Losing things is the worst. It’s even more frustrating if you don’t actually lose it, but leave it somewhere, like an airport or stadium, where it’s difficult to get it back. My friend Caitlin knows this all too well. He has yet to reunite with the phone he lost at Oktoberfest on September 27, even though he confirmed in November that he had it.
Oktoberfest is a more extreme example, but people leave a lot of things behind at hotels, transportation, events, etc. For example, New York’s MTA transit system recovered more than 18,000 lost and found items from 2018 to 2023. This period includes periods when people were evacuated due to the pandemic. Boomerang believes AI can solve lost and found problems.
The Miami-based startup has built software that uses machine learning to match photos and descriptions of lost items. Customers ranging from gyms to theme parks upload photos and descriptions of lost items, and consumers do the same with lost items. If a match is found, the consumer can choose to receive or ship the item.
Skyler Logsdon, co-founder and CEO of Boomerang, said the model is designed to replace the current system of repeatedly calling a customer service desk phone to get product updates, while still allowing consumers to The company hopes to return the products sooner.
