Ukraine Tech Startup First Contact Launches Contacter

NEW YORK, April 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- First Contact, a wearable tech startup based in Kiev, Ukraine, today launched a prototype of a wearable device called Contacter, presented in the form of a touchscreen watch. Contacter will be funded via an Indiegogo campaign beginning April 10.

The device is the first social network to allow point-to-point, peer-to-peer truly secure communication between users. Contacter is the first non-internet based social network increasing true social interactions while preventing unwanted interference. Additionally, the device's ability to prevent interference has been tested for months by protesters in the Ukraine, proving the concept. Contacter's developers devote the project to the Ukrainian people during government protests in late 2013 to 2014.

"Contacter now makes it possible to connect with friends confidentially and without relying on service providers, which also protects the user's privacy," said Valeriy Borovyk, CEO. "Privacy is an important issue right now, so we are excited to begin the Indiegogo campaign, which will allow us to put the Contacter into production."

The wearable device creates a Zigbee-powered network that allows use in both personal and professional capacities. Applications for the Contacter include:

• Political organizing / protests
• Networking with users at a large tradeshow
• Location-based marketing

As with traditional social networks, users add details about themselves, including name, interests and requirements for potential contacts. To ensure privacy, the data entered into Contacter can be visible to all users, only to accepted contacts, or invisible to all users. Based on preferences, one can search and select people or businesses and send a message to make initial contact. 

The First Contact team is made up of several creative people from various technical and commercial backgrounds. CEO Valeriy Borovyk is also Chairman of the Alliance "New Energy of Ukraine", with a background in of alternative energy, aerospace and IT.  Declan Gordon Carroll, a former enterprise development consultant of the Irish government, has helped to implement more than 300 start-ups. Dmitry Novikov, designer and winner of the first prize of "high-speed train of the future" of Bombardier Transportation; Oles Sanin, Ukrainian film director, whose film "Mamay" was nominated for an Oscar as best foreign film in 2003; 16-year-old Ukrainian student Eugene Borovyk, an official partner of Google, which created the Public with over 1.5 million views.

More detailed information about Contacter is available at http://www.contacter.biz

Contact: Renatta Siewert, 1-212-896-1251, [email protected]

SOURCE First Contact