Smart benches charge phones and provide security
Register for free and continue reading
Join our growing army of changemakers and get unlimited access to our premium content
Startup Include builds smart, IoT-connected street benches that can be linked into smart city infrastructure
Spotted: Croatian startup Include has turned simple street benches and bike stands into Internet of Things (IoT) hot points. The solar-powered smart benches are more than “a bench with a mobile phone charger,” notes founder Ivan Mrvoš.
Include’s smart benches, known as Steora Urban +, combine IoT solutions and green technology. The benches are powered using solar panels. They offer free wireless Wi-Fi, 15 sensors, USB and wireless charging, street lighting and security surveillance. The benches also double as a platform for advertising, so they produce revenue.
The startup offers 11 products in two lines: the smart benches and Monna smart cycling points. It has already sold over 1000 smart benches in 260 cities across five continents. Its customers include international brands like Deutsche Telekom, Coca Cola, Red Bull, British Petroleum, Nokia and Kia. Include recently raised over €1 million from investors on the blockchain-based Funderbeam SEE platform.