For the second year in a row, Farnell element14 is proud to be an official partner of Startupbootcamp IoT, an intensive three-month acceleration program for tech-based startups. We recently traveled to Startupbootcamp IoT's London headquarters to meet the participating startups for the 2017 cohort.
Introducing Odyssey Sensors
Odyssey Sensors promote economic and environmental sustainability by delivering advanced, affordable sensors for low-income and low-margin farmers. Their first major release was a salinity sensor that measured salt concentrations for smallholder farmers in Bangadesh. They came to Startupbootcamp IoT to accelerate their latest project AquaSink - which offers an easy, efficient and cost-effective way for farmers to manage their water supply.
About the Product
AquaSink consists of two pieces of hardware; a sensor node that is deployed out in the field, and an internet-connected gateway, which can be placed in the farmhouse or in an office. A LoRa radio chip sends small packets of data from the sensor node to the gateway, where the data is uploaded to the cloud and broken down to help farmers to make smart decisions at a glance.
Applications include measuring water levels using pressure transducers, generating accurate salinity readings using electrical conductivity meters plugged into the sensor node and actuation capabilities to maximise efficiency. Farmers can manage all of this through an easy-to-use mobile app and an online dashboard that allows the farmer to only see the information that is directly relevant to them at the time.
"There aren't a lot of businesses on the market right now that are focused on creating opportunities for smallholder farmers to make really simple but profitable decisions about what's happening in remote locations of their farms" explains CEO Wayne Turner. "The ability to use low-cost technology to get data to the farmer's smartphone in real time is a vital part of what makes our offering stand out."
Joining Startupbootcamp IoT...
Entering the Startupbootcamp IoT program, Wayne and his colleagues are looking forward to working with the mentors to gain a deeper understanding of their own business.
"We're excited for this experience to really whip us into shape" he explains. "For a long time we've had our heads buried in development, but we've reached a point where the product seems stable, and we know that there are customers out there who want it. This is an opportunity to broaden our horizons and organise our thinking around how we're adding value for the farmers."
"With the explosion of the IOT sector, there may be revenue streams available to us that we haven't even thought of. Digging into those opportunities alongside the mentors, program leaders and the other startups on the cohort is going to be a really exciting experience for us."
We'll be continuing to check in with Odyssey Sensors and the other Startupbootcamp participants over the coming weeks, so keep checking this space for more updates. You can also learn more about Odyssey Sensors on their official website and on the Startupbootcamp website.