Proof of Usefulness Report

Companion

Analysis completed on 1/18/2026

+533
Proof of Usefulness Score
Industry Mainstay

The project 'Companion' is a verified, venture-backed startup (Companion Labs) that raised $8M in 2021 from top-tier investors including Mars Petcare and frog Design. The product is an AI-powered device using computer vision to train dogs, representing high real-world utility and technical innovation. However, the submission itself contains significant inaccuracies and exaggerations (claiming 'most people' have used it and audience reach is 'everyone'), which negatively impacted the score. While the technology and funding are impressive, the submission quality was poor and user traction claims were false compared to the reality of it being a niche/early-stage product.

Ready to Compete for $150k+ in Prizes?

Move this data into a HackerNoon blog draft to become eligible for your share of $150k+ in cash and software prizes

View All Reports

Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+212
Audience Reach Impact+30
Technical Innovation+135
Evidence Of Traction+93
Market Timing Relevance+80
Functional Completeness+10
Subtotal+561
Usefulness Multiplierx0.95
Final Score+533

Project Details

Description
We are going to talk to dogs\n\nOn the way there, we're going to give the 60M US households that have a dog -- and spend $100B+ on them -- what our customers describe as superpowers with the animal they love. We radically increase the strength of the human-animal bond by training and practicing the basic obedience commands with computer vision and animal behavior software in the convenience of your living room. 10M dogs need training each year and it's how we get into everyone's home…..but it's only the beginning. \n \nWe've raised $8M to date from leading investors and strategics, including the world’s largest pet company (Mars), frog design, Institutional VCs and some of the most respected names in animal welfare. Find more about us at www.joincompanion.com\n\n// \n\nThe technology available today is going to massively widen and deepen our understanding of all the animals around us. This is because \n\ni) Animals primarily communicate with movement and posture and \nii) We now have sensors \u0026 compute around us that can perfect perceive, transmit and remember all of this movement and posture\n\nWe're starting with training. I can't wait to share more about what we've developed.
Audience Reach
everyone
Target Users
everyone
Technologies
Software Development, Design, Training And-Consulting
Traction Evidence
most people have used my product

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline