Sit back and think about the technology that we have available to us today. It’s crazy when you stop and think about it.
The devices we carry in our pockets give us instant access to all of humankind’s knowledge. We can communicate with anyone in the world in real time. And we can book a flight around the world with the touch of a fingertip.
As mind-blowing as this would have been 20-plus years ago, we haven’t seen anything yet. Technology always presses on. So just think about what technologies we’ll have in the months and years ahead.
What new technologies will dominate 2017?
The first area we’ll discuss is not a new one. The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is a tech terminology we’ve been hearing about for years.
Since smartphones hit the mainstream consumer, IoT has been a buzzword. Marketers have us dreaming about homes that automatically learn to do our bidding. So why aren’t we all living in completely smart, connected homes?
In one word: competition.
There is too much of it. It all lacks a central voice.
If there was one company creating a bulk of the smart home products, more homes would be running like those in The Jetsons.
Right now, there is no collaboration. There are tons of individual appliances and apps on the market, but there are few solutions to tie everything together into a single, seamless user experience.
You need an app just to keep your apps straight.
And this isn’t taking into account any crossover interference you may encounter.
There are still many hurdles to jump before we are all living in smart homes.
It has been said that IoT could become an $11 trillion market by 2025.
That’s nearly a decade away. And companies are already competing in this lucrative market.
But until there is one central voice, we may never live in truly smart homes.
And that’s why we’re excited about this smart home startup with a brilliant idea and the execution to match. And it has a product that is one of a kind.
The Early Investing team has done its research on the company... spoken to the co-founders... and analyzed the sector it’s in. It’s something we’ve been following for a few years.
And now, we are convinced this company is a good investment opportunity.
And we aren’t the only ones.
Nearly 3,000 people have expressed interest in investing in this company. This high level of interest should strongly encourage the company to proceed with its raise.
Keen Home develops proactive hardware and software products to protect and enhance a home’s core systems. It aims to make products that provide homeowners with increased comfort, improved efficiency and a better-maintained home.
The company’s first product was the Smart Vent System.
Its purpose is to redirect airflow to only those areas of the house that need it. It is programmed to be intelligent and intuitive.
For example, a bedroom would automatically get air-conditioning at night during the summer. But during the day, its vent would be closed.
Users can also open and close vents remotely using an app on their smartphones.
By focusing on improving infrastructure, Keen Home innovates in largely overlooked areas of the home.
The average U.S. household spends approximately 50% of its energy bill on heating and cooling, or about $2,000 per year. This same house has an average of two to four rooms that are too hot or too cold.
On average, people spend time in only 20% of their homes... but they heat or cool the whole thing 100% of the time.
In fact, more than 90% of homes in the U.S. have only one heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) zone.
So as you can see, you are basically throwing away money by heating and cooling your home.
Some options on the market want to replace all of your vents. That would cost more than $2,000. But Keen recommends replacing only one-third of the vents in your home.
With the Keen Home Smart Vent, you can regulate a home’s heating/cooling airflow on a room-by-room basis, which results in improved comfort and efficiency.
The company claims it is a smarter, cheaper and aesthetically pleasing alternative to professionally installed zoning systems. Smart Vent Systems also give users complete control of the airflow in their homes.
Currently, Smart Vent Systems are sold at more than 500 Lowe’s and 95 Best Buy stores, with other distribution deals in the pipeline.
To date, the company has made more than $2.6 million in sales.
It is no surprise that the company has snagged several venture capital investors, including one of Shark Tank’s highest valuations ever from Robert Herjavec – who many observers think is the show’s shrewdest shark.
Keen Home has a partnership with the Herjavec Group for marketing and distribution support.
The Smart Vent was Keen’s first product but certainly not its last. The company is currently working on a slew of new products...
In August 2016, it launched the Smart Filter. This brought smart air purification to the most logical location in a home – its vents.
It is specially designed for high airflow and allows room-by-room purification without the noise, cost and limitations of stand-alone air purifiers.
And this year, it’s expected to launch Keen Home Air Care, which will automatically mail Smart Filter refills based on real-time HVAC usage analysis.
This is an exciting time for Keen Home, and now is a great time to get on board.
So how can you invest in this company?
We visit small businesses all the time. And this company, the pioneer of electronic payments, is changing the way they do business.
Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ) was started in 2009 to enable small businesses to accept card payments, an important capability that was previously inaccessible to many businesses.
Square believes everyone should be able to succeed in the economy. So it is building tools that make it easier and more accessible for everyone.
Its point-of-sale service offers tools for every part of running a business, from accepting credit cards and tracking inventory to real-time analytics and invoicing.
It has really helped the small-business world – the backbone of our economy – by making it easier for customers to shop and pay at their favorite businesses... and helping these businesses continue to grow.
While this company has been around for nearly 10 years, it just started to publicly trade at the end of 2015. And its first full year as a public company was a success.
The fourth quarter results showed just how far it came.
Gross payment volume (GPV) for the fourth quarter was $13.7 billion, up 34% year over year.
Total net revenue was $452 million, up 21% year over year. Adjusted revenue was $192 million, up 43% year over year.
It ended the year with $539 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities, up from $461 million at the end of 2015.
The GPV growth was achieved through the company’s ability to efficiently add new sellers and provide them with the tools they need to grow.
Square also saw strong growth across its products. Revenue was driven by both transaction-based and subscription- and services-based monetization efforts.
This year, Square plans on continuing to invest in scaling its business, balanced by an ongoing commitment to expansion.
This is a great opportunity to invest in a company that is just getting started but is already succeeding.
Square has been around for almost a decade, so it isn’t a true startup in the way Keen Home is. But it is a company that has been trading publicly for only a short period of time.
It’s still a very early-stage play that you can buy today, no matter your accredited investor status.
Good investing,
Bob
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