Startup Opus One announced on May 24 that its independently developed, eco-friendly home security solution made it to the semi-finals of Boost at TNW Europe 2017, which was recently held in Amsterdam. This year’s TNW -- The Next Web -- event, the largest tech conference in Europe and an event that attracts startup companies, investors, and accelerators from all around the world, featured the products and services of 31 Korean startups, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Small and Medium Business Administration, and Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. 

The product released by Opus One is a home security/automation solution that provides a way to repurpose used smart phones. The product’s defining trait is its convenient assembly: after attaching a small sensor to a used smart phone and attaching it to a special motor-equipped stand, it can be easily and conveniently used by anyone via a mobile application. CEO Kim Ki-young said, “As the smart phone replacement rate increases, we are witnessing an immense waste of resources. This realization was the starting point of our environmentally friendly home security product, which makes use of discarded smart phones.”

For the entire duration of TNW Europe 2017, the product received significant attention from European telecoms, related organizations, and distributors. Kim said, “We held very productive discussions with the German regional manager of the world-class Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica about launching our product in Germany. We also spoke with the global DMB association IDAG about strategic cooperation on DAB+, the digital radio standard.”

Last year, Opus One made the world’s first Bluetooth-enabled smart umbrella, which provides the user with the day’s weather forecast and location information in case the umbrella is misplaced. The company is a highly promising startup that managed to start exporting its products to over 10 countries after only one year in operation. The company’s efforts to prepare for entering overseas markets are supported by the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation.

(jshwang@heraldcorp.com)