Silicon Valley California USA
Written By Elisabeth Thieriot
The San Francisco Bay Area has always been a hub for innovation and new technologies. Silicon Valley started arguably around 1971, with the start of chip technology and personal computers. From Apple to Microsoft skyrocketing to fame, success, and kickstarting the technological revolution. They were followed shortly after by mammoth social media companies, from Myspace to Facebook to Twitter, making it easier for people to connect online and building algorithms on likes to entice direct consumer marketing. When the internet took off, search engines from Yahoo to Google revolutionized how we find information. $B tech and social media startups made Silicon Valley their home and made way for future companies like Tesla, Amazon, and more, becoming a few of the most successful tech companies in the world. Once the pandemic hit, a shift in the market started to take place, and with the rise of Cryptocurrencies, a new technology hub was bubbling in Miami. People were viewing the sunny city as the East Coast Silicon Valley, as innovators, entrepreneurs, and new startups made the city their new home base.
One such tech innovator and entrepreneur was Paul Mula Jr., who viewed Miami as a great market to expand his new technology company, Tech Masters Labs, Inc., currently located in Silicon Valley, and launch the company’s first signature product. Introducing “THE BARMASTER,” an innovative and new alcohol inventory management and control system powered by AI and IOT technology that plans to revolutionize the hospitality industry. Paul states that The Barmaster is like nothing you’ve seen and will not only reduce losses and increase profits but it will give business owners complete accountability for every drop of alcohol and every transaction in real time. He believes it will be a massive game-changer for any business that sells alcohol.
A native of the Bay Area, born in Palo Alto, Paul grew up in the heart of the valley. He originally planned to be a concert promoter and successfully built his 1st entertainment company, Future Festivals, in the early 2000s. The company produced and organized many big festivals and concerts throughout the Bay Area for several years. Paul had an Epiphone while hanging with friends during one of his shows. A few days later, he was fast at work, filing patents for what would soon be his newfound passion and business, Clearview Technologies Inc., which started in 2009 with the first product, “The Barmaster.”
Paul saw a massive void at concerts and bars in alcohol inventory control. He realized that there needed to be more checks and balances, more accountability, and a better way to order inventory that was easier and more efficient. Working in the entertainment industry, where alcohol is one of the biggest revenue streams but also one of the hardest to have accountability
for, he saw first-hand the challenges of shrinkage, overpouring, and difficulty keeping staff and bartenders more accountable. He viewed his new idea and vision as a way to empower owners of bars, nightclubs, events, and any business where alcohol was served to help increase their bottom-line potential in liquor sales and maximize their time and profits.
Paul quickly got a team together, some funding, and designed the 1st version of The Barmaster, which caught the eye of many people in the industry, who viewed The Barmaster as a genius. The company was off to the races, and Clear View was set to launch The Barmaster at the Las Vegas Bar, Restaurant & Nightclub Expo in 2011. The Barmaster’s new technology was well received and immediately locked in over 96 purchase orders, totalling close to $9.7M. This would be a massively successful start for any startup, and the company set its eyes on a big launch in the U.S. and a global takeover.
Unfortunately, a group of dissonant shareholders decided they weren’t happy with Paul being in control and tried to steal the opportunity and technology. They saw the massive potential and began sabotaging the organization from within, plotting to have Paul removed and taking a page from the Apple debacle that saw Steve Jobs removed at one time. They even withheld their commitment and promised the investment required for the initial launch to cripple the company. This deceit was a massive disappointment to Paul, who had put so much time, energy, vision, and sweat into building this dream. He was devasted that his partners, whom he trusted, would try to take his company and ideas when they were close to realizing the dream together.
Unfortunately, Paul was left with little choice, and litigation ensued, which lasted half a decade. Paul was forced to part ways at the time, leaving the company he loved behind. Not sure what to do next, he ventured back into entertainment for several years and had some success but felt a void and missed the excitement he felt in the tech world. In 2016, Paul got some vindication and relief by proving that there had been a conspiracy and by stopping his ex-employees from launching a competing company with all his technology and ideas, allowing Paul another bite at the apple.
After carefully researching the market again, Paul realized there was still a big void and need for The Barmaster system, giving him the confidence to pursue his initial dream once again. That same year, Paul brought some of his initial team back together and started retooling everything. He developed new Ips, filed new patents, and relaunched his company under a new banner, and Tech Masters Labs, Inc. was born.
“I needed to finish what I started. I knew ten years ago that the Barmaster was the future of alcohol accountability for the hospitality industry, and it still is! Tech Masters Labs, Inc. became the engine to drive TBM and other similar tech products using the same technology that I feel is necessary today. I have a great new team and a new vision. I am beyond grateful and thrilled to have a new
mindset that I didn’t have initially and to finish what I started. The time is right!” – Paul Mula – CEO of Tech Masters Labs, Inc.
Today, Tech Masters Labs, Inc.’s mission is to design, develop, patent, and bring creative solutions utilizing proprietary leading-edge AI and IOT technological tools and systems to market. These solutions address real needs in various industries and will radically change and optimize the process of routine operations. It enables businesses to operate more efficiently and increase profitability by cutting losses and lowering overhead. Paul says the company’s first product will again be The Barmaster, which he plans to launch, anywhere alcohol is sold, including nightclubs, hotels, casinos, restaurants, events, and bars. He also says that The Barmaster could cross over to other hospitality products. However, the key focus initially will be on establishments that sell alcohol.
Paul States, “Tech Masters Labs, Inc. (TMLI) is essentially an IOT and AI tech company. AI is heating up and an absolute for the future in our technology. The Barmaster not only records history, tracks, and monitors in REAL TIME, but it also predicts the future. This makes it a must for any food and beverage business owner looking to increase their bottom line and have more accountability.”
Paul plans to follow introduction of the The Barmaster with several sister products that utilize the same technology as TBM for food, cannabis, RX, and any business where inventory accountability is needed. The Barmaster, as Paul puts it, is not only an app similar but has the hardware, AI, and IOT capabilities that other competitors don’t to ensure clear visibility of the owner’s day-to-day business, bottom line, transaction by transaction, and all in real-time and from anywhere.
The goal is to empower owners with the most valuable commodity in the world, which is information and the tools to manage their business correctly and maximize their profits for future growth. More importantly, Paul says that The Barmaster and its sister products are like having a trusted 24/7 partner who handles everything efficiently:
Paul States, “Our biggest goal is to give owners more time and freedom to handle other important aspects of their business and time away. With The Barmaster on hand, owners will have 100% visibility on any cell phone or computer without being married to their business.”
Given that Miami has become the new hub for innovation and has again been named the new “East Coast Silicon Valley,” it made sense that Paul and his new dream team have targeted Miami as one of the initial launch pads for The Barmaster. The Barmaster” is slated to hit the market with a soft launch sometime in late 2024, with a few initial pilots in San Francisco and Silicon Valley and then a full rollout throughout Miami and other cities in Florida and other major U.S. markets.
As Paul and many other tech companies are learning, there is no question the Mayor of Miami is all for new startups coming in. Mayor Francis Suarez has been recently known for offering incentives and support on many levels to entice more tech companies to the sunshine city.
“Crypto was the slingshot to take on Silicon Valley. We’re leaning into innovation. Forget about San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Miami is the next tech hub! Miami will offer a business-friendly environment and be responsive to the needs of the incoming tech companies.” – Mayor Francis Suarez
With a new vision, a new mindset, and all the necessary tools that Tech Masters Inc. needs to launch The Barmaster, including an experienced, trustworthy, savvy, and creative team, it seems that Paul’s vision and dream this round are destined for success and global domination.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Paul Mula Jr. and discuss “The Barmaster” and all his exciting new plans.
ET: How is life treating you
PM: Life is great. It couldn’t be better. I am very grateful for all the opportunities I have in front of me and my beautiful family.
ET: The Barmaster looks very innovative, how and when did you come up with this idea?
PM: Well, in the late 2000s, I was in the concert business putting on shows. I had lots of friends in the bar and nightclub business, and they always complained about how they hated doing inventory, all the challenges, and all the money they were losing by not having good accountability for their alcohol sales. I remember sitting at one of my friend’s bars and watching one of the bartenders overpouring and giving out free drink after drink to his friends. By my account, the bar lost $500 in sales just in that hour of watching him. I thought, wow, if this happened all the time, my friend was losing tens of thousands each month. I was experiencing similar problems at my concerts, with bartenders giving out free drinks and skimming, and I knew there had to be a better way. One day, I was sitting on my porch, and the idea for The Barmaster hit me like a ton of bricks. I started doing my research and later filing patents and IPs. I formed Tech Masters in 2016 as the company reviving The Barmaster.
ET: What exactly is The Barmaster, why is it important, and what does it do?
PM: The Barmaster is an IOT and AI-powered alcohol inventory control and management system that is both hardware and software. It’s a real-time asset management system that tells who, what, when, why, where, and how of all your alcohol to the drop. It gives you clear visibility of your business on a minute-to-minute basis. The Barmaster allows owners the freedom to run their business, inventory, and alcohol needs and accountability efficiently so they can focus on success in other areas. The Barmaster is a need, not a want! Currently, bar owners and places that sell alcohol lose anywhere between 25 to 40% of their bottom line to overpouring, theft, giveaways, spillage, and zero accountability most of the time. The Barmaster gives complete real-time accountability that will increase bottom lines by 20% to
30%. Once owners realize that the Barmaster is their new trusted 24/7 accountability partner and how much it helps them be more efficient in running their business and gives them the freedom to know that they have full accountability for every transaction to the drop needing TBM, it becomes a no-brainer. The Barmaster pays for itself!
ET: With A.I. being the hot new tech and buzzword, is The Barmaster an AI-driven system?
PM: The Barmaster has both A.I. machine learning and IOT. The AI brain part of The Barmaster calculates your liquor costs and pour costs, inventory counts, livestock and dead stock, and forecasts for future trends and needs. It’s an ingenious and efficient system!
ET: What businesses do you see The Barmaster working for?
PM: The entire hospitality industry, which includes nightclubs, bars, restaurants, casinos, hotels, golf courses. Anywhere that alcohol is being sold, The Barmaster is a must.
ET: Are there other inventory management and control systems on the market like TBM?
PM: Not one! There are other competitive technologies that do A through C or Y and Z. The Barmaster encumbers A through Z on every aspect of your business and fills every void. There is nothing currently like TBM on the market.
ET: The Barmaster has many features. What is its best and most important feature?
PM: 24/7 Accountability for every and all transactions and incidents.
ET: When and where can we see The Barmaster? When will it be hitting the market?
PM: The Barmaster is in the final stages of alpha and beta in Silicon Valley. We expect it to hit the market in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2024.
ET: Tech Masters is the mother company. Do you have other products that you plan to put out after The Barmaster?
PM: Well, Tech Masters is the technology developer, and it will license its technologies to a manufacturing company that we will take public to produce and market Barmaster and other products. But the core Barmaster technology can be applied to anything with a physical (or even non-physical) inventory, including but not limited to food, cannabis, RX, supply chain logistics, and warehousing. Although we have not decided which will be next after TBM, these are all markets to which we will be applying the technology.
For more info on The Barmaster go to: www.thebarmaster.com
