Often we highlight new companies because they are raking in millions or about to go public. But it’s also interesting to talk with college entrepreneurs, and see how they want to shape the tech world further down the road.
In that spirit, I talked with sophomore Greg Hosking of Endicott College this week. Hosking and three of his classmates have developed a new app that’s targeting one of today’s hot-button issues: police brutality. The idea is in early stages — so early that they have yet to incorporate the company officially. But they are gaining steam.
The four coders have created an app called ALive, which lets users record cell phone video and have it automatically get backed up in the cloud, preserving crucial evidence from being tampered with, destroyed, or lost. Inspired by the potency of cell phone videos in bringing awareness to bad police behavior, the team is aiming to give users better control over how to store and upload footage.
“There’s plenty [of video] that we’re not seeing,” Hosking said. “And even if there is video, some of it might get confiscated or deleted.”
The idea for ALive germinated last November at WHACK, a hackathon hosted at Wellesley College and sponsored by companies like Akamai, DraftKings, and Bloomberg. The team also included Endicott seniors Matthew Cruz and Jamyang Tamang, and Luke Jodice, a junior.
Amid a diet of McDonald’s and Red Bull, the four students decided to tackle police accountability and went from an idea to prototype during the 24-hour coding event. Ultimately, they won the competition’s “best app for social good” award.
After that, the team went quiet for a bit. Now, back for the semester, they want to incorporate the business, expand the app’s features, and release it publicly. They are trying to release a final version of the app before the two seniors graduate.
“The consensus at the moment,” Hosking said, “is just to get the app out there and get it done.”
To be sure, the team still has many questions to figure out. They need server space, and are looking at Amazon Web Services for that. The group also needs a lawyer to help field legal questions about hosting data that could ultimately become evidence sought after by law enforcement. At the same time, they are looking to add another feature: allowing users to record video while keeping the screen blank, thereby minimizing attention to themselves while filming.
Hosking estimated the company may need “five figures” in funding to reach their goals, but admitted it’s too early to know an exact number. Despite that, the four students are pressing to make this idea a reality, regardless of profit or class loads.
“We made this app for this reason,” he said. “It is a great cause — we definitely want to finish it.”
Pranshu Verma can be reached at pranshu.verma@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @pranshuverma_.
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