Launching out of our Summer 2015 class, Locent has created a platform that lets brands and individual “influencers” sell things through an easy-to-use, entirely mobile interface.

TechCrunch’s Fitz Tepper wrote about Locent and the problems it is solving in a story published recently:

“One of the biggest challenges for online retailers is shepherding
customers through a lengthy checkout process. By providing businesses
with a custom, text-enabled phone number, Locent turns the checkout
process into just a text message.

Here’s how retailers use the [Locent] service: After creating an account and
being assigned a custom number, stores can use Locent’s backend to
create different items, complete with price, photo, and keyword. When a user texts that keyword to a store’s number, they
automatically get a link to a payment form to complete the transaction
from their phone.

…Matt Joseph and Ryan MacInnes, co-founders of Locent, explained that
their service lets any marketing channel become a one-click point of
sale. The company is also looking into using Locent as a donation platform,
especially with 2016 presidential candidates as they begin fundraising
campaigns.”

Read the full story in TechCrunch here.