What do you do?
Wondrwall is a Manchester-based technology company that converts standard homes into "intelligent" ones. It does this by monitoring the living patterns of the occupants which rooms they use and how the home performs and then using machine learning and predictive modelling to control heating, lighting, security and safety. It also integrates voice-command technology from Amazon so users can access "smart assistant" Alexa and override settings at any time.
What has been your greatest achievement?
Eight of the top 15 house builders in the UK are rolling out Wondrwall in their homes. Getting to this point has taken a great deal of effort, but it has been worth it.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Getting hold of the right people to talk to. When we talk to the house builders, they almost always say, "Wow, that's brilliant, we want some of this". But they get lots of calls from lots of people selling all kinds of stuff, so managing to get through to them to get to that point can take a lot of persistence, and sometimes a little luck. It gets easier though as you get better known.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
What are your plans for hitting your targets this year?
This year will be about supporting our roll-out partners. We want them to have lots of happy customers that are excited with the intelligent features of their homes, so we will be working with them to help them sell and market Wondrwall to their customers, and help them differentiate their homes from those of other house builders. After lots of discussions, this will also be the year that we focus on expanding into other European markets.
What's the one piece of advice you'd give to your fellow entrepreneurs?
Stay positive and believe in what you are doing this will carry you through the bumps that you will experience along the way.
-
Coventry Building Society bids £780m for Co-operative Bank - what could it mean for customers?Coventry Building Society has put in an offer of £780 million to buy Co-operative Bank. When will the potential deal happen and what could it mean for customers?
-
Review: Three magnificent Beachcomber resorts in MauritiusMoneyWeek Travel Ruth Emery explores the Indian Ocean island from Beachcomber resorts Shandrani, Trou aux Biches and Paradis
