Puls (company)
{{short description|American tech services company}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Puls
| logo = Logo_of_Puls_Technologies.png
| type = Private
| industry = On-demand tech services
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = 2015
| founders = Eyal Ronen
Itai Hirsch
| defunct =
| hq_location_city = San Francisco
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = United States
| key_people =
| products =
| owner =
| num_employees = 100
| num_employees_year =
| parent =
| website = https://puls.com/
}}
Puls (stylized in all lowercase) is a San Francisco{{En dash}}based startup founded by Eyal Ronen and Itai Hirsch in 2015.{{Cite news|url=https://flixed.io/installation-service-free-hdtv/|title=Puls Announces New HDTV Antenna Installation Service for Cord-Cutters|date=2018-01-22|work=Flixed.io: News, Tips, and Tutorials for the Cord-Cutting Revolution|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/12/21/cellsavers-an-on-demand-phone-repair-startup-raises-3m/|title=CellSavers, An On-Demand Smartphone Repair Startup, Raises $3M|last=Lynley|first=Matthew|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/economy/sd-fi-smartphone-repair-20170815-story.html|title=Smartphone repair firm expands to fixing most digital devices|last=Grove|first=Jennifer Van|work=San Diego Union Tribune|date=August 15, 2017|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech-Talk-Building-for-better-and-quicker-digital-503149|title=Tech Talk: Building for better and quicker digital|work=The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com|access-date=2018-01-31}} The company provides in-home services such as repairs to all household appliances.{{Cite news|url=https://techdigg.com/2017/10/02/puls-is-alive-with-both-convenience-and-affordability/|title=Puls is Alive with Both Convenience and Affordability|date=2017-10-02|work=TechDigg|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131200721/https://techdigg.com/2017/10/02/puls-is-alive-with-both-convenience-and-affordability/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/the-five-global-giants-that-decide-the-fate-of-israels-startups-1.5462760|title=The Five Global Giants That Decide the Fate of Israels Startups|last1=Levy|first1=Ruti|date=2017-11-03|work=Haaretz|access-date=2018-01-31|last2=Zerachovitz|first2=Omri|language=en}} The user books an appointment for a technician to visit the user's location to fix said problem.{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/15/after-rebranding-to-puls-and-raising-new-cash-cellsavers-wants-to-help-set-up-your-smart-gadgets/|title=After rebranding to Puls and raising new cash, CellSavers wants to help set up your smart gadgets|last=Shieber|first=Jonathan|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-tech-powers-same-day-at-home-electronics-repairs/|title=Israeli tech powers same-day, at-home electronics repairs|work=Israel21c|access-date=2018-01-31|language=en-US}}
History
In 2015, the company was launched as CellSavers{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/08/15/smartphone-repair-service-cellsavers-rebrands-as-puls-raises-25-million-to-expand-into-the-smart-home/|title=Smartphone repair service CellSavers re-brands as Puls, raises $25 million to expand into the smart home - VentureBeat|website=venturebeat.com|date=15 August 2017|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-31}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/08/15/on-demand-tech-repair-25-million-funding-expansion.html|title=Technology On-demand tech repair company raises $25 million to fix more devices on the fly|website=Bizjournals.com|access-date=2018-01-31}} and was focused on repairing mobile phones and tablets. In 2017, the company was renamed Puls and started to offer broader solutions. In 2018, Puls announced a new HDTV antenna installation service.
In August 2018, following a $50 million C round investment, Puls announced expansion to additional home services or supporting "Everything with an 'ON' Switch".{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/28/puls-raises-50-million-for-in-home-technical-support/|title=Puls raises $50 million for in-home technical support - TechCrunch|website=TechCrunch|date=28 August 2018|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-28}} In September 2018, Puls was selected by LinkedIn as one of the top 25 US startups, at the 11th place.{{Cite web|url=https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/25-most-attractive-start-ups-103000277.html?guccounter=1%2F|title=The 25 most attractive start-ups to work for, according to LinkedIn|website=Yahoo! Finance|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-06|archive-date=2018-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907032253/https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/25-most-attractive-start-ups-103000277.html?guccounter=1%2F|url-status=dead}} In 2019, TV-maker TCL announced it had partnered with Puls to provide a 5,000-person installation support team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dealerscope.com/article/tcl-partners-with-puls-for-tv-install-setup-services/|title=TCL Partners with Puls for TV Install & Setup Services|website=Dealerscope|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-09|archive-date=2019-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209233608/https://www.dealerscope.com/article/tcl-partners-with-puls-for-tv-install-setup-services/|url-status=dead}}
In February 2023, Puls announced the launch of their Generative AI assistant, an AI tool using natural language processing to understand and respond to users home care questions in order to provide real time support time and price estimates.{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=AIT News|date=2023-02-03|title=Puls is Launching a First of {{as written|i|t's [sic]}} kind Generative AI to Empower Homeowners to Care for their Homes|url=https://aithority.com/natural-language/puls-is-launching-a-first-of-its-kind-generative-ai-to-empower-homeowners-to-care-for-their-homes/|access-date=2023-03-01|website=AiThority|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324115406/https://aithority.com/natural-language/puls-is-launching-a-first-of-its-kind-generative-ai-to-empower-homeowners-to-care-for-their-homes/|archive-date=2023-03-24}}
Offered Services
Partners
Apple partnered with Puls to provide home-based Genius Bar{{En dash}}type repairs and demonstrations to the customers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/14/smartphone-repair-service-puls-backed-by-samsung-ventures.html|title=Google and Samsung are using this start-up to duplicate Apple's Genius Bar — in your house|last=Kolodny|first=Lora|date=2017-08-15|work=CNBC|access-date=2018-01-31}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3723463,00.html|title=Google Partners with Mobile Repairs Startup to Handle Pixel Service|date=2017-10-24|work=CTECH |access-date=2018-01-31}}
In January 2018, Antop announced a partnership with Puls for HDTV antenna installation service.{{Cite news|url=https://flixed.io/installation-service-free-hdtv/|title=Puls Announces New HDTV Antenna Installation Service for Cord-Cutters|date=2018-01-31|work=Flixed.io|access-date=2018-05-17}}
Puls attracts great to satisfactory feedback, with Facebook showing an average feedback score of 4.1/5 stars, with 5,5443 reviews, as of January 2023. Many reviewers speak highly of the fast booking to appointment time, prompt, courteous and knowledgeable technicians and speedy repair times. Similar sentiments are on Better Business Bureau, which gives 3.88/5 stars with 480 reviews.{{cite web|title=Puls Technologies, Inc. - Reviews|url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-francisco/profile/electronics-and-technology/puls-technologies-inc-1116-879293/customer-reviews|publisher=Better Business Bureau|language=en}}
Finance
Announced in August 2018, the company raised $50 million from Temasek Holdings as the lead investor.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-tech-puls-funding/puls-technologies-raises-50-million-in-private-funding-led-by-temasek-idUSKCN1LD1CH?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews|title=Puls Technologies raises $50 million in private funding led by Temasek|date=2018-08-28|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-08-28}} In August 2017, the startup raised about $25 million series B round led by Red Dot Capital Partners along with Samsung Next, Maverick Ventures and Kreos Capital, as well as existing investors Sequoia Capital and Carmel Ventures, who previously invested $15 million Series A round in August 2016. Prior to that, it had raised $3 million in a seed round from Sequoia Capital in December 2015.{{cite web|title=Puls raises $50 million for in-home technical support|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/28/puls-raises-50-million-for-in-home-technical-support/|website=TechCrunch|date=28 August 2018}}