Startup Corner: Brandon Cash, Jason Arend and Myke Bates, Eagle Speak LLC

Minimally viable product …
Eagle Speak is a software communication platform for businesses and teams in collaborative working environments. The desktop program is designed to run seamlessly on your computer to ensure workflow and concentration remains uninterrupted all while giving you unparalleled abilities to collaborate and communicate with employees, colleagues, customers or clients.

Problem solving …
Most of us spend several hours of our day reading emails and text messages, writing out responses, correcting typos, switching between applications or searching for chat windows on our cluttered desktops. With Eagle Speak you can forget about all of this. At the sound of your voice, you create an instantaneous connection with your colleagues and improve focus and productivity in your organization.

Seed money …
Since its inception and success at Springfield Startup Weekend in November, Eagle
Speak has been nominated for Most Innovative Startup at the 2016 Association of Information Technology Professionals Techie Awards and gone on to win SPIN 66’s 2016 Pitch Pit, amassing $10,000 in cash and invaluable legal and tax services from local businesses. Most recently, Eagle Speak was accepted into the first cohort of The eFactory’s Accelerator Program, which includes $30,000 in funding.

Next phase …
By the end of the accelerator program, we plan to have a desktop application available for public beta testing. The next phase is to begin preparation for a formal launch based on what we learn from our public beta testing, including solidifying our price plans.

Pivot …
Our original thought was that our user base would consist mostly of design firms, development shops and other creative agencies. But we consistently receive interest from unexpected sources – enterprise level companies, the health care industry and even a few government agencies.