5 Birmingham startups you never heard of that could make your life better NOW. 2 are hiring
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We’re continually inspired by the ingenuity of Birmingham’s startup scene. Meet five startups busily working behind the scenes to enhance lives and businesses here and across the globe right now. Bonus: two of them are hiring.
1. Therapy Brands is helping therapists get up to speed with telehealth
Anyone who’s had a therapy appointment lately hasn’t been stepping into the familiar cozy environment of their therapist’s office. Lots of those weekly appointments have now shifted to telehealth, and Birmingham-based Therapy Brands has been there to help streamline the transition.
You wouldn’t ever know they’re there, but their telehealth and practice management platform could be making your therapist’s life—and your user experience—less of a headache. Since the start of COVID-19, they’ve seen a 4300% increase (no, that’s not a typo) in telehealth use, according to PR Newswire. Can you say stratospheric growth, anyone? And jobs.
Contact: Website
2. ProctorU makes online test-taking safe and secure
If you’ve ever had to drive to a physical location to take a test, you’ll be glad to know that ProctorU has been finding ways to make remote testing safe, secure and cheating-free.
This was already a thing, and they were already serving more than 800 colleges. Since a lot of schools had to move quickly to online classes, ProctorU stepped in to help with final exams and professional certifications. They did this here in Birmingham and across the globe. Apparently, when they built the company, according to PR newswire, they were thinking of natural disasters, but their setup allowed them to step up during the pandemic.
In case you’re wondering, yes, they’re hiring to help with increased volume, so check out their jobs listings.
Contact: Website
3. BuyTime is creating a market for micro-consulting
Tired of people asking if they can “pick your brain?” Aside from the fact that it’s kind of a gross expression, it’s legit to want to get more than a cup of coffee or a quick “Thx 4 yr time” for sharing your expertise.
Enter BuyTime, a new platform that allows experts (“hosts”) to monetize their time and gives “buyers” access to coaching and consulting. It’s free for hosts to sign up, and buyers pay 15%.
Homewood resident Michael Burrell (a Shipt alum) partnered with Mitchell Lindsey and Matt Cook (a Daxko + Shipt alum) of Memphis to create the platform as a way to connect people during this time of furloughs and layoffs. Hosts set their own hourly rate and available hours.
Similar to AirBnb, there are community expectations, agreement and of course customer service complaint procedures, in case anyone’s experience isn’t up to par.
4. The Wealth Edit is a “private community of smart and interesting women who talk about money”
According to the BBJ, On March 8, International Women’s Day, Wealth Edit LLC launched with two goals:
- Help women get comfortable talking about money and help them design their financial futures
- Help the financial industry serve women
They offer two starter classes:
- Financial minimalism, for the woman who wants to know where her money goes, $49
- Comeback theory, for women who need to pivot, $99
Right now you have to know someone who’s part of the community to join, but if you’re passionate about their mission, email them and they’ll work with you. Their six glidepaths are a fun way to get a sense of your financial profile. A year’s worth of online coaching is the groundwork before talking to an advisor about investing.
5. Pye Tech’s online + kiosk ordering tech makes curbside and takeout more efficient
Behind some of the takeout and curbside orders happening everywhere now lies Pye Tech, a hospitality technology startup-up. Here are some of the things they offer:
- Mobile ordering
- Self-ordering kiosks
- Facial recognition kiosks that can read body temperature in seconds
They’ve been offering local restaurants 60 days of free access to their online ordering and/or kiosk ordering tech, plus no-cost consulting about how tech can help restaurants survive right now.
Now tell us, Birmingham, which Birmingham startups do we need to know about? Email us at hello@bhamnow.com and let us know!
