Startup Spotlight #34: Hydrao

January 17, 2020

As innovation makes life more and more easy for us, environmental concerns should also come into prominence. Technology can be used to raise awareness and offer innovative solutions for global issues. Scarcity of water is especially one of them, and we all need to take responsibility in order to solve it. Water consumption can be managed on a personal level, and it starts in the family within our homes.Water conservation and management is an important part of overall environmental awareness, but we often do not monitor our consumption or calculate our savings. Hydrao offers a smart way to create habits focused on water saving and monitors your water usage.

Water conservation and management is an important part of overall environmental awareness, but we often do not monitor our consumption or calculate our savings. Hydrao offers a smart way to create habits focused on water saving and monitors your water usage.

What is your first name?

Eric

Welcome, Eric! What is your surname?

Burkel

What is the name of your startup?

Hydrao

What is the website address of Hydrao?

https://www.hydrao.com

Where is your startup based?

France

What are your targeted verticals for your startup?

IoTSmartCity

Tell us what your startup does.

Smart demand-management solutions to enable significant water AND energy savings.

Tell us about your team.

The CEO & founder Gabriel holds a degree from France's top electrical engineering university, oversaw telecoms for 4 Arianespace rocket launches (a childhood dream) and was a complex-project manager at Ericsson, Nokia and ST Microelectronics.The CSO & co-founder Eric holds a BSc from Stanta Clara University, spent 14 years at IBM Europe (Paris, London, Rome & Milan), Director of TMT research at various investment banks and is a serial entrepreneur.

When and why did you found your startup?

Hydrao was incorporated in 2015.Water scarcity is becoming increasingly severe and we wanted to put technology to use to help raise awareness thereby enabling significant water savings.

What are your key and unique features?

Our leading-edge patented "Nudge" technology informs users' about their water usage in real-time, empowering them to become eco-citizens by taking shorter showers.The shower data captured is used to calculate water and monetary savings.

What is your growth like?

We are going to double our 2018 sales in 2019 and we expect to double our sales again in 2020.

Tell us about the numbers that matter to you.

Our installed base saved 0.5 Bn liters of water, 16 GWh of energy, and avoided 2.9 tons of CO² in 2018.

What are your plans for next year and for the next 5 years?

We are planning a Series A round end-2020 and boost our business in the US and Asia.We will start deploying the world's first LoRa smart-shower network in HI USA's 30 properties across the US.Our 5-year plans include the development of a new generation of devices that will include embedded real-time water-quality sensors.

Did you receive any investments?

Yes, a total of 1.6 M€.Our lead investor in the 2017 seed round is France's premier Impact investment fund INCO.The personal investment fund of France's biggest internet billionaire also took a stake in our seed round.

Tell us 3 startups that excite you, and why?

www.livingmonalisa.com comes to mind, as it leading the way to marry Art and AI.www.gofer.fr is helping the hospitality and restaurant industries to staff more efficiently.

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