Q&A: CRIO Online – Digital Horse Management Redefined

At The Tech Equestrian we know there is so much innovation and technology that is transforming the horse world and it is not just a phenomenon in the US, but worldwide. For today’s blog post, I’m happy to feature breakthrough software that was developed in Colombia. I recently had the opportunity to gain more insight on this exciting product that Matias Gamarra, CEO and Founder of CRIO Online shared with me and I bet you (like myself) weren’t too sure what CRIO stands for.

1) What spurred the idea for CRIO and when was your product launched? What does CRIO stand for?
I'm from Uruguay, where my whole family breeds Criollo horses, a very versatile breed, and is the main breed in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Criollo horses are great with cattle and reining (like Quarter Horses) but also ideal for endurance competition (similar to Arabians).

In 2003, when I was studying at the University I started creating a software for the family ranch, and it was well received, so I started selling it in 2004. Its original name was "CRIOCRIOLLOS" (meaning, "I breed Criollos") and back then, it was just desktop software. We also changed the name from CRIOCRIOLLOS to "CRIO" to make it simple to remember. Then, in 2012 we jumped into the SaaS business, offering CRIO as a subscription service, with the idea of providing a full-featured product that was affordable.

2) Does the app serve a specific equestrian discipline?
We cover all breeds and disciplines and our customers include training centers, boarding facilities, breeders, and even registry associations. Customers may only use CRIO to record expenses... others love to have automated inventory control (which includes health, vet, farrier and other consumables items).

3) Is your product available around the world?
Yes, we have clients all over the world, and lately we are growing faster in the United States. CRIO is translated into Spanish, English, Portuguese, and partially into Bulgarian... but as customers ask for new languages, we can add more. By the end of the year we will have an app, but for now our web app is the way to go... and it works great in tablets (and also in smart phones).

4) Who is your target buyer?
The main benefit is when you have several people involved in your business CRIO provides a unifying solution for centralizing information. For instance, the farrier can enter their information, and the barn manager can see it all, assign tasks or generate reports. This works well with veterinarians, especially in large breeding facilities.

5) You offer a comprehensive solution, but what are some of the top features?
At CRIO we are really focused on providing a comprehensive solution and to keep it simple to use, allowing users that don't need all the information to work easily (this is achieved by providing default settings and making areas optional). For example: creating a horse only needs a name and sex, but you have the ability to customize and enter 30+ fields if necessary.

An easy to customize and navigate interface.

6) How many users/subscribers do you have & what is the cost structure/subscription plans?
We currently have 200 active subscribers and this represents hosting information for more than 40,000 active horses. CRIO offers 3 subscription plans, and the main difference is the number of active horses and users allowed. As we create more advanced features we will redefine the plans more. View plan options

7) Any plans for product enhancements you’d like to share or provide a sneak peek?
The iOS and Android apps are the newest and most important news we have. Also, as in the U.S. most customers have horses running as a proper business, we are introducing an invoicing feature. This feature is less important in other countries, as the invoicing process is more complex than in the U.S, and people use special software for that.

8) As a tech equestrian why can’t you live without this product?
Nowadays keeping paper records is not an option. Everything is connected, and your horse business should be too. With CRIO your users can enter all the information (each with different access levels), from anywhere in any device. After you enter your information, it can be embedded in your website and it easily synchs each time you enter data in CRIO. Or you can market your horses for sale sharing a public link to a group in social media or you can generate a QR code to put on each stall door so anyone with a smart phone can view the information of a horse. In addition to digital record keeping, CRIO is a great tool to use to share the information with customers and prospects helping with marketing and more.

9) Where do you think the equine industry will be in 5 years, as it relates to technology adoption?
Today, people are used to trusting online services (i.e. Netflix, Spotify in the consumer segment…) so using services like CRIO will only increase. The equine industry is starting engagement with sharing of services that connects riders with horses, transportation options, etc.
In addition, with the development of IoT (Internet of Things) including AI (artificial intelligence), the uses are endless - imagine being able to track your horse vitals in real-time and from a distance… or track all the horses in a polo match at the same time – there are many examples and opportunities.

10) Do you ever attend events to showcase your product and if so, where will you be this summer/fall?
Yes, we are present in events in Colombia and some workshops internationally. We have recently organized workshops at a customer ranch, inviting other breeders, this has been well received and something we will continue to do to build awareness and increase adoption of our product.

Website: www.crioonline.com/landing

Facebook: @CRIO.Software.Equino
Instagram: crioequine
Twitter: @CrioEquine