Prime Group developed a smart lock for storage units that operates without batteries or Wi-Fi. It harnesses the small amount of passive energy emitted by a user's smartphone to power the lock mechanism. This innovation solves the massive operational problem of replacing dead batteries across thousands of units and improves security.
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As consumers become inundated with AI and digital experiences, a strong counter-trend is emerging. This creates venture-scale opportunities for companies focused on tangible hardware, 'dumb' phones, and real-world services that facilitate human connection offline, as demonstrated by Greylock's investment in a kids' landline.
The biggest challenge in energy isn't just generating power, but moving it efficiently. While transmission lines move power geographically, batteries "move" it temporally—from times of surplus to times of scarcity. This reframes batteries as a direct competitor to traditional grid infrastructure.
The vast network of consumer devices represents a massive, underutilized compute resource. Companies like Apple and Tesla can leverage these devices for AI workloads when they're idle, creating a virtual cloud where users have already paid for the hardware (CapEx).
Crusoe Cloud is partnering with Tesla co-founder JB Straubel's Redwood Materials to use second-life EV batteries for power. By pairing these recycled batteries with solar, they can run a fully off-grid AI data center 24/7 at a lower price than grid power in Northern Virginia, a major data center hub.
The two largest physical costs for AI data centers—power and cooling—are essentially free and unlimited in space. A satellite can receive constant, intense solar power without needing batteries and use the near-absolute zero of space for cost-free cooling. This fundamentally changes the economic and physical limits of large-scale computation.
By designing, manufacturing, installing, and operating its own batteries, Base Power creates a flywheel. Greater scale lowers costs, which allows for lower consumer prices, which in turn drives more scale and demand. This strategy is key in a commodity industry.
Current home security systems are passive. The next major opportunity lies in active deterrence, moving beyond cameras to physical, patrolling robots. The market wants a "better big dog"—a device that can actively patrol property and deter threats, a more practical application of robotics than consumer humanoids.
Truly innovative ideas begin with a tangible, personal problem, not a new technology. By focusing on solving a real-world annoyance (like not hearing a doorbell), you anchor your invention in genuine user need. Technology should be a tool to solve the problem, not the starting point.
Ring's founder argues that seemingly permanent hardware choices, like communication protocols, are not truly "one-way doors." By offloading intelligence to the cloud, even legacy hardware can be continuously upgraded with new features like AI, mitigating the risk of being stuck on an outdated standard.
A six-pound iPhone case designed to curb phone usage highlights a powerful strategy: applying simple, physical solutions to complex digital-era problems. This approach of using 'low-tech' fixes, like fake security cameras, is an often-overlooked but highly effective form of innovation.
