Exacttrak is a worldwide recovery company specialising in tracking people, vehicles, packages, and high-value items.

It was launched in 2007 by serial entrepreneur Norman Shaw. His enterprises have always been based in the ICT industry –ranging from computer and laptop sales to ICT security and tracking systems.

Exacttrak is developing a device to safeguard laptops, called Security Guardian, which relies upon a combination of GPS, mobile phone network and RF technology.

This means that Exacttrak can remotely communicate with its tracking system by using encrypted commands sent over the worldwide mobile phone system. It can detect stolen laptops to within 15cm of their position and also delete the information stored on them, remotely.

Exacttrak is developing a device to safeguard laptops, called Security Guardian, which relies upon a combination of GPS, mobile phone network and RF technology.

This means that Exacttrak can remotely communicate with its tracking system by using encrypted commands sent over the worldwide mobile phone system. It can detect stolen laptops to within 15cm of their position and also delete the information stored on them, remotely.

The laptop doesn’t have to be switched on for the software to work and the hard drive can also be locked down remotely to ensure specific files are saved.

Exacttrak’s projected turnover is £750,000 in the first year, £2million in the second and £4 million in its third year. There are three employees - Norman Shaw is Managing Director, John Pragnall is Technical Development Manager and Gavin Teal is Sales Manager. It is based in Aston Upthorpe, Oxfordshire.

Exacttrak’s projected turnover is £750,000 in the first year, £2million in the second and £4 million in its third year. There are three employees - Norman Shaw is Managing Director, John Pragnall is Technical Development Manager and Gavin Teal is Sales Manager. It is based in Aston Upthorpe, Oxfordshire.

Work with Enterprise Hub

Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub Director Wendy Tindsley said:  “The beauty of dealing with Norman is that he is very experienced in launching products. He is also very willing to listen to advice and suggestions. He has always been completely open and transparent and has taken a lot on board. I am certain that he will be very successful.”

Other hub assistance included

Other hub assistance included

·   Assistance to ensure that his already comprehensive business plan was funding-ready – ie at the stage where he could approach outside bodies for cash. The Hub introduced him to Finance South East which helps ambitious companies to grow through direct investment and associated support.

·   Helped Norman to take his business presentation to three funding networks where groups of investors go to view business propositions

Wendy added: “Attracting investors is not a science but an art. You need to be able to tell a good story, prove you are capable of taking it to market and that there is a real or proven demand.”

Norman said: “The advice I have had from the Hub has been invaluable. It is not only that its staff are impartial, but they look at every different angle of the business.

“Sometimes, as an entrepreneur, you are so close to a project, you can’t see mistakes. The Hub has been very supportive and offers very regular contact – in fact we see them every two months or so.

“It has pushed us forward and ensured we have very solid foundations on which to build. 

“Areas in which I feel they have helped us especially include helping us to get finance-ready, reviewing our business plan, introducing us to patent attorneys and introducing us to investment networks.”

What’s next

The devices have already been purchased by Merseyside Police to be used as part of a crime reduction campaign.

Norman is currently waiting hear if he has attracted funding from one of five possible investors. He needs about £250,000 to help fund the final production of the products, develop the sales channel and sales volumes.

CyberTherm is a young and dynamic family firm which has developed a radiator that is only one millimetre thick.

The heating panel can be stuck directly on to walls, is much cheaper to run and install than conventional radiators and is powered by as little as 300 watts of electricity.

The product is designed to warm people in a room by radiant heat. Unlike a normal convection system, which heats the air in a room in order to warm its occupants, it warms people directly.

This makes it extremely energy efficient – the air in the room can be between three and five degrees Celsius colder than the air in a conventionally-heated room and feel just as comfortable and warm.

Once a panel is in position, its surface can be decorated using any decorative finish (e.g. paint, plaster, wallpaper, tile or mirror), leaving it completely hidden from view.

CyberTherm, in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, was founded by Jake Kingsbury, and his brother Toby two years ago after their father Gerald, owner of a Derbyshire-based electrochemical company, bestowed the technology to his sons.

The technology has many applications and the radiator is [removed virtually] ready to launch.

Work with Enterprise Hub

Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub Director Wendy Tindsley, who has been working with the company for two months, said: “CyberTherm is a very exciting young company. The technology has enormous potential and the two sons are lucky to have their father’s experience of subcontracting in China as well as his industry contacts to call on.

“They all know the electrochemical industry inside out but they are not experienced in bringing an electrical appliance to the marketplace. They also have a limited knowledge of electrical products and the construction industry, which is where we can find ways of helping.”

