This article was taken from the June 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
A beach at sunset, an open field, a peaceful creek with a small waterfall... These are just a few of the relaxing places calm.com can transport you for a few precious minutes of your hyperactive life. "I guess we're like a mental travel agent," says Alex Tew, who with Michael Acton Smith created the website and apps to offer "guided relaxation". The 28-year-old British entrepreneur has already chalked up a number of internet successes -- most notably the Million Dollar Homepage, which had him peddling a million pixels for a dollar a pop while still a student. After moving to San Francisco in 2011, Tew decided to slow down and focus on "bringing relaxation to an increasingly stressed out hyper-connected world".
The website offers timed relaxation sessions, and an app turns your iPhone into a "sanctuary in your pocket". Investors include Bebo founder Michael Birch and Friends Reunited's Steve Pankhurst. "The whole mindfulness and meditation area is very fragmented," says Acton Smith, who claims his experience on licensing deals for Moshi Monsters will come in handy. "It's a billion-dollar industry. There isn't one dominant brand and I think there's an opportunity to build the huge brand in this space."
The two cofounders talk weekly via Skype, and Smith dedicates time to the business on his frequent trips to San Francisco, but it's Tew who's working full-time to build calm. "Imagine a world where everyone takes a relaxation break for ten minutes -- actually quieten the mind and just temporarily stop sensory overload; stop the mental chatter that often distracts us all day long and the anxiety of general day-to day-life, to just live in the moment," says Tew. "The world would be a better place for that."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
