South African Internet of Things startup IoT.nxt will open an office in London early in 2017, signalling the first international expansion for the company founded one year ago.
Disrupt Africa reported in June the Pretoria-based IoT.nxt had developed a framework that moves business beyond islands of automation and towards a seamless horizontally and vertically integrated digital enterprise.
The startup’s software allows pretty much all devices to be connected and to share information. Chief executive officer (CEO) Nico Steyn said IoT.nxt had experienced strong growth in South Africa and would use its new London office as a base to make inroads into the global IoT market.
“We have devised and have implemented strategies and solutions for several companies in diverse industries. These include a large coal mine, one of the biggest car dealership networks in the country and the largest meat processing operation for retail in South Africa,” he said.
Steyn said using an IoT solution is about business strategy, not about technology, with there being many efficiencies that can be unlocked through IoT.
“Our innovation offers companies a consolidated view of their entire IoT ecosystem, allows them to input all documented business processes into one workflow application, detect all devices on a network and dynamically capture their IP and MAC addresses,” he said.
“The biggest breakthrough we developed was creating a solution that allows any device, application, sensor, machine and also people on any network using any operating system to connect and interact. The platform is completely technology agnostic which allows a company to leverage off existing investments in systems and devices installed.”
IoT.nxt has chosen the UK as its first expansion destination outside South Africa due to the established strong business and trade ties between the countries and ease of communication between that office and the local head office.
Steyn said it offers an excellent foundation for expansion into Europe at a later stage.
