TechStars Seattle startup Sandglaz has raised a $500,000 seed round from private investors for its task-management service, which combines the practices of Agile development methodologies with traditional project management.
Sandglaz, founded in 2011, is designed for high performance teams of five to 15 people who often have shifting priorities. The difference, says Co-Founder Nada Aldahleh, is the flexibility that the service gains by allowing for a more iterative project management.
Aldahleh uses the term “infinite grids” to describe how Sandglaz can be broken down into adjustable milestones. A customer has the capability to break down task lists, add descriptions, and set notifications and due dates. Tasks are through a simple drag and drop feature.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2d46o2vkU?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]
In her last job Aldahlel managed the transition from the traditional waterfall development methodology to an Agile process. Through that work came the idea and the initial development for the service.
Sandglaz needs baking. They plan to do an email integration and develop apps for the Android and the iPhone. Customers are requesting a universal grid so they can get a first view of all their different projects at one time. The company is developing that feature.
Sandglaz is another great example of an easy-to-use service, and its greatest challenge is the number of new competitors in the market, including Jive Software, which recently acquired Producteev; Liquid Planner; Salesforce.com and its Do.com service; Asana; and Siasto, which I looked at last month.
