I got a chance to meet Robert Kieffer, one of the four co-founders of Zenbe.com and a local Bend tech vet. Having worked for many start-ups along with a few fairly well known Internet companies as well (a little company you might’ve heard of called Google…).
Kieffer knows his stuff. And he’s had some success in some of those previous companies. Initially working with one of the four co-founders, Alan Chung, Kieffer wanted to centralize the Internet experience. This is where the idea for Zenbe was formulated in its infancy.
Currently, the main project for Kieffer, who is, it seems, by far the biggest telecommuter within the company, is their new iPhone application. The project met a fair amount of success, with the walled garden that is Apple software providing the only roadblock to full integration. However, by being able to share lists, the Zenbe app has set itself apart from other to do list apps out there.
The initial idea behind Zenbe, though, was relatively simple: make e-mail better.
“We wanted to take e-mail out of the hands of the big companies that hadn’t done anything and incorporate blogs, social networks, IM and what have you into one place,” Kieffer said.
And, well, they’ve been pretty successful. Seeing this kind of innovation from a Bend-based developer is, of course, very exciting.
Granted, the company isn’t based here, but nonetheless, much of the creative force is based right here in Bend. This bodes well for our continued growth as a centralized hub for technology and innovation.
A few notes on the company itself:
The company was started 2 years ago by 4 founders.
Monetization plans – many possibilities but none yet confirmed or enacted.
Officially launched service (public beta) in April.
50,000+ users and growing exponentially.
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