Interview with Simon Daniel founder of USBCELL, one of the best startups of the year.

Posted on July 23, 2007
Filed Under Save money and/or time |

usbcell

One of the most interesting projects that we have talked recently talked about is called USB CELL. This is a very special battery. As the founders describe it “This NiMH AA cell can be used like a normal battery and can be recharged simply by plugging into a USB port”. Sounds good, right?
We asked CEO Simon Daniel few questions about USBCELL and why it’s such a successful startup.

1. What is your company about? Wha makes your product unique?

USBCELL is a new category of batteries that embed charge circuitry and USB connectors inside the cell so that they can be recharged from a USB port without the need for separate cables and chargers

2. What’s your business model? What are your plans as far as investments are concerned?

Moixa Energy invents and invests in R&D into renewable and low power technology, and launches new technologies directly to global markets, or licenses/Joint ventures with different companies. In September 2006 we launched the USBCELL battery company and category, starting with the AA battery â€“ see www.usbcell.com

3. Why did you start this company?

To accelerate products and technologies to market. To many renewable energy companies are working on strategic long term technologies. We aim to make a difference today by launching products that save money/hassle and waste, and migrate customers to better energy solutions

4. What’s your background?

Cambridge University Theoretical Physics, followed by innovation and senior management at Accenture in launching new technologies and businesses

5. How do you plan to build a community of users and what are your plans for the future?

We are strong believers in leveraging the web and blogosphere to discuss technology ideas and grow communities. We donâ€™t like influencing activity via advertising as prefer technologies to grow based on their innovation and impact at solving problems.

6. Have you entered into any partnerships with other companies?

We now sell into over 60 countries, and are rolling out to some of the worlds largest retail stores. We sometimes partner in specific sectors or form joint ventures. Batteries are sold in so many markets so we are rolling out carefully into industry sectors and geographies.

7. What is the best way to compete in your industry?

At our core we have a better technology that competes with both the traditional rechargeable market and the alkaline battery market on being easier to re-use and recharge anywhere, and to reduce waste.

8. What was the process for you to raise capital?

We grow companies that are organically funded through profitable products, but selective products and companies attract outside investors to accelerate or deliver products faster.

9. What does the future look like for companies like the one you are running?

Green and Renewable companies represent significant growth opportunities, particularly those like ours that are already delivering products for sale in the market.

10. You got media coverage from all over the world, what makes your company special?

After 48 hours of initial launch, our product site USBCELL.com received over 50,000 visitors in a day, 1.5 m new google links and was the 2460th most visited site in the world (on an Alexa Ranking â€“ which is a good measure of how the technology/blogosphere reacts). The core was the innovative product, and visual that explained USBCELL, which was carried virally across the web, and seen by millions of people across over 150 countries in the first few weeks. Press coverage included a front page photo of the battery on a USA Today section â€“ the largest paper in US.

11. What should our readers do to launch a successful startup?

Timing innovation to the market is critical, as is measuring the amount of investment and speed to revenue.

12. Do you have any dreams?

At Moixa we are aiming to deliver solutions that could save over 10% of energy in homes, and reduce global battery waste (estimated at 15 billion batteries a year), and AC/DC adaptors (estimated at over a billion units discarded each year and a loss of over 5% of world electricity in usage). Itâ€™s time for better power technology to meet the need and environmental concerns of this century

Thanks Simon for this interview.