Austin Start-Up BrickTrends Secures $1 Million Seed Funding for Smartphone-Based Retail Solution

AUSTIN, Texas - Aug. 26, 2013 - PRLog -- Technology start-up BrickTrends (http://www.bricktrends.com) today announced the completion of $1 million in seed funding for the launch of a smartphone-based solution designed to reinvent how consumers interact with product brands in retail locations.

The new technology will be introduced October 15 – 17 at the fall DEMO Conference (http://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/demofall13/home/) in Santa Clara, Calif.  BrickTrends is one of approximately 50 new products and technologies selected to launch at the exclusive conference.

BrickTrends was founded by experienced retail technology entrepreneur Erik McMillan, who in 2009 founded BestFit Mobile (http://www.bestfitmobile.com), developers of advanced iOS and Android mobile apps for leading international retailers and enterprises.  McMillan will serve as BrickTrends CEO, supported by an executive team of similarly successful entrepreneurs and retail technology specialists from Dell, Mail.com, Groupon, CompuCom, HomeAway and Demand Media.    “More than 80 percent of shoppers use their smartphones to make savvy choices about in-store purchase decisions,” McMillan said. “Our official launch at DEMO will showcase how BrickTrends can uniquely level the playing field between physical and online retail and revolutionize brand-to-consumer communications through mobile integration.”     BrickTrends attracted seed funding from a high-profile group of executives (https://angel.co/bricktrends) representing a diverse mix of technology and retail backgrounds, including Appcelerator, Bazaarvoice, Black Locus, Capital Factory, Google, HomeAway and ShopperTrak.    Investor Brett Hurt, co-founder and vice chairman of social commerce solution provider Bazaarvoice and founder of web analytics firm Coremetrics, will also serve as BrickTrends executive chairman.    “I'm a huge fan of the BrickTrends team and see tremendous market potential for the company’s mobile solutions,” Hurt said. “This idea has been a long time coming and will deliver unprecedented visibility into the offline retail channel so that brands, retailers, and shoppers all win.”    About BrickTrends    Headquartered in Austin, Texas, BrickTrends develops and markets smartphone-based solutions designed to reinvent how consumers interact with product brands in retail locations.  BrickTrends will provide a first look at the company and its solutions October 15 – 17 at the fall DEMO Conference being held at the Hyatt Regency Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, Calif.  Additional information on BrickTrends is available at www.bricktrends.com.