If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been on the search for the perfect to-do list app and productivity system. But after trying numerous options, I found that managing these tools often ends up hindering my productivity rather than enhancing it. That’s where Hoop, a productivity startup founded by a group of former Trello employees, comes in. This innovative company aims to use AI to automatically generate and track your to-do list.
The company recently announced a successful round of seed funding, securing $5 million in investments led by Index Ventures. Other notable investors include Origin Ventures, Divergent Capital, and Chingona Ventures.
The core concept behind Hoop is simple yet revolutionary. It uses advanced AI technology to capture potential tasks from various communication platforms, such as Google Meet, Slack, and eventually email. These tasks are then compiled into your Hoop to-do list for easy management.
Hoop was co-founded by Stella Garber, Brian Schmidt, and Justin Gallagher. Garber, the current CEO, previously held a marketing position at Trello. Gallagher was the first product person at Trello and played a key role in developing the company’s mobile app. Schmidt, with a background in operations, finance, and legal, brings a well-rounded skillset to the team.
“We were considering our next career moves and had a desire to recreate the magic of Trello’s early days,” Garber explained. They noticed that people are now bombarded with meetings and messages more than ever, making it challenging to keep track of tasks. Existing productivity tools often end up requiring too much time and effort to manage effectively.
“What if we start with AI as the foundation for task management? How could we do things differently?” Garber recalls. This realization was the “lightbulb moment” for the team. They noticed that other platforms often have to add AI on top of their existing systems, while Hoop is entirely AI-driven from the start.
The team also emphasizes that Hoop focuses on productivity and to-do lists, setting it apart from other AI-based platforms. With their deep knowledge and experience from Trello, the Hoop founders are confident in their ability to create a successful product in this space.
Currently, Hoop is primarily designed for individual use, but the team plans to introduce more team-oriented features in the future. “We want to make Hoop as valuable as possible for individual users before expanding to teams,” Garber stated. The company also plans to introduce different views for the to-do list over time, providing users with a customizable experience.
Aside from the institutional investors, Hoop also gained support from notable angel investors, including Wade Foster (CEO of Zapier), Job van der Voort (CEO of Remote), Andy Dunn (former CEO of Bonobos), Annie Duke (first female to win the World Series of Poker), Maria Katris (CEO and co-founder of BuiltIn), Maggie Adhami-Boynton (CEO and co-founder of ShopThing), and Sean Harper (CEO and co-founder of Kin).
