• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, December 23, 2019

Who in their right mind would launch an email firm when Slack and others have forecast the demise of the channel?

Answer: the founders of a Tel Aviv-based start-up called Spike. They are offering an app that allows users to prioritize email messages and perform a variety of other tasks in a single workspace.  

Spike, which is available through app stores, is based on open protocols and works with Gmail, Microsoft Outlook and other platforms, says co-founder Dvir Ben-Aroya. 

The app now has almost 70,000 users, is aimed at what Ben-Aroya calls “prosumers” — people opening businesses, buying websites and using email in a concentrated way. 

The goal is to “combine everything we love” into one collaboration tool, Ben-Aroya says. That includes calendars and other functions. Spike works with Android, iOS, desktop and web browsers.

Still, isn’t this risky when there so many other channels, such as messaging? 

“Email is still the primary communication channel,” Ben-Aroya answers. “As much as we love messaging, it only adds to our multiple platform confusion--it’s  making business owners and freelancers less efficient.” 

Ben-Aroya  also feels that the Gmails and Yahoo Mails have not kept pace — thus the need for a tool like Spike that is overlaid on top of them.

And Slack? “Slack creates its platform from internal communications only,” he notes. 

The Spike inbox is split. On one side, there are priority emails, including group conversations and new clients, say, and on the other more personal emails from friends and groups.

A company conducting an email campaign can do it right from Spike. “You can construct a draft and send it like a regular email,” Ben-Aroya claims.    

In addition, you can see “when they last received an email and communicate with them right now,” with tailored messaging, he says. 

In 2020, the firm will add “more power to use it as a CRM and email marketing tool, but always from same unified workspace,” Ben-Aroya continues. 

The company, which last year pulled in $5 million in funding, will soon have another round. And it is opening a location in the Bay Area.

Is Ben-Aroya hoping to build Spike into an ESP and compete with Gmail? 

He laughs — and says maybe it will happen in 10 years. Right now, ”it’s exciting to ride on top of it,” he adds.