BOND

Bond, founded in 2013 by Sonny Caberwal, carved a niche in the market by merging traditional personal communication with modern technology. The New York-based company developed a service that enabled businesses and individuals to send physically-written notes, generated by robots, at scale. This addressed a market gap for personalized communication in an increasingly digital world, targeting clients from large Fortune 500 companies to startups and real estate brokers who sought to foster stronger relationships with their customers.

The founder, Sonny Caberwal, brought a diverse and entrepreneurial background to the venture. A graduate of Duke University and Georgetown University Law Center, his career path included being a corporate lawyer, a percussionist for the band Thievery Corporation, a fashion model, and co-founding Exclusively.in, an e-commerce platform in India. This blend of creative and business experience informed Bond's mission to make thoughtful gestures, like sending a handwritten note, seamless and scalable. The company was conceived as the "opposite of Snapchat," aiming to create lasting, tangible connections.

The core of Bond's service was its proprietary technology: robotic arms capable of wielding pens to replicate human handwriting. Users could submit messages through a website or mobile app, choose from various stationery and handwriting styles (or even have their own handwriting digitized), and Bond's machines would write and mail the notes. The platform featured static electricity to keep the paper pristine and finished each envelope with a wax seal for a premium touch. The business model was primarily pay-per-use, with prices around $3.50 per note for individual orders and reduced rates for bulk business orders. The company also offered a subscription-based concierge service called Bond Black for high-volume users. In 2018, the company launched "Bond Groups," a self-service feature allowing users to send personalized notes to up to 550 recipients by uploading a spreadsheet with variable data.

Bond gained traction and attracted high-profile investors, including the president of Goldman Sachs and the rapper Nas. By the end of 2015, the company reported significant monthly revenue growth and had 200 robotic writing machines in operation. In May 2016, Bond was acquired by Newell Brands (then Newell Rubbermaid), the parent company of major writing instrument brands like Sharpie and Paper Mate. The acquisition was intended to integrate Bond's technology with Newell's extensive portfolio to explore the future of writing and creative expression. Following the acquisition, Caberwal served as the Lead of Digital Innovation at Newell Brands until leaving to found other ventures. Keywords: Sonny Caberwal, robotic handwriting, automated notes, personalized communication, customer engagement, client retention, handwritten marketing, direct mail automation, Newell Brands acquisition, stationery service, robotic penmanship, personalized gifting, customer relationship management, corporate correspondence, tech-enabled direct mail, thoughtful communication, scalable personalization, writing robots, custom stationery, mail automation