Live on Kickstarter: A Safety Recall Mobile App for Parents

SAN DIEGO - March 3, 2015 - PRLog -- Two female entrepreneurs launched a crowdfunding campaign yesterday to develop a mobile app that notifies parents of child safety recalls. The app, known as “ely™”, is now live on Kickstarter where the team hopes to raise $35,000 to put into creating a working prototype. Backers have until April 26 to make their pledges.

The app is the brainchild of Ria Otero, a nanny who noticed that current recall processes are outdated for today’s busy and increasingly mobile parent. Manufacturers are obligated to make a reasonable attempt to contact consumers affected by recalls, but between ignored press releases and disregarded product registration cards, their efforts aren’t always successful. Unless a recall is significant enough to receive media attention, it is unlikely that every parent will hear about every recall.

“There were 113 child safety recalls in 2013,” Otero said. “That’s 2 per week! The best solution to deliver this incredibly important information nowadays is with a reliable smartphone app.”

Otero and her co-founder, Vanessa Castle, have worked with a design team to create the app’s branding and user experience. A patent is pending for the product that will allow parents to keep a personal inventory in their “Trunk” in the app and be alerted to any recalls that could affect them. With the Kickstarter, they hope to raise enough money to build a working prototype that they will use to raise their Series A funding.

Up until last week, Otero was the nanny to a pair of twin girls who served as inspiration for the app. The product’s name “ely” comes from a combination of the two girls’ names - Eliana and Lyla. She recently left her post as the twins’ daytime caregiver to pursue ely™ full time.

“I know that in the male-dominated tech industry, I have an uphill climb,” Otero says. “I need to go into this project head-on and get moving quickly. It’ll be difficult to not see these girls every day, but they’re my inspiration, and I’m excited to make them proud.”

Pledges to Kickstarter are accepted here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elyapp/ely-mobile-app. Potential backers can watch the video to learn more about the company and its purpose.

About ely™: ely™ is a mobile app that immediately alerts parents when a child product in their home has been recalled. The team at ely™ works every day to empower parents to treat their mobile devices as the ultimate companion in child safety and well-being. For more information, visit ely™ here: http://www.facebook.com/elymobileapp.