Has your phone ever died while traveling, leaving you frantically scouring the airport for an open outlet? When checking a bag, do you have nightmares about unforeseen overweight baggage fees? Raden's smart suitcases might be the answer.
The New York based company has created eye-catching, smart luggage with the goal of making your travels less painful. CEO Josh Udashkin was inspired to create the next generation of innovative travel gear after experiencing crowded charging stations at airports and lost luggage situations.
Nowadays it seems like every mundane consumer product is getting mashed up with some wires and then BAM: it’s smart. Such devices include a smart egg tray, smart umbrella, and a smart kettle.
At a glance, educating your luggage might also sound like overkill, but the company strategically created their suitcases to be just smart enough. Here are the key smart features:
These smart features come together in a convenient mobile app. With the app you can check the weight, battery level, and proximity of your suitcase. Since the cases don’t have GPS, you wouldn’t be able to locate your luggage should it get truly lost by the airlines. However, the low-energy Bluetooth technology will help you narrow down it’s location if your bag comes within range of another Raden owner.
Udashkin, named to Crain’s New York Business Class of 2017 40 Under 40 list, is making a dent in the luggage industry. While only hitting the market a year ago, their sales are on track to hit $12 million this year.
The CEO discovered, "Younger people don't have an affinity to a [particular luggage] brand." To compete in the $40 billion luggage industry, he decided to use tech as a way to attract travelers and differentiate from household luggage brands like Tumi, Rimowa, and Samsonite. Udashkin executed this vision by employing people from companies such as Tumi and Beats along with engineers experienced in tech, wearables, and e-commerce.
Like handbags, many people see luggage as an extension of their style and personality. While generally maintaining the same rectangular shape, suitcases come in many styles, colors, and materials. Udashkin realized that he needed to not only make a great product, but also build a brand for consumers to connect with.
The company maintained the efficiency and simplicity of their smart features by creating a sleek, monochromatic hard shelled case. The polycarbonate shell is designed to be durable through impacts and resist cracking. While only offering two sizes, a carry-on and checked size, the cases come in an eye-catching array of colors and finishes.
To generate buzz upon launch last year, Raden opened a 6,000-square-foot pop-up store in SoHo, New York. The store contained a colorful floor-to-ceiling display designed and built by Noah Sherburn, an architect and designer who has crafted stage sets for artists like Jay Z and Kanye West.
Udashkin, from Canada where higher education costs are much lower, graduated college, law school, and business school without any student loans. He moved to the US and started Raden, where he quickly realized how much debt US graduates carry with them. As a way to help his young employees remove the burden of debt, and go on to become the next great entrepreneur, he offers a loan payment matching program. "If you are at zero and don't owe anybody anything, you are free to make choices about whether you want to save for retirement or start a company," says Udashkin.
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