Cord Project

Cord Project was a technology startup that developed a one-tap voice messaging platform for mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches. Founded in New York City in 2014 by former Google employees Thomas Gayno and Jeff Baxter, the company aimed to innovate in audio communication. Gayno and Baxter had previously worked together for five years at the Google Creative Lab. The company's main application, Cord, allowed users to send short voice messages with simple gestures like tapping to listen and holding to record, removing the need for text-based conversation threads. The platform was designed to work across both iOS and Android devices.

In September 2014, Cord Project secured $1.8 million in a seed funding round. The round was co-led by Metamorphic Ventures and Lerer Hippeau Ventures, with participation from Google Ventures, Greycroft Partners, Slow Ventures, and several angel investors. The flagship app, Cord, reached over one million users globally. In addition to Cord, the company developed other experimental apps like Chhirp, for sharing audio clips on Twitter, and Shhout, a broadcast-style voice messaging app.

In January 2016, Spotify acquired Cord Project for an undisclosed amount. Following the acquisition, the Cord Project team joined Spotify's New York office to form a new product group focused on creating new content experiences and shaping the future of music engagement. The acquisition was part of Spotify's strategy to bring in talented teams to enhance product innovation.

Keywords: voice messaging, audio communication, mobile messaging, asynchronous communication, wearable technology, one-tap messaging, audio app, connected devices, Spotify acquisition, Cord app, Thomas Gayno, Jeff Baxter, social audio