Intercom Startup Defigo Profile + CEO Interview
While ButterflyMX is expanding from SaaS video intercoms to unified access control, intercom startup Defigo is positioning its wireless hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) as a low upfront cost alternative for the multi-family real estate market.
In this report, based on an interview with CEO Hildur Smaradottir, we examine the company, its HaaS offerings (not to be confused with Hostage As A Service), comparison to ButterflyMX, and plans for growth.
Defigo ********
*** ****** ***************** *** ******* ** ****, ****** previously ****** *** **** *** **** companies. *** ******** ********** *** *******, ******** "**** **********"*** ****** *********, **** *** ***** pivoting *** ******** ***** ** ********-**-*-*******:
**** * ****** *****, * ******* the ******** ***** **** ******* ******** to ******* ******** ********, ** ******, I've **** *** ****. ** **** converted *** ***** ** ******* **********; the ********, *** ****** ***, *** the *** ***** ************** ** * part ** *** ******* *******. ****'* a ************** *** **, *** **'* something **** ****** ********* ********* **** with *** *********, ************, **** ****** developers, ****'* * ********* ***** *** them.
Hardware ** * ******* *****
****** ** **** ********* ** ******** as * ******* ********. *** ******* covers *** ******** **** *** ******** subscription:
** * ********, *** ***'* **** to *** ********. **** ** ******* there ** ** ***** ** ****** outdated ******** **** ** ******* ** your **** ** *** *** ** its ********. ** *** *** ******** and **** **** ** *** *********** and ******* ** *** *** ***** on ***** ******.
***** *********** **** **** **** ***** that ***** *** ****** **** ******, she ********** ***** ** ** ******* hardware ********, ****** *******, *******, ** Meraki.
*********** **** **** ***** **** **** replace ******** ** ***** *** ******* and/or ********* ********, ***** ** ******** insurance ******** ** ******* ** **** of ********* ** ******:
********* ********* ** * ******* **** includes *** ********. *** ********* *** typically **** ***** ****, ***** ***** sense *** **** *** ******** *** the *******. **** ** ******* *** hardware **** ****** **** ** ** updated ** ***** **** ****** *** course ** *** ********.
** *** ********* ************, ** **** repair ** ******* ** ** *** expense. *******, ** *** ********* ** vandalized, ** **** *** ******* ** unless *** ******** *** ********* ********* coverage. **** ******** ** ******** *** can ** ********* ** ** ***-** to *** ******* ********.
*******, ********-**-*-******* ** ********. *** *******,**** ********,***** *** ****** ****** ********, *********** ******** * $** ********-**-*-*******-******. ** * **** ***** ****** a ******** ************, ** ** ************* more ********* ** ********** ********* ******* once *********, *******, ******'* *-**** ******** minimum ********* *** ****.
*******
****** ** ****** *** ********, *** Smaradottir **** **** ** ****** ***** on *** **** ** *** ******** (e.g., *** ****** ** **********). *** said *** ******** ***** *** * "small ********* ******** ** ****** $*** per *****", ***** ***** ******* * single ********. *** **** **** **** the ******* ****** ********** ********, ******* an ********* **** * ********* ***** start ** ****** $***.
*** ***** **** ****** **** ********** contract ********** **** ***** ********** *** lower ******* *** ********.
*********
*********** **** **** ****** *** * core ** ** *********, *** **** outsource "** **** ** ********":
** *** * ***** ******* **** has ******** ** *** ****** ****** and ****** ** *** **** ****. Our ******** ** ** ********* ** much ** ********. ** **** ********** our *********** *** ******* *****, *** our **** **** ** ** ****** is ******* ** ******, *******, ******, and *** ****** ******.
***** ***** ********** *********** *** **** Defigo **** *******, ** *** *********** and ******* ****, ***** ** * risk ** ******** ******* ****** *** customer ******* ********.
Venture ******* *******
****** **** *** ******** *** *******, but *********** *** ******* ** *** funding *****:
** *** * ******* *******-****** *******, but ** ** *** ******** *** funding *******. ** *** *** ********* seeking *******, ** ** *** ******* towards ************* **** *** ******** *********. We ********** ******* * ****** * round ** **** ** ****.
Compared ** ***********
*********** *** ****** ************* ****** ** funds *** *** * **** ****** headcount **** ******, **** **** *** employees ******* ** ******** ** ** *******. **** ********* *** ******* ** multi-tenant *** ****-**** ******** ********** *********.
***** ****** ****** ******* ***** ******** ************** ******* ********* ****, *********** *********** *********, *********** ****** ******* *******, vehicle ****** *******, ***. **** ********* ***** *****-***** ****** and ****** ******* **********, *** *********** supports ***** *** ***********, ******** ********, and ******* ******** **********.
*********** ** **** ******, **** **** hardware ** ******** ** **** ************ licensing, ***** ****** *** ** ******* costs *** ** **** ******* ******* and ************. *******, *** **** ** Defigo's ******* ** *** *-**** ******** minimum ****** ** $*,***, ***** ** comparable *************'* **.*" ***** ******** ******* ($*,***), *** ~**% ****** **** ******* ButterflyMX ******. *******, ***********'* ************ **** can **** ****** ** ** ** sold *** ********* (~$*.** *** ***** per *********).
Revenue, ******, **** ****
****** **** **** *** ******** *** revenue *** ******* "*,***+ ******* *** 35,000 ***** ** * ***** *****." Smaradottir **** **** ****-****-****, **** **** seen * "***% ****** ****", *** they *** *********** ********* "******-*****" ****** rates ******* ****.
******** ** *********** ********* ** *** intercom *****, * ******* *** **** of ******, ******** **** ********** *** revenue, ****** ** **** ** ******** those **** ****** ***** ***** ******* on * **** ******** ***** ****** but **** **** ** ****** ** new ******* ** *********.
Planned ********* ** ** *** ******
*********** **** **** **** *** ********* growth **** ****** *** *** **:
**'** ******** ** ****** ** *** headcount ** ****** *** *** ****** States. * ***'* *********** **** ** reveal ******** ****** ******, *** ****** will ** ******, *********** ** * very ********* ****** *** **. ** have * **** *********** *********** **** in ******, *** *** ****** **** come **** ****** ******* **** *** United ******.
**** *** ******* ******* ******** ********:
**'** ******* **** ***** *** *****, integrators, *** ************. **** *********** **** been ********** **** ** *** ** are ********** ** ****** **** ****, we **** *** *** ******* ***** reps *** ********* *****, *** ******* with********* ************ *** **.
Urban *****-******, ********** ****** *********
*********** **** ******'* ******* ******* *** urban *****:
***** *****-******, ****, ********** ****** ********* are * ****** **** ***. ** these *** *** ******* *******, *****-****** residential, *** ********** ** **** ****** good ********
*** ***** **** *** ***** *********** is **** *** ******** ********:
*** ***** *********** ** **** *** property ******** ******* ** **** **** so **** ****. ********** ** ******* you're ***** *** **** ********** ** integrating **** * *****-***** ****** ******, you *** ** ********** ** *** interface. *** *******, ** *** **** a ********* ** *** *********, *** can *** *** ********* ** ********** access ****** *** ****** *********. **** is ********* **** *********, *** **** of *** ******* ********* ******** **** they **** **% ** ***** ****, or ** ***** *** *** ****, on ****** **********.
Wireless ******* *****
*** ** *** ******* ********* ** also **** ********** *** ******* ******** because ***** ** ** ************** ******* required, ***** ***** * *** ** costs, *** **'* **** ***********. **** real ****** ***** ******** ** **************, that's * ****** ********* *** ** check. ********, ******* **'* **** * small ******* **** *** ****, ******** to *** *********** ******* ***** *****'* a **** ******* **** **** **** have ** **** **. **** *** monthly *** ** ********** **** ** the ***** ** *** **** ****** or *** *** ******* *********** **** takes **** *** ********.
*** ***** **** **** ** ***** a ***** ******** ***** ******** ****** for ***** ***** ******** ******* ** not ********.
***** ***** ******** ******* **** ************* required *********** ************* ******* ************, *********** like *********** **** ***** **/** ******** systems.
Android ***, ***** ****** ** *******
*********** **** **** ***** ****** *** support ** ****** **** *** **** version ** *** ****** ****** ***. She **** **** **** ******* ******* phones **** *** *** *********** *********** like ****** *******. *** ***** **** Desfire ******* ** **** ** *** roadmap.
Defigo *********** *****
*********** **** **** **** ***** *********** on *** ****** **********:
*** ***** ** ****** ******* ** surprisingly *********** *****. * ***** **** will ****** ** ** **** ** will ********** *** **** **** ****. We've ****** **** ****, ** ******. Our ****** ******* ** ***** ****** that: *** ****** ********** ***** ***** when ** ****** **** ** ******* next.
*** ******* ** ******* ** ********** in-apartment ******** **** *********** *** ******* ***:
*** ****** ******* ** * ******* of *** ******** **** ** ********* specifically *** ****** *** ******* ***** to ******* ******. ******* **** ** our ****** ** ** ********, *** can ******* ***** ******* *** ******** on **** ******. *** ** **** have ** **-********* ******* ********* ****** that ** **** ******* ** ** iPad. *** ****, ** **** ********* a ******* ** *** ******** **** is ************ ******** *** *** ******* so **** **** *** ****** *** intuitively ******* ******.
**** ******* *** *** **** ***** as **** ******, ** ** * tablet! *** ****** ********* ** ****? These ****'* **********, *** **** ******* them.