Nebraska Global continues investing in and providing assistance to new and early-stage software companies. The latest company to emerge from this mission is Locabal, an online marketplace that connects producers of hand-crafted items with buyers both globally and locally.
Locabal was founded by Neema Bahramzad and Caitlin Bales, both of whom are students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management. Their approach to providing artisans another way to reach consumers is more than simply providing an online storefront.
“We want to create a relationship between the buyer and the seller that doesn’t end at the point of purchase. We want the buyer to come back multiple times,” explained Bahramzad. “By applying machine learning algorithms to analyze how buyers interact with the website, we are able to display items that match their preferences. In the end, Locabal wants to completely change the way products make their way to consumers.”
“Neema and Caitlin have incredible initiative and passion for their company,” said Steve Kiene, Managing Principal of Nebraska Global. “When they approached us for seed funding I was immediately impressed with their knowledge of both the business side and the technical aspects of their idea. Not many students have the confidence to come pitch their idea and they walked away from our meeting with their funding. Their mindset of building customer relationships resonated with me and I was happy to engage with them.”
Bahramzad and Bales assembled a team of fellow students who were pursuing degrees in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Business Management, and Supply Chain Management to help bring their idea to life as quickly as possible. They felt this combination of various studies gave the team a unique combination of perspectives that would prove essential to the company’s success.
“The way we see it, the combination of youthful optimism, familiarity with the latest technologies, and our unique education makes us the perfect team for enabling entrepreneurs across the world to sell their passion to buyers regardless of location,” said Bahramzad.
Learn more at Locabal’s website, www.locabal.com.
