Adero

Adero emerged from the operational rebranding of TrackR, a Santa Barbara-based technology company founded in 2009 that specialized in Bluetooth-based tracking devices. Following a significant $50 million Series B funding round and a change in leadership in 2017, the company pivoted its vision from simply finding lost items to proactively preventing their loss through organization. This strategic transformation from TrackR to Adero was aimed at launching a revamped product, brand, and company vision by the 2018 holiday season. The firm's shareholders included notable names like Amazon, Foundry, and Revolution. However, according to PitchBook, the company is now out of business as of August 2021.

Adero's core business revolved around an intelligent organization system designed to reduce the stress of managing personal belongings. The system operated within the consumer electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) market. Its product consisted of a two-part hardware system: a main "Smart Tag" and smaller trackers called "Taglets". Clients would attach the Smart Tag to a primary container, such as a backpack or gym bag, and affix the Taglets to essential items that go inside, like a laptop, passport, or headphones. The Smart Tag communicates with the Taglets, and through a companion mobile app available for iOS and Android, it sends a notification to the user if they are about to leave without a tagged item. This created a network where users' belongings could essentially manage themselves, turning any bag into a smart, organized container.

The mobile application served as the central hub for the user experience. It allowed individuals to manage their tagged items, create contextual alerts, and set proactive reminders. The design focused on a streamlined user journey, from onboarding to the daily management and location of items. The goal was to create a system that, once set up, would fade into the background, relying on notifications and interactions on the Smart Tag itself to help users build better organizational habits. For its approach, Adero was recognized by Fast Company, ranking #10 on their list of Most Innovative Companies in Consumer Electronics in 2019. Keywords: Adero, TrackR, intelligent organization, smart tag, item tracker, personal asset management, Bluetooth tracker, IoT device, consumer electronics, proactive alerts, loss prevention, mobile application, Smart Tag, Taglets, bag organization, asset tracking system, personal inventory, connected hardware, stress reduction, Goleta startup