Microelectronics iNet helps switch on SurePower
The SurePower team design and make products that manage power remotely. This South West based company is a happy partnership between an established ‘out of the box’ reseller turned product developer and a manufacturing expert who runs his own successful business.
When David Theobold mentioned his desire to develop and manufacture his own products for UK distribution to a mutual friend, he pointed him towards Mark Otridge.
SurePower’s products allow any remote devise to be rebooted if something goes wrong or switched off when not in use, for example overnight or at weekends. Their efficient little switches save money and time and reduce environmental impact too, by cutting down on the number of engineer visits needed just to switch things on and off again.
With a number of great product ideas and plenty of manufacturing know-how to draw on David and Mark felt that what they needed most was credible, practical support to get their products into the marketplace fast.
Despite his cynicism about the bureaucracy of funding, Mark was persuaded to attend a Microelectronics iNet Meeting. The meetings are designed to encourage short proposals for Microelectronics iNet support from companies working in the sector including photonics, digital communications and green ICT.
Expert business support focused on the priorities
SurePower were invited to a Strategic Review Board (SRB) to discuss their proposal and explore opportunities for iNet support. They were introduced to Greville Commins, a seasoned business adviser, iNet consultant and Entrepreneur in Residence with SETsquared Bristol. Greville helped the duo tackle some of their key business issues head on. Together they took a systematic approach to sorting out their shareholdings and cast a cool eye over the IP issues thrown up by bringing two separate companies together.
Greville also helped them to put together a design brief and the iNet introduced them to The Design Programme where they found practical, actionable advice on how to put their website together.
“The iNet support unlocked a raft of business services that we used to set up our business, create a clear plan and get going with branding”.
David Theobold | Co-Founder SurePower and CEO Out of Band Solutions.
In just two months David and Mark have rocketed forward, turning their excellent product ideas into a strong proposition, backed by a well structured company with a clear plan and a credible identity.
“All credit to Mark and David they took on board the advice and used it to drive their company forward.”
Greville Commins | iNet Consulant.
SurePower wins:
- strong, focused business plan, branding, web design
- company restructure
- SETsquared membership support
- access to the iNet/SETsquared wider Network
iNet wins:
- 2 new products on the market
- new company in the cluster
- collaboration within the network iNet/SETsquared/The Design Programme
Next Steps…
David and Mark have achieved a huge amount in a short space of time, they would like to continue their association with SETsquared and they plan to extend and exploit their networks to discover new partnerships and develop new products.
The Microelectronics iNet team worked hard alongside SurePower to squeeze every ounce of value out of the funding they offer. The iNet cash is always backed up with practical support from industry experts, focused business advisers and perhaps most effective of all, a network of partners able to offer the kind of highly prized, specific know-how that is often beyond the reach of cash-strapped start-ups. SurePower were able to tap into the iNet network and leverage their support to join SETsquared and meet with The Design Programme.
