Keychains are, by far, one of the most necessary, widespread and inconvenient items we have to carry around. We say inconvenient because a good keychain seems almost impossible to find, unless you’re a fan of the stuffed animal-type keychain that takes up all the space and gets tangled up in your purse or pocket.

Luckily, Israeli company Panny has created a sleek, stylish and multi-usage key case that can solve our keychain woes – and they are “this close” to funding it on Kickstarter.

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Partners Tamir Bar-Ilan and Kobi Hazum took on the challenge of creating a practical replacement to the traditional keychain, something they believed to be outdated. “Everything is becoming more technologically advanced, more minimalistic and we thought that the key chain should take the next step as well,” Bar-Ilan told NoCamels.

Functionality is key

Panny contains four slots for keys, each one of them universal, meaning any key fits. It is made of a lightweight and functional material, called Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), giving the Panny a weight of merely 22 grams (0.05 lbs).

The key case comes in a different colors, and can even be customized to make room for a USB drive, a belt clip and a tether for securing other objects.

Panny uses color coding for improved organization and its lightweight material also works as a barrier to prevent keys from scratching valuable objects or tearing through clothing.

“When we were designing Panny, we started by checking a lot of keys and their dimension – we wanted the product to not just be designed well, but to also be practical. We worked hard to combine beauty and practicality,” Bar-Ilan tells NoCamels.

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Turning to the crowd

The first production run of Panny is being funded through Kickstarter. A submission of $19 will earn buyers their very own Panny if the product hits its funding goal of $15,000 and goes into production (which it will most likely do). The price includes shipping within the US, and requires an additional $6 for international shipping. So far, the company has raised $13,721. The Kickstarter will continue running for the next four days.

Tamir Bar-Ilan and Kobi Hazum have been friends since childhood, Panny being the fruit of a long-held dream. “All these years we were working in certain professions, but we always had a dream to make something together. This idea came about before we thought of Panny.”

The innovative key case has its beginnings in a trip to Panama the friends took a couple of years ago, with the name “Panny” being an ode to the vacation destination.

Tamir Bar-Ilan has a background in the high tech industry, having worked as a project manager for almost seven years. Kobi Hazum has a background in landscaping.

Photos: courtesy