4 Pakistani entrepreneurs launch innovative tech-leather products on Kickstarter

Pakistan is quite famous for its leather products. In past, several startups have taken the indigenous products made in Pakistan to international crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and have raised several hundred thousand dollars successfully.

RockDove is another such startup which is using leather to make products of wide-range including tote, briefcase, wallet, clutch wallet, traveler’s wallet, a camera sling and a baggage tag. The products, although, appear to be traditional yet they are technology based.

Simply said, the products come with a built-in Bluetooth chip which is connected with a smartphone to keep a track of the product and hence the belongings in it as well. The Bluetooth device is mounted on a flexible board discreetly tucked away in each of its products. Although hidden from plain view, it allows users to track their most essential belongings via smartphone or tablet.

Not only does the tracking chip guide the owner to the exact location of their product if misplaced, for added security, users can also set an alert to be notified if a product is taken out of a certain radius. Further to that, if the product leaves the Bluetooth range of 100 meters, it can be found using a feature known as CrowdFind. Each chip can be charged using its wireless charger, which also doubles as an 8000 mAh portable battery pack to charge other devices on the go.

RockDove’s quality products are made with full-grain leather — the most premium part of the leather hide — which is tanned over several weeks using natural tannins and is less hazardous to the environment than cheaper alternatives. Vegetable tanning also allows the leather to age with use and develop a beautiful patina over time. Each product comes in five colour options: ochre, nectarine, roast, charcoal, and cerulean.

Introductory prices range between £18 -£199.

The company is co-founded by Ammar Jangbarwala, who is also the man behind the widely successful launch of the CES Award Winning Somabar on Kickstarter. Although expected to ship in July 2015, the product has still not made it to backers after 1 year of crossing the deadline.

“I tend to misplace my wallet and keys, a lot, and every time that happens I wish I could just track them using my phone. And so we thought, why not? We decided to develop a range of leather products that one could track, but we wanted to do so using the best possible materials, whilst keeping the design classic and the entire proposition environmentally friendly.” He adds “We are proud to say that 60% of the electronics we use in our products are sourced from certified recycled components, which results in the reduction of electronic waste in the world and has a positive impact on the environment.” said Ammar Jangbarwala.