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A "bold" hardware startup from Palestine has just officially launched the Knot, the country's first tech product, through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.

The Knot is a wearable USB charging cable that powers iOS and Android smartphones at double the speed of commercial chargers! If you think that's something, just wait: There's more.

From Palestine to the World

Lama Mansour and Ismat Tuffaha are the co-founders of BOLD Gadgets, the company behind the Knot.

Mansour and Tuffaha started working on the Knot a little over a year ago in Palestine, until their product reached an advanced stage and they found their growth constrained by market restrictions. They then decided to seek opportunities abroad and go international.

"To achieve that, we had to level up the quality of our work and put a lot of effort to meet the international standards. We found that the field of consumer electronics is one of the fields that we can actually compete in," said Mansour.

Last November, BOLD won second place at the Best Startup competition during Global Entrepreneur Week (GEW) in Palestine for its vision, business model, and product.

The startup was then selected by the Estonia-based Buildit Hardware Accelerator to benefit from a €10,000 (around $11,000) investment and mentorship (for a 6% equity share). Mansour and Tuffaha relocated to Estonia where they were able to work freely on electronics, PCBs, manufacturing, and logistics.

A Charger, a Battery, an Accessory, and a Friend

Short battery life and slow charging time remain the biggest problem with smartphones. Tech startups like SolidEnergy and Leyden Energy are looking into special electrolyte mixtures in lithium-ion batteries to answer this pain. Others like Native Union are addressing cable issues and finding solutions to make them more performing, or easier to manage physically, or more stylish.

The BOLD Knot is one of the very few all-in-one charging solutions with the most benefits: It is fast, durable, portable, and fashionable.

The Knot charges phones via a USB port twice as fast as other cables. Once the phone is fully charged, the Knot starts charging a concealed internal battery that can then act as an emergency power source with up to 3 hours of autonomy.

Furthermore, the Knot is pocket-sized and can be used as a keychain or wearable accessory. This makes it a convenient on-the-go solution from all angles.

"When we started BOLD Gadgets, we thought of ways to integrate handmade accessories with hardware solutions. For the Knot, we decided to fill decorative “monkey fist” knots with battery units to create handy, portable, and emergency battery packs," said Mansour. As a kid, Mansour used this knot to create handmade keychains from colorful shoelaces.

The Knot cable is made of strong and durable parachute cords that keep it cable flexible and strain free. This protects both the cable and the battery inside, which guarantees a longer product life.

You can watch the video of the product below:

From Crowdfunding to International Distribution

BOLD Gadgets exceeded its $15,000 crowdfunding goal on Indiegogo for manufacturing the first batch of Knots, doubling this figure in only 5 days. The campaign offers the first 500 early bird backers the chance to acquire the Knot for a special price of $39 ($29 + $10 shipping outside the US).

BOLD sees this as a trial run for online sales, rather than pure crowdfunding. "Crowdfunding will provide us with a safe proof of demand, and help us reach to a market-fit product without having to go through larger scale manufacturing first [...] We view it as the best debut for our company internationally because otherwise it would be hard to break into the international market," said Mansour.

Indiegogo also included the Knot in the pilot phase of a new perk option it is introducing: The general idea is that backers can enjoy better flexibility and be able to acquire a pack of 2 perk items (2 Knots) for a reduced price.

Any additional funds raised will be used to gain traction, publicity and set the company for a second round of investment with a better valuation.

After the campaign, BOLD Gadgets will focus on online retail sales. The Knot's retail price will eventually be $49 ($39 + $10 for shipping outside the US).

"We will also be doing some offline distribution deals for brand recognition," said Mansour. The startup is currently seeking product placement through Euronics Estonia, part of the largest electronics distribution network in Europe. They are also in negotiations with a big European telecoms company.

Keep your eyes on this promising young startup. BOLD Gadgets has 3 other products in the mobile and wearables sector, currently in R&D, and will announce them soon.

See related:

Why Is Hardware on the Rise?

What's the Deal with Wearable Technology?