Our Investment in Pearl

Over three years ago, Matt Rogers introduced me to Bryson Gardner, a former colleague of his at Apple.  Bryson had recently left Apple, and since we share a love for cars, we started to compare notes on the automotive industry.Together with some of his former colleagues, Bryson started to think about ways to solve the technology problem facing cars today – key technologies are advancing so fast that new cars are often obsolete as soon as they’re released.  When Bryson and his ex-Apple co-founders shared their vision for aftermarket connected products that would improve the driving experience of any car on the road today, Shasta jumped at the chance to lead the Series A round at Pearl.Pearl’s first product is a wireless backup camera that can be installed in minutes on any car or truck.  It uses your smartphone as a screen, connects to your car with a wireless hub, and includes a license plate frame with a hidden solar array for power and two high-quality HD cameras.  You can see how it works here:So what’s interesting about a backup camera?  Backup cameras go a long ways towards preventing hundreds of deaths each year (and nearly 15,000 injuries) when cars are backed up - not to mention the countless collisions with fixed and moving objects.  Using modern algorithms and processing power, and twin cameras with nearly 180 degree fields of view, Pearl’s camera can see around corners and provide advanced warnings about what’s in a vehicle’s path.Unlike standard backup cameras, Pearl’s will get better and better with time.  Since it’s an Internet-connected product, Pearl will push regular software updates to their devices that will make them easier to use and better and better at detecting obstacles and helping drivers back up safely.  Unlike your traditional car where the tech feels obsolete as soon as you buy it, Pearl gets better and better with time.All of us at Shasta are thrilled to be working with Pearl founders Bryson Gardner, Brian Sander, and Joseph Fisher as they ship their first product and build an exciting connected hardware company in the automotive market.