An Israeli-based startup is seeking to challenge Amazon’s Dash Button by developing its own “one-tap” smart button delivery service, announcing Wednesday (June 22) that it has secured $3 million in seed money from Norwest Venture Partners and other investors.
kwik hopes that its smart button will give consumers more choice in the type of products they can order with just a touch, unlike Amazon’s Dash Button, where each is exclusively devoted to a single product that is only deliverable by Amazon. kwik hopes to develop its “smart button” as an open end-to-end solution that would work with any brand, retailer or payment processing or delivery service.
“kwik has the potential to fundamentally change the relationship people have with major brands,” kwik Co-Founder and CEO Ofer Klein said in a statement. “As the very first open ‘click and deliver’ service, we can work with any brand, retailer, payments processor, or delivery service, making it possible for all brands to better understand the needs of and develop deeper direct relationships with their consumers.”
kwik’s button launched in 2015 and is already being used in select homes to provide –one-tap delivery service for Domino’s Pizza, Huggies Diapers and Eden Springs Water in Israel. Customers register for a button – kwik charges a cut of each transaction but not for its buttons – connect it to their home Wi-Fi, then set up their default delivery products. Once the button is pushed, a text message confirming the order arrives within seconds, followed by the item’s delivery.
kwik notes that orders can also be easily changed by clicking “edit” in the confirmation message.
During the AB InBev & ZX Ventures Startup Pitch Competition at SxSW, kwik’s button won the opportunity to develop a pilot program with Anheuser-Busch and the two brands are currently working together to roll out the first “beer button.”