2022 marked the launch of Speedy – a revolutionary Wi-Fi verification platform that empowers the hospitality industry to attract increasingly discerning digital nomads, remote workers, and traveling business people that demand good internet. Leading the charge is co-founder and CEO Philip Pickard and his team of Wi-Fi enthusiasts.
What’s the Speedy story?
When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, we escaped the crowded city of Los Angeles for the more remote – and presumably safer – parts of California.
We stayed at breathtaking rental properties from the coast to the desert. And while the scenery rocked our worlds, the Wi-Fi did not. We quickly realized the only thing that really mattered was a strong and reliable connection capable of supporting our work requirements. But there was no way of knowing what the Wi-Fi at our next destination would serve up. A few more disastrous experiences later and the first glimmers of Speedy were born. We began building a solution to solve the frustrating Wi-Fi issues faced by digital nomads and remote workers just like us.
How does Speedy work?
Speedy’s pocket-sized device plugs into any power outlet to start capturing connection data within seconds. We process over a million data points to generate a proprietary Wi-Fi rating, showcasing speed, network reliability, outages, and other major incidents.
Who benefits from Speedy?
Speedy is for everyone that values fast, reliable internet. Right now, we’re focusing on vacation rental hosts and property management companies – providing them with a platform to monitor connectivity closely and put Wi-Fi issues to bed. Speedy also allows property owners to easily embed our consumer-friendly Wi-Fi rating to their listing site – proving onsite internet speed and reliability and giving prospective guests peace of mind that the Wi-Fi will perform as advertised.
Tell us more about the team behind Speedy.
I grew up in Cape Town and spent the first decade of my career in private equity and venture capital. I started out in Hong Kong, investing and advising hardware startups, before moving to the USA, where I joined Boston Consulting Group’s VC arm to build and invest in startups for Fortune 500 clients. Growing up in South Africa, internet connectivity was always an issue, but I was surprised to find that internet issues remain commonplace – regardless of where you go.
Speedy is backed by an incredible team. Our Head of Software, David North, is exceptionally talented and has been instrumental in bringing our web app to life. Speedy’s Head of Hardware, Freddie du Plessis, ensures our devices run smoothly without interruption. He is passionate about effective design and a curious tinkerer by nature.
Our Brand & Marketing Manager, Nick Smuts, leads our communications strategy and lives our brands lifestyle message as he travels full-time and works remotely as a digital nomad. Last but not least, our incoming Chief Technology Officer is ex-military-intelligence with core expertise in sensor fusion and network security. He is the perfect fit for our business, and we could not be more excited to welcome him on board.
What’s next for Speedy?
After six months of testing and gathering feedback from our pilot customers, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be shipping V2 of our product next month! Our current focus is scaling our solution and streamlining every aspect of Speedy’s customer experience – from installation to customer onboarding to providing actionable insights.
Given our company goals and the technology’s wide application, we’ve just kicked off our seed round to fund the next phase of our journey towards spearheading Wi-Fi transparency globally.
Want to get in touch?
For more information about Speedy and our partnership opportunities, head to GetSpeedy.io or connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. We’d love to hear from you!
