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Search To Phone raises angel round

A fourth TechStars company from this summer has received angel funding, joining EventVue, MadKast, and SocialThing. Now, Search To Phone has closed on an angel round as of this past Friday. Their product allows you to record your voice and broadcast a specific search request to relevant local merchants simultaneously, saving time and effort.

Since I first met the guys behind Search To Phone, I’ve been saying it’s like 411 for “what” instead of “who.” If you’ve ever used a local search site or the yellow pages to find multiple vendors for a very specific need, you’ve probably had to make multiple calls. Each time you had to repeat yourself, and often the company you had reached couldn’t do exactly what you needed. Search To Phone really helps automate category based searches for things like plumbers, flowers, contractors, and as Carmin proved at investor day, even Elvis impersonators.

I recently used SearchToPhone to track down a vendor for some very customized buttons for trade shows. This was a very small order that only a small shop would even consider fulfilling, with custom shape and size requirements. I recorded the query just once, and it was broadcast to dozens of merchants. Only two accepted the query, and both had already understood the requirements and timeline before they were anonymously connected back to me. This probably saved me an hour.

I was psyched that Carmin and Sebastian were able to get this round done. As Carmin tells the story, he was sitting under the Hollywood sign wondering where his next meal was going to come from when he got the call from TechStars. They had spent all of their money building the Search To Phone prototype and financing it by couch-surfing and working from a car. They weren’t sure what they were going to do next, but they were trying to figure out a way to stay in business and strongly considering selling star tour maps. I think this story is a bit exaggerated (not the part about the car, maybe just he Hollywood sign), but I can honestly say that these guys have no quit in them.

Search To Phone can work with searches originated from online properties or service directories, and is actively looking for partners in this space. It can also work as a replacement or enhancement of directory assistance services. You can play with it right now by visiting SearchToPhone.com or by calling (800) 547-2811. Give it a whirl and let the guys know what you think.