Assistance given by the hub has included:

·   Introducing CyberTherm to a business mentor who is assisting with their marketing and business planning and has encouraged the two men to get impartial testing to provide independently verified data on the product’s safety and performance

 ·   Introducing the company to the South East Centre for the Built Environment (SECBE) for support with their marketing strategy and for help with industry contacts

·   Helping them to apply for the Commercialisation Fund from Finance South East

·   Introducing them to another hub company in the electrical sector to give them advice on regulations, pitfalls and electrical engineering procedures

·   Introducing them to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) for support and advice on supplying export markets

Managing Director Jake Kingsbury, aged 31, said: “Help from the Enterprise Hub has been invaluable. We have made some great contacts such as SECBE, and it has been really helpful in giving us a structure. As a business we were very focused on product development and R&D. The hub has helped us to get our business administration in place and helped us with a marketing and sales strategy so that we will be able to commercialise our exciting new system.”

What’s next?

From August 2008, CyberTherm will be manufacturing the radiators in small batches in the UK to supply niche markets here, in Europe and the Far East. Once independent tests have verified the high levels of energy efficiency achieved through the use of the CyberTherm system, they will start supplying an increasing customer base worldwide.  This increased demand will be met by opening production facilities in China.

Support from very the very early stages

mDataLogic provides a solution to the most complex challenge of high quality mobile web content delivery: enabling a single application or service to provide an exceptional user experience consistently across thousands of different mobile devices, efficiently and cost effectively.

mDataLogic provides a solution to the most complex challenge of high quality mobile web content delivery: enabling a single application or service to provide an exceptional user experience consistently across thousands of different mobile devices, efficiently and cost effectively.

mDataLogic provides a solution to the most complex challenge of high quality mobile web content delivery: enabling a single application or service to provide an exceptional user experience consistently across thousands of different mobile devices, efficiently and cost effectively.

mDataLogic provides a solution to the most complex challenge of high quality mobile web content delivery: enabling a single application or service to provide an exceptional user experience consistently across thousands of different mobile devices, efficiently and cost effectively.

The mDataLogic Mobile Content Optimisation (MobCO) platform gives users the opportunity to enjoy the best possible user experience on over 5,000 different mobile  phone types. By leveraging the MobCO Platform, mDataLogic has technology and service offerings in 4 keys areas:

The mDataLogic Mobile Content Optimisation (MobCO) platform gives users the opportunity to enjoy the best possible user experience on over 5,000 different mobile  phone types. By leveraging the MobCO Platform, mDataLogic has technology and service offerings in 4 keys areas:

The mDataLogic Mobile Content Optimisation (MobCO) platform gives users the opportunity to enjoy the best possible user experience on over 5,000 different mobile  phone types. By leveraging the MobCO Platform, mDataLogic has technology and service offerings in 4 keys areas:

The mDataLogic Mobile Content Optimisation (MobCO) platform gives users the opportunity to enjoy the best possible user experience on over 5,000 different mobile  phone types. By leveraging the MobCO Platform, mDataLogic has technology and service offerings in 4 keys areas:

·          Mobile Website Development

·          Mobile Marketing

·          Mobile Commerce

·          Bespoke Mobile Applications

mDataLogic enables businesses to take advantage of the new opportunities provided by the mobile web by delivering high quality mobile web services to the broadest audience without having to worry about complex technical solutions or multiple partner relationships.

Work with the Enterprise Hub

The Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub started working with Pedro at a very early stage of his business plan, helping him to make sure that he strengthened the weak parts of this always very important document. Pedro also had access to our Market Research service provided by the British Library and at the same time received guidance to start his own Marketing Strategy using other Enterprise Hub Company’s services. mDataLogic has come out of this exercise with a very strong message for branding its products/services.

Most recently Pedro has been selected to benefit from the Mentoring Scheme and has been assigned an experienced mentor in the field of Mobile Communications to help him with his Sales Strategies and going into Market.

Parallel to receiving advice from the Oxfordshire Enterprise Hub mDataLogic moved into his new offices at the Harwell Innovation Centre where he found the physical support that any small business at this stage of the journey needs.

For more information on mDataLogic please visit www.mdatalogic.com

Early stage companies often face the daunting task of requiring investment finance but are run only by the founder – i.e. no management team. Additionally they are pre-revenue and their market place is new. Looking at conventional business angel networks we will see that these are nervous about “one man bands” (companies where the only employee is the founder as well) even though in some cases the intellectual property is solid and the founder / entrepreneur is exceptional.

It is the collective experience of the Hub that other methods of gaining equity partners are out there and a clear “no” from private investors belonging to an angel network is not definitive.

We have listed below three examples that have worked for our clients that should inspire others to review less conventional methods. For reasons of confidentiality, companies’ identities are not divulged.

Case 1