Sure the latest initiatives from the Teslas, Apples and Googles of the industry tend to dominate the tech news space — and with good reason. Still, the tech titans aren’t the only ones bringing innovation to the sector.
In an effort to highlight up-and-coming startups, Built In has launched The Future 5 across 11 major U.S. tech hubs. Each quarter, we will feature five tech startups, nonprofits or entrepreneurs in each of these hubs who just might be working on the next big thing. Read our round-up of LA’s rising startups from last quarter here.
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When it comes to moving to a new place, it can be a challenge to find things to do that fit one’s specific tastes and interests. The seemingly limitless options in a big city can make planning an outing an extremely time-consuming task, a situation Lane Petrauskas is all too familiar with.
Having lived in 12 cities across three countries herself, Petrauskas decided to build a solution that would ensure planning a fun activity doesn’t turn into a chore. With a background in advertising, Petrauskas gained plenty of experience writing and producing brand commercials and campaigns. Her knack for highlighting the things that make businesses stand out led her to launch Skorch in 2017.
Skorch is a mobile lifestyle app that instantly connects users to the hottest destinations their city has to offer. Built for users who want to be up-to-date and in the know about trendy places and hidden gems, Skorch offers a curated selection of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and attractions — without users having to scour lengthy reviews and blog posts. The app currently operates across 15 markets across the U.S. and Canada.
“People really seem to crave a simple, intuitive and trusted way to find the best restaurants, bars and cafes, places to go and things to do, but … we are all in a bit of cognitive overload,” Petrauskas told Built In. “We have endless options, endless choices right at our fingertips, which is a blessing and a curse because it can make a simple question like, ‘What’s a great trendy spot for dinner,’ a really overwhelming question.”
On the app, Skorch offers a handpicked list of hotspots around a city including highly-rated food, drink, ambiance and the like. It displays these local places on its heat map feature and indicates them with warmer- or cooler-colored bubbles depending on how popular they are with users. It also has a social feature where users can view an activity feed to gather inspiration for new outings based on others’ recommendations. The company currently partners with influencers — like Hannah Godwin from Bachelor in Paradise — who use the app as “Skorch Select” members.
Users have their own profiles where they can share photos and informational snippets of their experiences at any of the locations on Skorch’s list. These snippets, called tags, help others get a grasp of what a certain place brings to the table, whether that’s top-tier food, outdoor seating or a long line to get in. Basically, users can tell each other if a place passes the vibe check.
Compared to apps like Yelp or Instagram, Skorch differs in how it prioritizes posts with the most recent on display first. This way, content is shown in real-time and thus is more reliable for destination seekers.
“I’ve always said Skorch is more than an app. It’s a brand, it’s a lifestyle, it’s an opinion leader, it’s a platform,” Petrauskas said. “So I see Skorch, the brand, continuing to iterate even beyond the app … [and] being more than just tech. It’s a community, and continuing to grow that community and engage with our users is a priority as we expand.”
Bootstrapped since its inception, Skorch is in the midst of raising its first round of outside capital. The company’s next steps are to expand into Denver, Boston and Atlanta as well as establish more influencer partnerships.
As it continues to extend its reach into new cities and eventually countries, Skorch simultaneously plans to add new categories to its platform including hospitality, retail and fitness and wellness.
