Videoryx - This Company is NOT "Going To Change the Video Surveillance Market Forever"
By John Honovich, Published Oct 17, 2013, 12:00am EDTStop emailing me about this company. All of you. Seriously.
In a brilliant marketing campaign, an unknown person/company sent a Linked email message to nearly 10,000 security professionals today, opening with:
"One year ago someone asked me a confidential question if we can detect a suicide bomber, someone who has a knife, a person who carries a weapon or if he/she intends to commit a crime or terrorist attack."
Instead of saying something succinct like "No" or "That's impossible" or perhaps "Are you out of your mind?", he boasted,
"Used all my experience, me and my team were working 7 days a week during the year. I’m happy to announce that there is solution and soon going to show you the final version of the VideoRyx’s answer to all of these questions in a single software that indents to be the most complex technology available today and going to change the video surveillance market forever."
In one year, this company, Videoryx, by working nights and weekends, has solved an impossible, science fiction level computer vision problem.
Claims
Beyond detecting suicide bombers and people intending to commits terrorist attacks, they also claim "any type of IVCA detection rules and features can be used in any type of IP or analogue cameras without integration into the device. Just connect and detect." Adding that it is "plug and play."
Who Is Videoryx?
The CEO is Chris Kovacs [link no longer available] who lists a Marketing MBA and a ton of connections on LinkedIn. VideoRyx's LinkedIn profile page [link no longer available] says that the company started in 2012 and has 11 to 50 employees, though LinkedIn only reports 3 employees having LinkedIn profile including a South African distributor [link no longer available].
Last year, Kovacs sent out an email blast announcing the launch of a "GROUND-BREAKING MULTI-FEATURE VCA / VMS". At that point, the company name was Devenio. However, now that website redirects to a UK marketing company.
We asked Kovacs for more information, but he demurred:
"At this stage I wouldn't explain you how but I know you got a website and you also testing and writing critics about most available products. I will be glad to share the information and let you to test the software when we finalize the beta testing. Once you'll see the software you will understand that this is not an approach you had in mind. "
He added that he was waiting for patents and that he should be finished with beta testing in 3 months.
Changing the Market Forever?
A marketing led computer vision startup that solved essentially impossible problems in a year is unlikely.
Since the analytics market is such a circus anyway, I guess this is only fitting. I only hope they can be as successful as BRS Labs.
Marketing Genius
That said, from a pure marketing perspective, this really is genius. He got a tidal wave of immediate recognition that no trade magazine or show could deliver. Plus, those LinkedIn email messages are free. All you need to do is build up or get access to a group (and, of course, be crazy enough to claim impossible things).
2017 Update
There has been no public news / announcements from the company in ~2 years. The CEO's LinkedIn suggests he has moved on to other things.
Comments (22)
John,
Don't you believe in the convergence of clairvoyance and the "video surveillance market"?
Well if nothing else, the terrible command of English should earn him some viral LOLs.
He says he did an MBA at Oxford, which is a top UK business school. He keeps quiet where he did his first degree. His LinkedIn profile also says Graduate in Marketing for his Oxford description but Oxford University deosn't offer marketing degrees? He also keeps quiet about any employment history before 2011 despite claiming 10 years of experience.
Videoryx was only incorporated as a company on 10th May this year as Deveniosystems then changed its name to Videoryx in August (even though he says he has been CEO since 2012). It has one director Mr Krisztian Peter Kovacs. Its trading address is a house in London.
Doesn't strike me as highly credible.
I think they should call Tom Cruise and ask him what was the SW used in Minority Report...as it seems that they are claiming exactly the same. Then, if you read word by word the message perhaps yes you can detect a person with something in the hand (like a knife) inside a laboratory...then get out in the real world and show me this at an airport...
For the benefit of the surveillance world I hope that there is some truth to the mans claims. Highly doubtful it seems, according to the general consensus, but people have been wrong before.
If he is looking for funding I have been getting emails from a guy in Nigeria who seems to have lots of cash stashed away since some Generals death. I think they would make a good team ;)
The CEO previously worked as a sales person at AgentVI and at least one other video analytics company, confirmed by someone who worked with him as well as search results (e.g. this).
Their CEO sent me a message criticizing me but also thanking us for the free advertising.
His genius remains. He's right. This post has thousands of reads and more than 100 people sent to their company page.
While most of you are highly skeptical, all he needs is a handful of people to try (which he certainly will get because many just can't resist that type of carrot - detect suicide bombers!). Oh, that and delivering on his claims....
'sigh'
This is gonnna be the biggest rick roll ever. Can't wait to watch it all go down.
Update: 3.5 years later, it is safe to say that this company is going nowhere. The CEO is now running another startup and Videoryx has no news in ~2 years.
Update: the CEO is now running a locksmith service / app, see video:
He is marketing it using his CCTV group...
Update: that CEO has now pivoted to something completely different and is running an indiegogo campaign for it, again marketing it using his CCTV group.
He is aiming for 3/4 of a million dollars, $50 so far:
Did anyone read the whole pitch for Madeven on that Indiegogo page?
I will do you a favor... don't read it.
If you do, you will realize - as I did - that some dumb bastard who we all already knew was a clown just took 10 minutes of my life that I will never get back.
Though they list a "How It Works' section, it does not contain what is promised. I read the whole pitch and I still have zero clue wtf they are even trying to do.
And the pitch ends with a section called Risks & Challenges.... where they seek to assure potential investors that these things are almost not even worth mentioning. Cuz they are so smart.
Risks & Challenges
- There are always risk for sure, but based on our knowledge and the amount of work we've invested in the last two and half years we don't feel that we will have complications. We are prepared and able to adjust to any situations.
- Getting both providers and consumers could be a challenge as many companies haven't provided fair services to both sides, but we are confident that our even and fair company policy and operating manners will satisfy anyone who's going to join our platform. Based on our technology is fully automated and we've used the latest available technics to build it up our manpower needs are way lower than anyone else and for this reason, we are going to take the lowest percentage of earnings compared to anyone.
