A startup in San Diego is capitalizing on tired workers, students and travelers by selling access to "napping pods" — portable steel structures (equipped with cushy beds) that can be rented by the hour through a smartphone.
The company, called Hohm, said beds are in surprisingly short supply in places where people experience exhaustion: busy convention centers, university campuses, major events, airports and large corporate campuses.
"Sleep is just as important as food — it's a basic human necessity," said the startup's founder Nikolas Woods. "But when you need to sleep on the go, what are your options?"
Woods, 26, said beds should be accessible outside of hotel rooms and homes, especially in the age of smartphones. If we can order Starbucks, rent a scooter, or hail a ride with a smartphone, why can't we rent a bed?
That's the problem Hohm is trying to solve. The company manufactures big steel pods sectioned into 43 square-foot bedrooms. Each room is soundproof and private. Inside, the rooms are furnished with a twin bed, a charging station for phones and other devices, and a mirror. Users can find nearby pods, book and pay for beds by the hour for up to four hours, Woods said.
The amenity would be especially convenient at big international airports, where fliers often kill time napping in uncomfortable chairs between connecting flights. But Woods' vision for the company goes beyond airports.
Woods said he thought of the idea while working long hours at his last venture, a medical supplies company called Lightbox Medical. His startup was operating out of a coworking space, where Woods was surrounded by entrepreneurs and other tech types who work long hours. Exhaustion, he said, was a common occurrence. It reminded Woods of his days in college, when he and his peers would pull all-nighters at the library and needed a place to rest between classes (reminder: many students do not live in campus dorms).
"I asked myself how often I encountered this problem, and for me it was once or twice a week," Woods said.
