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The experience of mounting a phone in a dashboard for easy use and viewing of navigation apps can be frustrating: the phone keeps sliding around and users have to look down constantly. Commonly, users would find a cheap holder system that clips to the air vent...soon users realise that they still have to look down, the clip is unstable and blocks the air vent.

Aside from these issues: the split second between when users look down at their phone for directions and look back up can be a life changing second.
Over 140 million drivers in the US who use their smartphones in their cars have the same exact problem - they are required by law to have a secure phone mount. These drivers are spending over 290 million dollars a year on phone holders and the market is expected to grow 5.5% per year...and yet after talking to drivers, we were surprised that very few of these products are providing the safety and reliability that they need. Many drivers end up abandoning their phone holders and go back to holding it with their hand or setting it in their lap.
Due to this large market opportunity, the phone holder industry is very competitive. We ranked the most popular phone holders on the market by price and customizable features and here’s what we found:

• Highly customizable phone holders use high quality materials with a wide range of features but are pricey and are a risky investment for drivers - every driver's car is different
• On the lower end, there is a crowded market for cheap phone holders with attractive prices, but don’t deliver on functionality, ergonomics, and quality.

Automa is intended to be a mid range product and offer a high level of customization

Given our competitive positioning, our product also focuses on: HUD, Reliability, Safety, Accessibility, and Customizability - all of which is built into our seamless product experience. It could be yours for $33! 

So, you’ve just spent the $33 and ordered the Automa 01! It arrives in a fully recyclable matte black packaging right to your doorstep. The Automa 01 comes securely packaged as the 0 and the 1. The modularity of the holder allows the user to easily replace parts and customize their phone holder particular to the car they drive. The modular pieces can then be popped into place by following the grooves on the surface of the holder. All you have to do is open the clip and take off the slip cover of the adhesive. This combination of adhesive and rubber firmly grips the phone holder in place.
To attach the phone holder, simply clip it to the lip of the dashboard. The curve at the bottom improves the stability so you can drive worry free. The head of the holder is equipped with 4 strong neodymium magnets that attach to a sticker on your phone. Once attached, feel free to rotate it as you please.

<AT THIS POINT ADD UPDATED UX SCREENS> Don’t just take our word for it, just look at our satisfied users so far. We’ve conducted hours of drive tests with different cars under various road and weather conditions. Imagine, you could be enjoying the benefits of a reliable holder experience! 

Through collaborating with magnet, adhesive and injection  molding manufacturers  - we can confirm that our product will deliver quality at a production cost of 15 dollars.
We found that most of our target audience finds automotive gadgets to purchase in 3 main channels, Amazon, Google, and Youtube.

Our marketing strategy pushes the product through these 3 main channels:

• In year 1 - We increase our discoverability on Amazon through the online storefront + amazon sponsored product
• In year 2 Boost E-commerce using google SEO. Youtube will also be leveraged in terms of buffer or search ads as well as influencer placement
• In year 3, we look forward to pushing out an app, we will be using ASO through MoEngage

We expect to sell 600,000 units by the end of year 5. This brings us into having a 5%. In year one, our main product is the Automa 01

But it does not stop there! In year 2 we will be introducing modular replacements and attachments to accommodate different car layouts.

We are focused on making the best phone holders, but we also see a trend in the rise of heads up navigation and AR platforms. In year 3, we are developing an AR navigation app. Automa has a first mover advantage in being a reliable heads up display to prop up phones to use this AR navigation app.

By year 5 we believe we will bring in $20 million in revenue from all the products we sell.  5 year Overall Financial Projection 

Initial User research through Interviews, Surveys, Zoom Calls, and Observation

Current user journey mapped according to Action, Emotion, Pain points and potential Oppourtunities.


Target, Insights, Oppourtunities, and Potential Customers outlined through distilling weeks of research 


Deeper dives into 4 physical tools and 4 digital tools that conventionally help with automotive navigation.