Wittos: connecting the best of online with the shop floor
MS: First things first – tell us about your company
Wittos is developing technology around mobile analytics and predictive content for WiFi networks in the retail industry. Retailers are creating great digital content, and we work to retarget this to customers as they shop in the physical store. By pushing the most compelling brand content to the customer at just the right time, we help create an improved customer experience.
MS: Sounds great – how does it work?
Users log in to an ordinary public WiFi network, and our analyses and enables the retailer to see how that person is travelling around the store. It also anonymously profiles the user to see what they are interested in, enabling the retailer to display its most relevant content as the customer browses the web. We can also display information about products and availability as shoppers browse a particular department, creating a connected retail experience that reflects customer needs.
MS: Tell us about the team and what you’re working on…
There are two of us based at IDEALondon and we also have an offsite development team working in Romania. We’ve been here for almost a year, and being a Cisco championed company has been a fantastic experience. We’re hoping to see our trials through during the rest of our time at IDEAL so we can build a strong go-to-market and prioritise the features that are most important to retailers.
Our customers are all really friendly and don’t seem to mind the start-up approach of being agile and seeing what works and what doesn’t. We also want to make sure our customers know that it’s not all about the commercial side – we’re also about creating a secure, enjoyable experience for end-users.
MS: How has being championed by Cisco impacted the way you work?
We’ve integrated with Cisco technology – going through the various processes of dealing with big corporates can be very difficult for start-ups, so this has been a big bonus for us – it’s definitely accelerated things.
We also have equipment on loan from Cisco so we haven’t had to make those big investments. The team is great at offering advice and telling you what you need – even if you don’t know yourself! Being able to access that level of product knowledge is a really valuable resource.
MS: Are you enjoying working alongside other start-ups?
Definitely. Being surrounded by lots of other start-ups really helps build your confidence – we’re all at different stages of the start-up process, and you’re never far from someone who has either done it before or who is looking for advice or a connection that you can offer. It’s great to be surrounded by people who understand.
Being part of a tech start-up can sometimes feel like a day to day fight for survival – it’s not like an ordinary job where you can brush off a bad meeting and start again the next day. Start-ups have to constantly re-think things and decide if it’s still worthwhile when something goes wrong. We’ve all picked ourselves up at some point, and I think it’s important to hear other people’s stories and learn from them.
MS: What advice would you offer other tech start-ups?
Don’t ever give up – if you have a gut feeling that there’s something there, persevere. It might not always be the right time, but patient and keep going. Sometimes it’s one step forwards and two steps back, so look back, reflect and see where you’ve come from. If the feeling’s still there, push on.
