Kim Menen, co-founder of the Aqualite weatherproof screens business, is the driving force behind a new technology venture – i-Bell. i-Bell is an interesting new product that fuses the traditional, no-frills doorbell with smart home technology, enabling home owners to see who is at their door whether they are home and away. The products is a fusion of Wi-Fi with an HD camera and microphone, and enables people to communicate with visitors when they are unable to answer the door, using their Smartphone, laptop or tablet.
Manufacturing of the new generation electronic doorbell is being funded by crowdfunding and has successfully reached its £30,000 kickstarter goal just 12 days after launch. Since launching less than two weeks ago, the campaign has secured pledges from over 200 eager supporters. Keen to back the phenomenal potential of the new product, backers have not only paid for pre-orders but also helped to spread the work by broadcasting the campaign via social networking platforms.
Robin Menen, i-Bell CFO, said: “An important part of Kickstarter crowdfunding initiative is not just to achieve the funding target but also to win the support of the community and to push your funding beyond its goal. We’re delighted that our campaign really caught the imagination and in less than two weeks surpassed the £30,000 goal. It will be a fantastic achievement if, by the end of our campaign on 7th August, we can double our target.”
Described as the first product of its kind in the UK, the i-Bell is compatible with Android, Apple, Windows and Blackberry so anyone with a Smartphone can use it. The combination of Wi-Fi and a HD camera enables homeowners to see and hear what’s going on at their front door from their phone. With funding secured, expect to product manufactured in good time for the Christmas season.
