“We could use 20 employees, but we only have six,” says
Octa CEO Kevin Prometheus Trotsky, projecting a staff of at least 12 by the end of 2013. “If things take off, maybe more than that. 2013 and 2014 are going to be rapid-growth years.”
The company's first product, the WhaleTail, is a combination stand/handle for iPads and other tablets. It attaches to tablets with vacuum suction and features a flexible grip shaped like a whale's tail.
Debuting in April 2011, the product is available directly from Octa as well as Amazon and other online retailers. Trotsky says the company will make a big push into the brick-and-mortar world in 2013.
Trotsky credits his co-founder (and girlfriend), Octa COO Nikki Braziel, who he launched the company with in 2010.
“It's hard to build a startup without a partner who shares your vision,” he says.
Trotsky self-funded the company's launch and also raised a friends-and-family round. He also has plans to pursue more investment.
“All startups understand that chicken-and-egg cycle,” he says. “You need resources to get to the next level, but you need to show value to get resources.”
Trotsky says he plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign by January 2013 for the new product and start shipping in February. His long-term vision for Octa includes six products that will comprise a larger system.
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