What do you currently do?
I am Chairman of Demand Logic, which is a software service for commercial properties which monitors the health of the buildings in terms of maintenance, comfort and energy problems.
My role is focused on the commercial strategy and growth plans for the business working closely with our CEO, Mike Darby.
What defines your way of doing business?
Our team, like our customers, are very practically-minded and down-to-earth because they simply want to see buildings operate as effectively and efficiently as possible so that do not waste money and energy, and are comfortable to work in. We like the quality and success of our work to speak for itself to ensure we deliver real benefits.
Who do you admire?
Elon Musk as a successful entrepreneur with a purpose who has taken on three difficult markets – electric vehicles with Tesla, solar power with SolarCity and space travel with SpaceX – and he has managed to transform people’s perceptions of what’s possible.
How did you end up on the Connected Cities Mission?
Demand Logic is receiving R&D funding from InnovateUK and participated in the successful Clean & Cool Mission to San Francisco last year so we knew this was a good opportunity for our small business. We have an existing relationship with VADS Lyfe, part of Telekom Malaysia, who are offering DL to their customers as part of their smart city services – we’re the smart buildings command centre. By joining the Mission and utilising this partnership we knew we could have a bigger impact in one week than coming alone to explore the opportunities.
What are you looking to gain from the trip?
A better understanding of the market opportunity for Demand Logic in SE Asia in terms of the maturity of property management and building engineering skills as well as price sensitivity. There are definitely some pioneering companies here who will use our service. Ideally we’ll organise a couple of pilots.
How successful or beneficial do you think the trip has been so far?
It has been fascinating to see the scale of city development here and the level of aspirations for smart green cities. The long term thinking is impressive even if the short term delivery doesn’t always live up to the plan. Demand Logic could work here and we’ve received serious interest from two customers as well as VADS.
