Kickstarter Campaign Launched to Introduce Drivers to FIXD

ATLANTA - Aug. 20, 2014 - PRLog -- August 18, 2014 (Atlanta, GA) – As the inaugural group of Georgia Tech’s Startup Summer program graduates, FIXD launches a Kickstarter Campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/847389453/fixd-your-car-is-talking-to-you-are-you-listening) to raise funds to make your check engine light more understandable. From May through August, the founders of FIXD conducted over 200 interviews to learn about the problems of drivers. Ninety­two percent of drivers expressed frustration with the ambiguity of a car’s check engine light.

FIXD takes the guess work out of check engine lights: When a car’s check engine light comes on, FIXD alerts drivers to the severity of the problem, what will happen if they continue driving and how much it will cost to get the problem repaired. The FIXD Vehicle Sensor plugs directly into a car's dash, connects via Bluetooth to the FIXD App on the driver’s smartphone, keeping the driver informed about what is happening with their car. “We created FIXD for those who don’t ‘speak car,’ like John’s mom, for example,” explains Rachel, co­founder of FIXD. “She had no way of knowing if the light meant her gas cap was loose, or if her brakes needed repair. Turns out John’s mom drove for a month with a malfunctioning airbag, because she didn’t know what the check engine light meant.”

Georgia Tech’s Startup Summer program shepherded 8 teams through the process of creating a startup. Keith McGreggor, Director of Georgia Tech’s VentureLab, says, ”Startups fail because they make things that people don’t want. That is why we have each team go out and interview potential customers to learn about their problems. Using these new insights, they can create sustainable businesses, solving actual problems. FIXD has done this exceptionally well.”

Built by a team of designers, computer scientists, and car­fanatics, FIXD takes the confusion out of check engine lights and tells drivers what exactly is going on with their cars. FIXD puts drivers in control when problems occur.