A Stanford masters student has raised over $800,000 after launching his smart lock product on Kickstarter.
Sesame – the world’s first instant smart lock – allows users to control their door with a smartphone app. With five-patented design, the Sesame Smart Lock works with just about any deadbolt in the world and, according to the makers, takes just seconds to install, without the need to replace the existing lock or remove anything.
Connected to users’ smartphone via Bluetooth, Sesame allows the phone full control of the lock. With the optional Wi-Fi Access Point that connects to the Internet, users don’t even have to be physically near Sesame. This feature allows users to send access to their friends remotely and makes sure the door’s locked when they are not home.
Jerming Gu, founder of Candy House, the company responsible for the Sesame Smart Lock, is a mechanical engineering masters candidate from Stanford University. Founded in June 2014, Candy House is dedicated to designing and manufacturing products that inspire a minimal yet joyful lifestyle.
In February 2014, Jerming and other two Stanford engineers – Gary Chang and Sungjune Jang – bought a 3D printer and started their journey together.
At that time, Jerming was a newcomer to the country, who had a fantastic idea but knew nothing about how to turn that idea into reality. Gary provided assistance and encouraged him to start his own company, while Sungjune helped him create the first server prototype with node.js and also provided Jerming with the know-how to operate the 3D printer.
Although Gary has since left to start his own 3D-printer company and Sungjune kept focusing on academics, the time they spent together brainstorming, fighting over technical issues and learning from each other remained as Jerming’s inspiration to move the project forward.
Later with the efforts of a more talented people, Jongho Shin, Bou-chen Kuo, Wilson Kuo and Wen-Hang Su, the Sesame Smart Lock became a reality, which now other people can share via Kickstarter.
But buyer beware. As reported by tech website Tom’s Guide, some of the additional features of the Sesame Smart Lock are not so smart.
