Bark Technologies Announces Partnership With Pinwheel

Online Safety Leader and Mobile Device Operator Join Forces to Create Safer Smart Phones for Kids

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Apr 01, 2021, 08:11 ET

ATLANTA, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Online safety company Bark Technologies today announced a partnership with Pinwheel, a healthy kid-tech company that offers cell phones specifically for children. Launched late last year, Pinwheel's family-focused technology struck a chord with parents, resulting in quadrupled projected sales for 2020. Pinwheel's therapist-endorsed system, when coupled with Bark's groundbreaking monitoring and filtering technology, positions Pinwheel to become the healthiest mobile device families can purchase for their children.

Offered in both slim and rugged models that are compatible with most domestic carriers, Pinwheel's proprietary system loads the phone with a purpose-built operating system designed to be remotely managed by parents. With the goal of introducing mobile technology to kids with a "wellness-first" mindset, Pinwheel enables parents to approve all contacts, schedule what functions are allowed at different times of day, and choose from a thoughtfully curated boutique of more than one hundred useful apps. The new partnership takes safety one step further by providing Bark's award-winning safety software pre-installed on every device to monitor texts, Facebook Messenger Kids, Spotify, and WhatsApp for signs of concerning content.

"Together with Bark's safety tools, the level of protection that now comes with a Pinwheel device is unparalleled in terms of keeping kids free from online dangers," said Matt McKee, VP of new business development at Bark. "Parents can be confident that their children's first foray into a mobile digital space is a healthy and safe one."

The Bark/Pinwheel partnership was a natural union between two cause-driven startups with similar missions. Entrepreneur and father Brian Bason launched Bark in 2015 after trying to find a way to keep his own kids safe online. From its humble beginnings and staff of five to a current team of more than 90 full-time employees, Bark has become a trusted company for families and a powerful thought leader in the online safety space. Recent milestones include the launch of the company's hardware product, Bark Home, a best-selling book, Parenting in a Tech World, and the honor of being featured in the eye-opening documentary Childhood 2.0. Today, Bark protects more than five million children at home and in 2,700 schools and districts nationwide. The Bark team also maintains an active schedule of educational presentations, including tech nights for parents and online safety trainings for school administrators nationwide.

Similarly dissatisfied with the lack of healthy technology options for kids, entrepreneurs Dane Witbeck and Isaiah McPeak teamed up to design Pinwheel in 2019. Together with a council of therapists and noted psychologists, the founders carefully chose 11 non-addictive app categories to be installed on their operating system — all deliberately intended to enhance a child's digital experience while helping to shape wellness-centered, tech-responsible kids.

"We're ecstatic to launch this partnership, which helps us achieve both companies' goals of protecting kids while framing the smartphone as a tool that can maintain and build authentic connections, enable creativity, and allow children access to the music they love," said Pinwheel founder and CEO Dane Witbeck.

The combined Pinwheel/Bark offering retails starting at $149 + $20/month. For more information, visit: https://pinwheel.com/?ref=bark

About Pinwheel
Pinwheel envisions a world where technology supports the well-being and healthy development of children. The purpose-built system of smartphone plus remote management empowers parents to feel confident in giving their child a healthy relationship with technology. Pinwheel equips parents to introduce their children to technology with age-appropriate experiences and easy supervision. Visit www.pinwheel.com/?ref=bark for more information.

About Bark
Bark helps families manage and protect their children's digital lives. The award-winning service monitors 30+ of the most popular apps and social media platforms for signs of issues like cyberbullying, suicidal ideation, online predators, threats of violence, and more. Bark's web filtering and screen time management tools empower families to set healthy limits around the websites and apps their kids can access and when they can visit them. Visit www.bark.us to learn more.

SOURCE Bark Technologies