B8ta was founded in 2015 to create spaces where shoppers can try the latest high-tech products out of the box. The first location opened in Palo Alto, and the Retail-as-a-Service company now counts 23 showrooms across the United States.
A few innovative IoT French companies have been selected by Business France to launch in the U.S. in partnership with b8ta, from December 1st until January 31st.
B8ta encourages customers to touch and try the new products displayed on large refined wood tables in stylish showrooms where tech savvy salespeople demonstrate each product.
Thanks to tablets, cameras, and trackers, customer feedback is captured on site and analyzed for each device, allowing brands to adapt their marketing strategy and improve future feature updates.
From December 1st to January 31st, the participating French companies are exhibiting in b8ta stores in San Francisco (December), in Boston, Philadelphia, and NYC in January.
The partnership between Business France and b8ta is expected to expand further in 2020 to promote more French companies and their innovative consumer tech products.
Business France is the French Government agency supporting the international development of the French economy, under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
With 10 offices across North America and more all over the world, Business France supports “La French Tech,” an initiative that promotes French startups under a visible and recognizable brand. Since La French Tech inception a few years ago, the number of French startups and investments in high tech have significantly increased. In 2019, French startups outnumbered U.S. startups at the Eureka Park at CES in Las Vegas.
For the first French Tech launch at b8ta, Business France has selected the following companies:
Aveine showcases its Smart Wine Aerator that allows all wines to be aerated precisely and in an instant. It adapts to all types of wines and reproduces the necessary aeration time for a perfect tasting. You have to scan the wine label using Aveine mobile application, and the system will set the perfect aeration for each wine.
Kabuto is a connected and expandable suitcase that makes travelers’ lives easier. Equipped with a fingerprint lock, Kabuto can also recharge your smartphone or laptop thanks to its 10,000 mAh built-in battery. We published about the Kabuto luggage when it launched on Kickstarter in October.
Lovebox is a connected wooden box that brings a modern touch to traditional love notes. Lovebox mission is to “spread happiness and bring people closer together.” Using the device, people can send messages to their family, friends, and lovers.
Lunii sells My Fabulous Storyteller, an audio device that tells stories to children without the need of a screen! Kids can choose the different elements of the stories that the Lunii device plays for them and parents can purchase and download the stories and songs from the companion bookstore application. Launched in 2016, My Fabulous Storyteller has got a lot of traction in Europe. Lunii released the Octave headphones in 2018.
Withings Steel HR Sport
At b8ta, Withings showcases the Steel HR Sport, a hybrid smartwatch specifically designed for your workout, featuring heart rate monitoring, multisport tracking, connected GPS and a Fitness Level assessment via VO2 max estimation. Packages in stylish stainless-steel body, the Steel HR Sport is water-resistant up to 50 m and delivers up to 25 days of battery life, according to the manufacturer. The Withing Body+ connected scale is also on display at b8ta, starting from December 1st in San Francisco.
We have extensively covered Withings over the years: the startup began over a decade ago to design beautiful medical devices and later embraced the wearable tech movement until the company was acquired by Nokia for$190M in June 2016. Withings retrieved its independence from Nokia in 2018, and is now back in the game of designing stylish wearables and connected health products for consumers.
Maison Berger , a company founded in 1898 by pharmacy dispenser Maurice Berger, is coming to b8ta with its new Scandinavian-style inspired Mist Diffuser that users can program according to their mood: perfume intensity, light level, and diffusion timing are customizable. Delicately etched on the white frosted covering is Maison Berger’s iconic Aroma floral design. To prevent the risk of wasteful usage and disproportionate solutions often associated with essential oils, refills are ready to use and no water is necessary.
Orange and Ubergizmo are also partners of the French Tech @ b8ta private kickoff launch event that will be held in San Francisco on December 3rd.
Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, with experts in the Silicon Valley.
Filed in . Read more about Editorspick, FrenchTech, IoT (Internet of Things) and LaFrenchtech.