. b8ta’s flagship location is at 516 Bryant Street, Palo Alto. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

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Bita Khaleghi

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bita@vscpr.com