Egyptian Internet of Things (IoT) startup XIOT says it is working towards a “smart future” after launching its first product, xChip.
Launched in May of last year, XIOT is a smart home solutions company that develops user-centric products for families and businesses.
Its first product is xChip, a device that fits into a wall unit and connects up to eight devices, such as lights or anything else that connects with electricity, to the XIOT platform and monitors their power consumption.
In addition to enabling users to access these devices from anywhere in the world, the platform also offers a suite of AI capabilities such as smart scheduling. Ahmed Sobhy, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of XIOT, said though xChip was the product, the startup’s platform was its real secret sauce, capable of uniting the whole smart home experience.
“This platform consists of a web, iOS and Android Application to monitor, control and manage your assets,” Sobhy told Disrupt Africa. “It lets third-party home appliance manufacturers use it, instead of making their own platform, and developers and makers can connect their own hardware and DIY projects.”
The self-funded XIOT has won and host of awards and grants, but is already gaining revenues from sales of its devices and software. It has made around EGP80,000 (US$5,000) over the course of its beta launch, and is undertaking a proof of concept with Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to install smart solutions in tech parks across the country.
“We are targeting B2B for now, and we have around 10 business customers using our solutions so far,” Sobhy said.
Operating only in Egypt for now, XIOT plans to expand to the Gulf region over the course of next year. The startup is thinking big, with Sobhy saying the “smart home” is about more than just making everything “smart”.
“We think having the infrastructure of your home coming to life will result in a huge separation in the category of smart home solutions. We are also concerned about safety, so our modules offer high voltage isolation which saves the cost of wires at the same time,” he said.
“It’s a huge sector so we focus on smart light management initially, and then will take in more and more other smart home appliances under one platform.”
