Tech Innovation Emerging Amidst Challenging Times

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR SET TO LAUNCH MOBILE APP WITH SUPPORT FROM HARVEST BUILDERS, A NEW VENTURE LEAD BY SKIP THE DISHES CO-FOUNDER, CHRIS SIMAIR

Even in challenging times, innovative companies are emerging from Medicine Hat. Since the fall of 2019, local entrepreneur and community resident, Mike Reinheller, has been researching, designing, and collaborating to create a mobile app called, JUNKR.

The JUNKR app allows people to post pictures of their junk item (or pile) and set their own threshold, ranging from free to $100. Once posted, the app sends a notification to alert registered drivers that items need to be collected. People looking to earn some extra money can sign up as a driver, apply criteria such as how far they are willing to travel for a job, and then manually select the jobs that appear within their capacity and are financially attractive to them.

“It’s definitely a beneficial scenario for both parties”, explains Reinheller. “Junk is conveniently removed for people that may not have access to a truck, for example, and for a price they are willing to pay. On the other end, drivers can make some money on pick-up, and then could opt to donate, recycle, sell, or keep the items. After all, one person’s junk, is someone else’s treasure, right?”

When asked what inspired the idea, Reinheller explained that his time in the storage business certainly opened his eyes to how much stuff people collect and how it can be quite costly and convoluted for junk to be picked up and discarded. The JUNKR concept had been in the works since last fall but was fast-tracked when he read an article in the Calgary Herald in December of 2019 that introduced, Harvest Builders, lead by Skip The Dishes co-founder and former CEO, Chris Simair.

Harvest Builders works with founders, start-ups and high-growth companies of all sizes with ground-breaking ideas to grow and scale their business, offering everything from venture building, to recruitment, to marketing support. At the time when Reinheller read the Herald article, Harvest Builders had just set-up their first offices in Calgary and were encouraging submissions for new business start-ups.

“When we look at working with other founders and start-ups one of the most important elements is finding partners that have a vigorous entrepreneurial drive, and Reinheller and the team at JUNKR are great examples of that. They have done an excellent job identifying a tech solution to a common problem, and we are excited to be supporting another new tech innovation from the Canadian Prairies.” – Alan Campbell, Partnership Development, Harvest Builders

The future of the junk business aligns with the recent direct-pay driver/delivery trend, making it easier than ever to purge or make a bit of extra money. Stay tuned for the launch of the new JUNKR app set for this summer.

Interested in signing up to be a driver? Or do you have extra stuff you’ve been waiting to purge? Be the first to know when JUNKR’s app is available on the Apple App Store or Google Play by registering your email on the wait list at www.JUNKRapp.com.