A few months ago, a venture capitalist reached out to me inquiring about a hot startup company in town by the name of SquareHub. At the time, I poked around a bit, but didn’t quite piece together the story.
Now, a few more details are trickling in. A SEC filing this week indicates that SquareHub has pulled in $510,000 of a $1 million round.
What’s even more interesting, however, is the team that’s behind the startup. The co-founders include veterans of Amazon.com, Microsoft, Medio Systems and DS-IQ.
Leading the charge is former Amazon.com general manager Dave Cotter, a well known entrepreneur who previously co-founded online advertising startup Mpire. (Sold to comScore for $22 million last year).
Also on the founding team are Barry Chu, a former vice president at Blue Kai, Medio Systems and DS-IQ, and Gilles Anquetil, the former CEO of Paris mobile search company MotionBridge (sold to Microsoft in 2006). A fourth co-founder and Chief Technology Officer is Bruno Botvinik, the former CTO of Valu Valu, BookieJar and MotionBridge.
Reached this morning, Cotter didn’t want to share too many details about SquareHub.
“The cookies are still in the oven,” said Cotter.
According to SquareHub’s LinkedIn page, the startup is looking to help “families work, play, and live in harmony through technology.” That sounds like another Seattle area startup: Cozi.
Cotter said he doesn’t think they will compete directly with Cozi, though he admits both are trying to help busy families manage their hectic lives. A father of three, Cotter said they’ve come up with a unique approach based on their own personal experiences. And he said it’s a big market.
“There are a lot of families in the world. There’s a lot of room for disruption,” he said. Cotter and the rest of the crew have been kicking around the idea all year, but he noted that they’ve “lived the pain” for years given their own difficulties managing family life.
It’s unclear from the SEC filing who is backing SquareHub, and Cotter declined to offer details on the backers. But the company notes that it is supported by a group of “world-class investors who believe deeply in our mission and our team.”
Cotter said he’s learned from past experience that it’s important to surround yourself with super smart team members and investors in order to help navigate the ups and downs of startups. “It’s far less about the total dollar amount raised,” he said.
