Your Internet, Your Toobla
Personalizing the web, one dashboard at a time

In the age of Google, Facebook and YouTube the Internet universe abounds with technology start-up companies trying their hand at emulating success. When Jake Saxbe and Bob Falcone set out to develop an all-encompassing Internet communications platform, a product that did not exist in any user-friendly format, they knew the road to success would be challenging. But Saxbe and Falcone’s confidence in their product, known today as Toobla, Inc., has not wavered. With the help of the OSU South Centers and the joint collaboration of TechGROWTH Ohio and TechColumbus, they are even more convinced today that Toobla is well on its way to big things.

Toobla’s name comes from the Latin tabula rasa, meaning blank slate, an apt description of what the product aims to provide for Internet users. Since there is currently no web application for users to easily bring together a diverse array of content onto one interactive platform, the Toobla team was essentially starting from scratch. One necessity for Saxbe and Falcone was ensuring that Toobla would have a clean appearance, similar to a TV screen. This central location would contain all of a user’s favorite videos, photos, games and other web content, which could be accessed at any time in the future.

If the concept seems a little abstract, think for a minute about a time when you found a video or an article you wanted to email to a friend or post on your blog. With current technology you would have to write your email or post right away, or bookmark the link for later. Toobla will allow you to save the link to your dashboard and utilize it as many times as you’d like, whenever you’d like. In this way your Toobla dashboard would become a personalized collection of items from across the Internet. That article you read three months ago or that funny photo you came across? Both would be accessible right from your Toobla.

As is often the case, Toobla evolved from an earlier technology start-up, based out of a home garage in Peebles, Ohio. The company, known then as NexTV.com, was the brainchild of Falcone, Todd Mitchell and Robin Waddell. They aimed to develop a web-based interactive television. Shortly thereafter, Jake Saxbe was recruited from Blastro.com, a successful Internet Music Video site in Austin, Texas to help build NexTV. However, it soon became apparent that the technology NexTV needed did not yet exist. With this in mind, Falcone and Saxbe set out to create the necessary technology and engaged the OSU South Centers in the commercialization process. Toobla was born.

Working with the Business Development group at OSU South Centers, notably consultants Meagan Barnes and David Boulay, a business plan for the company began to take shape. Rapid progress on Toobla’s scope, scale and sophistication followed, at the same time as the team secured incremental funding, which allowed site production to continue. They were able to put together a strong presentation and supporting documentation, which contributed to Toobla’s success in receiving a $60,000 award for operational assistance through the Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP).

A commitment for pre-seed funding followed from TechGrowth Ohio. These funds were contingent on finding additional funding from a similar source. Through collaboration with TechColumbus, Saxbe and Falcone were subsequently able to secure a pre-seed investment jointly from TechColumbus and TechGrowth Ohio totaling $800,000. These funds provided leverage for Toobla to go on to obtain several hundred thousand dollars of private investment.

Throughout the time period that Saxbe and Falcone were working with OSU South Centers, TechGROWTH Ohio and TechColumbus, Toobla has grown substantially. The company has since hired an Internet veteran as CEO, Bob Kington, built a business team, laid the appropriate infrastructure and completed its technology platform. Toobla is currently in alpha testing and is planning a launch in early 2009.

The Toobla team could not be more pleased with the support the company has received from the business development resources available to them in southeast Ohio. As Mr. Falcone said, “None of this could have been accomplished without the initial ESP grant and the countless hours of help, guidance and advice from OSU South Centers, TechGROWTH Ohio and TechColumbus.”