User:Quentin.iskn/sandbox

iskn is a French electronics company which produces & sells a world unequalled product called « the Slate ». This is a smart drawing pad that digitizes sketches, drawings and notes in real time, keeping the natural feel of traditionnal pens and sheets of paper. This uniqueness comes from a technological legitimity acquired in the aerospace industry.

iskn «  Experience your digital world ». The product is dedicated to every creative people & paper-lovers, for whom paper keeps being a first step in their reflexion and want to benefit from advantages of digitization (saving, sharing, etc). iskn’s mission is to gather paper experience and digital advantages.

iskn SAS is officially launched in February 14th, 2014 and the base line « Experience your digital world » is choosen in order to better express the mission and goals of the firm.

The iskn story began in 2011 with Jean-Luc Vallejo, Timothée Jobert & Tristan Hautson, three former members of the CEA Grenoble (Commissariat d’Energie Atomique). It benefits from an unique knowledge, a know-how and an expertise that comes from the aerospace industry and aeronotics.

Story
A technology developed by the CEA Grenoble

The iskn technology is a disruptive technology based on 20 patents & 70 years of expertise in magnetism led by the CEA Grenoble (Commissariat d’Energie Atomique). It benefits from an unique knowledge, a know-how and an expertise that comes from the aerospace industry and aeronotics.

Based in a rich scientific, industrial & universitarian environment, CEA’s activity is to search for new technologies in several sectors such as energy, health, computing or communication. From electric batteries to nanotechnologies and biotechnologies, the CEA Grenoble is on the cutting edge of technology.

In 2015, iskn takes part of the CES in Las Vegas and meets with strong success overseas.

Grenoble

iskn headquaters is based in Grenoble, France, a city which concentrates many IT companies such as Schneider Electric, GE, Siemens, Kelkoo or Hewlett Packard.

Its business is focused on a new technology previously developed with Leti sensor know-how. iskn is the only company to use such a technology. It forms part of the label FrenchTech. In 2014, the city has been promoted the second most innovative city in Europe after Barcelona, Spain & the fifth world most inventive city according to Forbes magazine.

Fund raising & development of the firm

The iskn story began in 2011 with Jean-Luc Vallejo, Timothée Jobert & Tristan Hautson, three former members of the CEA Grenoble. With a team specialized in electronic engineering & user experience design, they created the future iskn based on an unique technology. All of them were deeply convinced that the paper experience could be mixed with the advantages of digitization.

In 2013, iskn knows a significant development with the iSketchnote project on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

iskn raised $346,127 through this Kickstarter campaign running from September through October 2013 thanks to 2395 Kickstarter backers. This is 933% more than the initial $35,000 expected.

iskn SAS is officially launched in February 14th, 2014 and the base line « Experience your digital life » is choosen in order to better express the mission and goals of the firm.

In 2015, iskn takes part of the CES in Las Vegas and meets with strong success overseas.

A first funds raising of $2M, ended in October 2014, gathers an international group of investors such as :
 * Kima Ventures, a fund launched by Xavier Niel in 2010


 * Pascal Cagni, Vice-president of Apple Europe from 2000 to 2012, he is currently an investor


 * Partech Ventures

iskn keeps developing and growing. It is now a dynamic company with 20 workers.
 * CEA Investissement

The Slate
The Slate is the product developed by iskn SAS. This is a smart drawing pad that allows to instantly digitize drawings, sketches, and notes created with real paper and pens. The iskn's one-of-a-kind technology allows to transform fine art accessories into Slate-compatible tools while creating a fully digital drawing.

Inspired by the classic pupil's writing tablet, the Slate is for pen-and-paper lovers. Every creative people (novice drawers, designers, artists, musicians, architects, etc) is able to keep the traditional drawing habits while adopting the advantages digitization offers. They can re-work their creations on their iPads.

The Slate is an unique product in term of value proposal. This product is the only one in the world for the technology used and for the needs supplied. It finds its legitimity in aeronotics & advanced high-technology industries in aerospace.

Available on the e-shop of the iskn website at the moment, the Slate will be present in retail in the long term.

The Slate is well-known as an « augmented value»,it means that the sheet of paper is no longer a simple paper but a way through digitization & the advantages it offers. In a word, the augmented objects improve the performances and the possibilities of the usual object everyone knows and uses.

Technical data

It has a weigh of 14.1 ounces (400 grams)

The Slate is compatible with iPad 3 and above and coming soon, with Mac running OS X Yosemite and above and PC running Windows 7 & 8.

It has a memory of 2 MB (approximately 50 pages) which is expendible with a micro SD card.

How does it work ?

The person draws on a simple sheet of paper or a notebook on the Slate in order to digitize the creation in real time.

The iskn pens are simple pens, without any technology but having a magnetic ring, detected by the Slate.

The Slate can be used in Live mode, the creations are digitizes in real time on your device. It also can be used in Stand-Alone mode, the Slate works autonomously thanks to its long term battery and intern storage.

Perspectives
The technology will be integrated into many devices & for multiple applications (3D animation, gaming, handwriting recognition).

News expected

A magnetic ring compatible with numerous kind of pens, pencils and felts will be created.

A new application will also be available for a new experience, with new effects and new brushes.

Main development areas

iskn has the ambition to become the technological standard of digitization for written & drawn creations. The company is currently in dispute with famous pen manufacturers in order to make our technology compatible with any pen of any size.

Traditionnal note taking is also a main development goal for iskn. The firm is under discussion with world’s leaders of handwriting recognition (OCR technology) in order to develop an application dedicated to note taking for professionnals & students.