With A Note-Writing Robot, Bond Is Uber For Gift Giving

You know what works really well when you’re building relationships? Bribery, also known as gifts.

Bond, a new startup launching out of New York, understands this. The company also understands that, even if you have cash to burn, giving thoughtful, tasteful gifts isn’t the easiest process to go through. That’s why Bond developed an app that lets anyone easily choose and send gifts to people all from the comfort of your smartphone. You can even send a handwritten note.

How’s that for class?

Here’s how it works: After a meeting with a potential employer or investor, you open up the Bond app and specify a price you’re comfortable with. There are tabs for under $50, under $100, under $250, and a Splurge tab.

From there, you look through a number of items that would make good gifts. This includes classic gifts like a desk ornament, a candle, a bottle of wine, or incredible chocolates, but it also includes unique gifts like a vintage leather basketball or Billiard ball cuff links.

Once you’ve selected a gift, you can choose a recipient of the gift from your contacts. If you know the address, you have the option to enter it yourself. If not, Bond will automatically send a text saying something like, “Jordan wants to send you a gift on Bond, please fill in your address with the link below.”

Once an address is entered into the system and confirmed, it never has to be added again.

From there, you enter credit card information one time, and every gift after that is an Uber-style experience. Simply choose the gift, choose the recipient, and you’re done.

However, Bond has a feature that adds a special touch for those of us who like to keep it personal. Bond has a robot (yes, an actual robot) that will transcribe your digitally typed note into a handwritten letter.

Check it out:

Eventually, co-founder Sonny Caberwal explains, Bond will be able to give you an option between different handwriting styles to best match your own.

Each Bond gift comes in a Bond box, creating a luxury experience for the recipient. “When we order something online, the experience of receiving it in the mail is always exciting, especially if it’s well-packaged,” said Caberwal. “But when we order something as a gift, it’s imperative that the experience be as amazing as possible for the person receiving the gift.”

That’s why Bond operates as its own retailer in many ways. The company buys out the inventory wholesale and handles the shipping, covering the entire experience from beginning to end.

If you want to check out the app, it’s available for download now in the App Store.