Overview
Enterprise Hub Member and 10th Anniversary champion, Dr Sithamparanathan Sabesan, developed PervasID, with the support of Enterprise Fellowships in 2014, and the SME Leaders programme in 2018.
Case Study
Name: Dr Sithamparanathan Sabesan
Role: Founder and CEO
Enterprise: PervasID
Location: Cambridge
Launch date: 2016
What does PervasID do?
The challenge
There are few things more critical to an enterprise than having clear oversight of where assets are and making sure that they are being used in the most efficient way possible.
The digitisation of industrial manufacturing and supply chain processes means that IoT, robotics and other AI driven processes are becoming increasingly prevalent. The smallest data inaccuracies can have the most profound operational, safety and security consequences. Existing inventory tracking solutions not fit for purpose because they cannot accurately detect and count tagged items at speed.
The solution
We provide the world’s most accurate battery free real-time tracking technology using advanced techniques. This ground-breaking radio-frequency identification tracking solution achieves 99%+ detection accuracy and responsiveness, in a very cost-effective way, delivering a rapid ROI.
Milestone achievements
One of our greatest milestones was securing inward investment over $10 million. It has also been really rewarding to see PervasID’s technology used in industrial locations to enable tool-tracking in mission-critical applications and in hospitals to track medical devices, surgical instruments and patient flow. Similarly, collaborating with SML, a global leader in retail RFID technology and solutions, was another huge milestone - the combination of our offerings meant we could deliver unparalleled hands-free, real-time visibility capabilities.
But a personal achievement was being awarded The Princess Royal Silver Medal by the Royal Academy of Engineering, as well as being named as one of Business Elite’s ‘40 Under 40.’
What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur?
Becoming an industry leader takes a lot of time and effort, and much of this time is expended before you even have any major customers on board. Persuading the first customer to roll-out our technology to achieve the first £1 million revenue mark was the most memorable challenge for me.
“Even when your technology is ground-breaking, knowing where your assets are isn’t always easy.”
How has the Enterprise Hub supported you?
The RAEng Enterprise Hub has supported me through the RAEng Enterprise Fellowship and SME Leaders Programme which provided me with the business trainings and money-cannot-buy mentoring to enable me to become a multi - award winning entrepreneur. This has also led me to successfully grew PervasID, a Cambridge University spin-out company, from its inception to a global enterprise.
What are your future ambitions for PervasID?
My ambition is to scale the business to unicorn status.
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