I know what you’re thinking: another mobile marketplace. Great.
Yes, it is great actually. Here’s a mobile marketplace with a distinct niche: Seattle-based startup OfferUp instantly distributes items for sale across a handful of platforms, saving you at least 30 minutes. And, they are starting out by targeting moms – smart move, as parents are always trying to get rid of baby and kid items their kids have outgrown (been there, done that).
Just take a photo of whatever you want to sell on your smartphone and post to OfferUp. Items are pushed out on multiple networks: to friends and followers on social media, people nearby via Craigslist, people of similar interests (like those in moms groups), people searching online, and even people passing by (thanks geo-location tools).
Targeting moms is just a start. Founders Nick Huzar and Arean van Veelan have grander plans:
Our vision is to one day host the most offers in the world by making the entire process of selling more efficient – from instant posting to mass distribution to easy and secure communication to completing the transaction via mobile payments.
I quickly scanned their home page to see what was available. Items for sale right now range from Halloween costumes to a Maclaren stroller.
If you’re heading to Tech Cocktail Seattle tonight, you can catch up with Nick and Arean and learn more about OfferUp’s plans for now and the future.
