February 8, 2018, by The Ingenuity Lab

KlipAL: Kickstarter Launch – Bouncing back from setbacks

Have you ever had your smartphone slip off your hand? Ever had to use books to support your smartphone to watch a video? Ever wanted to use your smartphone on a tripod?

KlipAL is an ingenious solution to all these common problems and many more. It is no ordinary smartphone accessory that performs only a single function. On the contrary, KlipAL is designed with everyone in mind, with exceptional adjustability to adapt to everyday activities and enhance user experience. It boasts as ‘The Ultimate Smartphone Companion’ with comprehensive application in docking, browsing, photography, entertainment, in-car, gaming, tablet and communication.

KlipAL is made up of three main words:

• Klip = clip = holder
• pAL = friend, companion
• AL = aluminium element from the periodic table

Besides being ultra-versatile, KlipAL works with phone sizes ranging from iPhone 5 to iPhone 8+ and more. With its spring-loaded clamping mechanism, interchanging between devices and sharing KlipAL with family and friends couldn’t get any easier. This feature also allows endless positioning and tilt angle adjustments to enhance user comfort. The holder is a remarkable luxury, made primarily of aluminium and has an attractive brushed metal finish. It will be available in four desirable colours namely silver, black, grey and gold. 

KlipAL is the brainchild of Shawn Loo, an alumnus of the University of Nottingham and a Venture Member of the Ingenuity Lab. The motivation behind this invention came about following a painful incident with his phone. “Whilst browsing my phone in bed, I lost grip of the phone and it fell flat on my face. I searched for a gadget that would give me additional handheld support, but all existing accessories utilise the adhesive tape method which did not appeal to me as I prefer to keep my phone ‘naked’.” he said.

Shawn previously set up a Kickstarter campaign in 2016 which didn’t reach its target so we asked what lessons he learned during the process and why he continued to pursue his business dream:

For the previous Kickstarter campaign, I would say that I was too naive, overly-ambitious and under-prepared. I ran the crowdfunding campaign thinking that ‘A good idea will sell itself’. Coming from an engineering background, I am more of a hands-on person and I don’t have much of a clue about selling/marketing a product. So for the past year, I have been trying to improve on this aspect and hopefully it will make a difference going forward. One of them is learning how to use social media for marketing. 

Giving up now is not an option as I don’t think I have exhausted all avenues. There’s still plenty to explore and plenty to learn on this journey. So far, the overall process have been quite enjoyable and there’s plenty of positives to look forward to. 

When asked how he found Ingenuity17 after having taken part, Shawn responded: Ingenuity17 was very memorable in particular where the guest speakers share their stories. It is very motivating to listen to real-life examples, knowing that every startup will go through difficult periods and persistence is the key to success. The pitch preparation workshop was really useful too and I’m sure it’ll come to good use sometime in the future. Having the chance to practice my pitch on stage was definitely a bonus.

On the 7^th February 2018, Shawn launched his second Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise sufficient funding in order to progress his design idea into reality which is now over halfway towards reaching the target of £3000. KlipAL is for as low as £20 on Kickstarter. There is currently limited stock at this specially discounted price, so make sure you donate to the campaign here. As a bonus, participants who sign up  at www.KlipAL.co.uk/signup will also stand a chance to win FREE upgrades!

For more information visit www.KlipAL.co.uk or email contact: hi@KlipAL.co.uk

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