Making Life Easier With A Simple Mobile App Solution

Another company has used a small amount of capital to launch a mobile app that simplifies a common problem. Giftiki helps people collaborate on giving a joint birthday gift to a friend. The app runs on iOS and is available from Apple’s App Store. Users pool small monetary gifts through a social networking feature.

The Giftiki app functions like a sophisticated gift card system. The gaming interface allows gift recipients to select one or two gifts that they really like, instead of getting numerous small unwanted gifts. A Giftiki user is initiated by selecting a Facebook friend, sending a monetary contribution of up to $10 by using a credit card, selecting digital gift wrapping, sending a public message, and inviting friends to join.

The iPhone app sends notifications of upcoming birthdays after syncing with birth date details from Facebook. This prompts other users to chip in with small amounts. In addition, the Facebook wall of the gift recipient has the Giftiki information. More Facebook friends see this and add further amounts.

Gift recipients receive notifications about their gifts at Giftiki. Gifting is simplified for the senders and the recipients can redeem multiple small amounts for something significant. Retailers who have partnered with Giftiki include Starbucks, Macy’s, The Cheesecake Factory, and Sports Authority. The combined donations from friends are also redeemable through American Express.

Giftiki launched the app in October 2011 after the company raised $20,000 of seed funding and $1,000,000 from investors. The corporation was created in 2009. Giftiki relocated to San Francisco after mentoring at the Brandery startup accelerator in Cincinnati

The company is currently developing an Android version of the mobile app. Giftiki has focused exclusively on birthdays. An estimated 82 million birthday related posts are circulated on Facebook daily. However, future addition of other gift giving occasions to the app is possible – such as anniversaries and graduations.