TECHNOLOGY

Austin scheduling startup Kronologic wants to revolutionize the sales calendar

Kara Carlson, kcarlson@statesman.com
Austin-based Kronologic is looking to eliminate the headache and revolutionize sales calendars and meetings by automating scheduling. The company was founded by Ben Park, Aaron Bollinger, Trey Allison and Chris Lee. [Courtesy of Kronologic]

Trying to find a time to squeeze a meeting into a busy calendar for a call or meeting can be tedious and take numerous back and forth emails.

Austin-based startup Kronologic is looking to eliminate the headache and revolutionize sales calendars and meetings -- by automating scheduling.

The company’s scheduling software autonomously fills calendars with meetings for sales professionals. The software works in the background of a salesperson's email without input from the user.

The startup recently raised $1 million in a funding round led by San Antonio-based Geekdom Fund. The round includes investment from Austin-based Trammell Venture Partners, Long View Technology Ventures, Stumberg Family fund and Marfa-based Complete Growth Investor. Angel investors also included Don Douglas, Justin Siegel and Andrew Busey.

Kronologic debuted its product last year and has attracted interest from companies such as Dell, Insight, Thomson Reuters, CDW, WP Engine and BigCommerce.

The company currently has eight employees, including its four founders Trey Allison, Ben Parker, Aaron Bollinger and Chris Lee. Bollinger said he expects the company’s headcount to grow to 20 by the end of the year.

Parker and Allison began developing the technology in 2017 while working at a software company, before acquiring the intellectual property rights and striking out on their own.

The system uses artificial intelligence and other technology to send out an email to prospective clients or other people a salesperson might be interested in meeting with, and suggests a time. The respondent can then click accept or decline, or reply that the time doesn't work.

If a meeting is accepted it is added to both calendars. If a new time is needed, the system will email back with a new time based on the reply.

The startup is currently focused on businesses, especially sales, marketing and other client facing workers. Still, X said, the company could look to all consumers.

“Nobody likes scheduling and rescheduling their calendar, and if there’s AI and technology that can book out your calendar for you, everyone wants that,” Bollinger said.

There are a number of passive or linked-based scheduling systems that let people schedule a time based on a list of available openings, but Kronologic’s automation takes the scheduling a step further, Bollinger said.

“(Linked-based scheduling) represents a significant improvement over the old fashioned way... but you’re putting a lot of work on the prospect” Bollinger said. “With Kronologic as an active scheduling platform, there is literally a single click.”

Bollinger said Kronologic eliminates the amount of steps for the recipient and automates the process for the inviter.

The platform also uses a system called Meeting Math, which calculates about how much value a given meeting or call gives. The feature was implemented to allow a salesperson to maximize revenue and commissions within the scheduling system, Bollinger said.

“You now have the ability to see how much value you’re producing way ahead of a deal closure,” Bollinger said.

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