May 3

The 9th Semi-finalist Start:up 2014: A look into the subconscious

Consumer neuroscience represents the next step in product development, marketing research and communication. The disadvantage of current marketing and consumer research is that they sometimes fail to take into account the fact that most human experience is subconscious. The solution to the problem lies in measuring subconscious emotional responses that more accurately explain and predict consumer behavior.


Team Startup BLCKB (top left mag. Matej Butala, designer, top right dr. Luka Zevnik, researcher, bottom left Manuel Kuran, researcher, bottom right Marko Bratkovič, developer)
 
The problem of today’s neuro-consumer research is the use of the EEG medical equipment (electroencephalography, measuring brain’s electrical activity with electrodes on the surface of the head), which is not optimized for this kind of research, the data collection and analysis are very complex and the licensed equipment is very expensive. The necessary equipment is partially developed in low-cost EEG products for the gaming industry, but captures only simple algorithms that do not enable more complex research work.
 
The solution lies in the cross-section of the two segments: the accuracy of medical EEG equipment with the easy use of a simple EEG product, which is joined in the BLACKBOX device for measuring brain activity. The company is developing and testing EEG devices for the detection of attention and subconscious emotional responses to new products and services in order to increase sales. In the future, the company is planning to develop a super laboratory, where they will be able to develop specific research plans to fit each individual client.
 
They are interested in entering the emerging markets, where there is an interest for this kind of research, but due to high prices they cannot afford the standard research with medical EEG devices. The company already signed a letter of intent on strategic partnership for marketing on the Australian market in the MENA region, and they are discussing a venture capital investment from Russia.
 
Author: Anja Kodra