You mentioned data collection being part of what your devices will allow as they are utilized. What type of data and how is the data used?
Narayan Iyer: Data about the device performance and diagnostics. But from an impact and monetizing standpoint, we plan on having and/or powering environmental sensors: salinity, temperature, water content, pH and others. These sensors can be in our wave energy device or in drones that are charged by our WEC devices.
Do you anticipate the best path for scaling your business will be based on patent licensing partnerships with energy providers?
Narayan Iyer: Actually, contract manufacturing is likely to be our best bet. The patent license method was a means to a partnership with a large SE Asian energy developer. It is also a means to for a paid pilot in large scale: a de-risking effort for the tech.
How about business customers like an ocean front hotel that would want to use your device to generate electricity. Is this the type of utilization you foresee as well in terms of a future customer base?
Narayan Iyer: Hotels and resorts are definitely in our radar in SE Asia and elsewhere. We have discussed with several smaller SE Asian resorts for island power.
You have been building your business for nearly 3 years, any life lessons or business lessons learned so far that you can share with other startup founders?
Narayan Iyer: Prepare to be selfless. People often view a venture as a pursuit out of greed, but it’s anything but greed that drives all the founders that I have met. They selflessly pour themselves into an often thankless, grueling and slow rewarding endeavor in order to change the world.