Like many great startups, Harbor began with disappointment: Kevin Lavelle, co-founder and CEO of innovative clothing company Mizzen and Main, couldn't find a baby monitor that suited his needs. He and his wife, Jen, turned to Nanit, a popular product known for its AI smarts and breath detection.
“We developed Harbor because we were frustrated with products that over-promised and under-delivered when it came to safety and ease of use,” Lavelle says, citing one instance in particular when Nanit's app crashed, after which he woke up the next morning to find that his monitor hadn't worked all night.
Lovell founded Harbor in August 2022 with Charlie Hill, former chief innovation officer at Stratis. Hill now serves as the new company's chief product officer.
Image credit: Harbour
The biggest selling point of the Harbor hardware is that it's not reliant on an app or an internet connection, which have their own issues. Instead, the system consists of a 2K camera that generates its own Wi-Fi signal, which connects directly to the included 10-inch tablet.
The system can also be used when traveling with family members, so you can set it up without having to connect to unreliable hotel Wi-Fi.Harbor charges $336 a year for the service.
Harbor recently raised $4 million in a seed round, which combined with a spring fundraising close brings the total round to $7 million. The investors are an interesting bunch: the round was led by Trust Ventures, with participation from Tim Ferriss, Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners, and a retired tennis player and current New York Jets punter.
Image credit: Harbour
“Having seen so many of my friends struggle with baby monitors and sleeping with small children, I'm excited about a true innovation that solves a long-standing problem,” Ferris said in the release. “There's a big market for a solution that's simple, smooth and elegant under the hood.”
Another interesting thing about Harbor is that it's decidedly more traditional: The startup employs remote “night nannies.” The company writes: “Harbor replicates the expertise and nighttime guidance of an in-home night nanny, at a fraction of the cost. Parents who sign up for the service go through robust onboarding. Each night, parents grant access to Harbor's cameras and monitors. This allows infant care and sleep specialists to ensure parents can rest easy, while still receiving fail-safe notifications whenever they need them.”
This service is optional, but requires a Harbor membership to use it.