In 1939, inventor Hans Laube introduced the “Smell-O-Vision” at the New York World's Fair. This cumbersome system, with a pipe attached to a circular mechanism containing a vial of stinky liquid, was intended to be installed to enhance the movie theater experience.
Smell-O-Vision appeared in an actual movie just 20 years later in the 1960s. the scent of mystery, This thriller challenged viewers to identify the villain using their sense of smell. (Was it Coca-Cola in the murderer's glass…or was it vodka?)
Despite the fact that neither Smell-O-Vision nor its replacement Aromavision caught on (they were simply too expensive to install), Avner Gal, CEO and co-founder of Israeli startup iRomaScents, I couldn't stop myself from restarting O-Vision. For the 2020s.
iRomaScents created “scented movies” using components that didn't exist in 1939 or 1960. The device, which is about the size of a small router, is packed with a box of “scents” that fits under each seat and releases scents to viewers in their seats. The correct point in the progression of the movie. This system is powered by a rechargeable battery and is quick and easy to install.
But on the way to the fragrant cinematic Nirvana, a funny thing happened.
Gal and co-founder Erin Berry, who lives in the UK, have been showing off their technology at the CES trade show for the past three years. But movie theaters weren't interested at all.
“The logistics were too complicated,” Gul told ISRAEL21c. “We need to convince movie theaters to install it and get permission from the movie theaters.” [studios] To add fragrance. ”
But CES attendees gushed about another use for iRomaScents: perfume selection.
shopping wizard
Berry explains that choosing a fragrance at your local pharmacy or Sephora store can often be frustrating.
“It takes 20 minutes to open a bottle. So I ask the clerk, 'So, what do you like?' The conversion rate is terrible. Many people give up and walk away without making a purchase. ”
For retail stores, iRomaScents has developed an AI wizard that asks shoppers a series of questions on a tablet. Based on the responses (the survey takes approximately 2 minutes to complete), the wizard will recommend the best fragrance for the consumer and his three backups.
Berry showed ISRAEL21c some videos of visitors to the iRomaScents booth at CES. “They're excited about what the device recommends, so their mouths are open. Some might say, 'Wow, that's exactly what I use!' Chanel No.5 or L'Oréal products. ”
Selling to retailers transforms iRomaScents' value proposition from a “nice-to-have” entertainment gimmick to a “must-have” that increases profits while minimizing frustration. However, Berry points out that the device can help sell merchandise at movie theaters. Too. She says nothing says “buy me!” like the smell of freshly roasted coffee.
A home-use system is also under development. Here, anyone interested in purchasing perfume or aftershave runs her iRomaScents AI wizard at home and receives a link to the nearest store selling the fragrance of their choice.
market needs
Each iRomaScents device can store up to 45 'Whiffs', so the average perfume counter would need 3 of them to cover the 135 fragrances typically stocked in the store .
iRomaScents contractors will be restocking the devices as part of a “printer and ink” model. In this case, the device itself is relatively inexpensive, and the company makes money from the consumables (in this case, liquid perfume).
Gall points to the fact that competing scent companies use solid materials as a drawback.
“When you open a sealed package of solids, it turns to steam, and you can't control how long it takes. You have to incorporate a fan, and the faster the fan spins, the faster the solid will fade.”
Berry says the timing for this product is right.
“People are getting used to shopping on a screen, both at home and outdoors. This is one of the reasons why people are so excited when they see our solution. We see a real need in this market. We have confirmed that there is.”
In fact, Industry Research Co. estimates the current size of the home fragrance market at just over $7 billion annually worldwide, and expects it to grow to nearly $10 billion by 2028.
Fragrance delivery devices at perfume counters also apply to a depressing trend occurring across the United States: theft.
“Sephora announced they would lock all their products behind glass. Walgreens and CVS too,” Gall laments. This puts an extra burden on staff who must constantly unlock cases. “With our device, there is nothing to steal and the space required is very small.”
scent emoji
iRomaScents ran a pilot in Japan and eagerly entered the U.S. trade show scene for mass production and sales.
At the latest CES show in January, iRomaScents introduced its new Scenticon application, a way to send scented emojis.
“People send about 5 billion emojis a day on the web. We transformed that into a new generation of emojis that share emotions through smell.” (Recipients have an iRomaScents device )
Another potential market is corporate customers who want to fine-tune the smell of their products.
“Cleaning products, dish detergent, and laundry detergent all have odors,” says Gall. “Companies go to great lengths to get the right scent. Now, when distributors come to meet with customers, they have to carry around a bunch of scented bottles. , he can only bring one device.
And in the future, devices like the just-launched Apple Vision Pro and Meta's Quest could incorporate smell into some video games using virtual reality goggles.
“Everything creates a scent,” Gall jokes.
the scent is forever
Due to the structure of the brain, the sense of smell and memory are closely related. This means that “once you get a smell in your head, it stays with you almost forever,” Gall says.
The idea for the company is also one that Gall has had in mind for a long time.
During his 24 years of service in the Israeli Navy, he earned master's degrees in electrical engineering and business administration. He and Berry then became business partners.
For many years, they managed Integrity Applications, headquartered in Ashkelon, and developed non-invasive glucose monitors. The company's flagship product, his GlucoTrack, senses blood sugar levels through ultrasound, electromagnetic and thermal devices attached to the earlobe.
“Avner is constantly stimulating his brain to improve lives and make the world a better place,” Berry says.
“Even when we were busy with blood sugar monitors, he told me one day that he wanted to make a scented movie. This idea had been in the back of his mind for years.”
Rishon Lezion-based iRomaScents, a five-person company, was founded as a bootstrapped company in 2019 and raised $4 million in late 2020. Another $3 million of his planned $10 million round is currently in the bank, and fundraising continues.
