Ray-Flex uses light sensors integrated into the face of the mirror to detect the position and intensity of the sun.

Our control module then commands two motors to tilt the mirror into position to perfectly reflect the maximum amount of power into your homes.

Ray-Flex is intelligent; if it detects low light conditions, such as night time or fog, the system shuts down to prevent unnecessary power loss.

Ray-Flex’s control module sits discreetly in your home and can be plugged straight into your mains supply.

Ray-Flex’s mirror is covered in special Hydrophilic coating, to help prevent build up of dirt and residue that might otherwise effect its reflectance

Mar 12, 2021

The premise of our Business model  is to slowly introduce Ray-Flex to market over the course of 3 years. This will include intensive R&D as well as incrementally increasing sales to a point at which revenue outweighs expenditure.

Ray Flex will retail at £180, which includes installation. Each unit will cost  £62.33 to manufacture.

A technician working for Ray-Flex gets paid £50 per unit installed; we predict by year 3, eight technicians will manage 384-unit installations a month (48 each), which leads to a monthly salary of £2400 pp.

Technical revenue for the business per unit is therefore £67.57, this does not include external expenditure associated with legal, marketing, admin etc.

• As seen in the projection graph above, we plan on having positive total EBIDTA in year 4.
• Year 1 will be spent perfecting the product, so that the company can be profitable by year 3.
• In month 19, we plan on unit sales of 384 per month, continuing at this  rate for the next 18 months. This will allow total revenue to exceed expenditure, generating a positive growth of EBIDTA from month 19 onwards.
• We plan on raising £150,000 of initial investment to cover the costs of net losses in year 1 (£128,402) and to help mitigate against risk/poor performance

Mar 12, 2021

Our target customers  

In addition to the desk market research conducted to understand the heating challenge in Edinburgh, Ray-Flex also conducted market survey research to identify its customers and their needs.

Survey results:

• • 67.6% of the participants are working adults living in Edinburgh; the rest live in Glasgow and Aberdeen;
  • 58.8% are willing to upgrade their heating system;
  • 73.55% are willing to install Ray-Flex on their windows.

(Survey size: 73 responses)

 

Our Persona

Emily is a working mother living in a two-bedroom flat with a living room, in Edinburgh.

She currently sleeps in a damp, cold and stuffy room, and is worried about the inefficient heating system and high heating bill.

Emily wants to cut down the cost and time spent on maintaining her current heating system. Therefore, she needs a cost-effective, simple, and efficient mechanism to help heat and light her house to assist ventilation.

 

THE COMPETITION

The challenge:

• • How do we enter window frames and insulation market?
  • Why would a customer want to buy our product when a fully insulated window frame is always available?

Our response:

• • Ray-Flex is a simpler and more affordable way to expose a room to more sunlight during the cold winter days
  • Ray-Flex reduces energy consumption and cut CO2 and green gas emissions
  • Ray-Flex is not a permanent fixture, allowing our customers more flexibility regarding usage

• Our top competitors & our competitive advantages:

Viewforth Glazing:  UPVC windows that tilt, turn and are fully reversible. Improved lighting at the cost of tricky and expensive installation.

Our advantage: Ray-Flex can be installed onto almost any existing building and maximize sunlight exposure at a cheaper price.

Thermashade Insulation Blinds by Hillaries: blinds that can be installed onto any existing window. Their “honeycomb shape” reduces heat loss by creating air pockets, trapping air that acts as an insulator.

Our advantage: What blinds save in heat, they lose in lighting. Ray-Flex does not compromise on the benefits of natural light for the sake of improved insulation.

Wall and Door Insulation: General home insulation to help save on energy bills. This method can be highly costly and can require months of construction and planning.

Our advantage: Ray-Flex can be installed in a matter of hours and thanks to its automated shutdown/power-up mechanisms, it requires minimum maintenance.

 

ENDORSEMENTS

A potential partnership with window frame manufacturers, would help to maximize savings for our customers while building a reputation for Ray-Flex. Combining the well-insulated windows with Ray-Flex would be a strategic implementation that would benefit both ourselves and our customers while cutting back on greenhouse emissions.

 

THE INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Apply for funds from:

• • Government funding could be granted from the UK government on the premise that Ray-Flex is a sustainable and innovative solution that will help reduce carbon emissions
  • Subsidies and grants up to £5,000 could be granted to individuals from the UK government for in-home improvements to increase the overall efficiency of their homes. Individuals can use this money to invest in their homes by buying our product

To help assemble the  £150,000 required by the investment strategy, Ray-Flex will be floating a 25% stake in the  company to private investors.

Mar 12, 2021

COMPLETED:  ideation and design planning; the objective of our product was defined, and research into the technology was completed.

IN PROGRESS:  in-depth research of 3-axis accelerometer sensor that will be attached to the mirror, and especially how to integrate this into the mirror and connect it to the other electrical components.

TO DO:

• • Design microcontroller programming code
  • Finalise microcontroller and LDR unit design
  • Select appropriate suppliers, by keeping in mind issues of GHG emissions due to transport
  • Funding applications
  • Report for the City of Edinburgh for Listed Building Consent
  • Risk assessment
  • Testing & Verification
  • Manufacturing
  • Product launch in June 2022

FUTURE:

• • Add more refined features
  • Expand to other UK cities

 

      Thank you for taking the time to view Ray-Flex. If you would like to be a part of our journey, enquire today for our business plan! 

Mar 12, 2021