Croft Smart Homes

croftsmarthomes.co.uk

Mark Francis
Founder

These slides are hosted at https://smart-home-pitch.croftsmarthomes.co.uk
A PDF version of these slides: https://smart-home-pitch.croftsmarthomes.co.uk/pdf

About Me

  • I'm Mark - Systems Engineer & builder
  • I've felt the pain of smart homes firsthand
  • I want to make them simple for everyone

Smart Device Market Adoption

  • 80% of UK consumers own at least 1 smart product
  • 40% own 3 or more (especially under-35s)
  • UK smart home market: £7.4B (2024) → £13.4B (2030), ~10% CAGR


yoyoTech, YouTube
6 Months Later, YouTube

Everything Smart Home, YouTube
Michael Leen, YouTube

The Problem

Smart homes today are broken

  • Isolated ecosystems → Alexa, Google, Apple, Samsung, Hue, IKEA don't play well together.
  • Too complex → multiple apps, pairing issues, troubleshooting.
  • Unreliable → hubs crash, devices drop offline, cloud lock-in.
  • Unfriendly → built for hobbyists, not families.
  • Unrealised potential → 80% own devices, few achieve a truly "smart" home.

A Simplified Smart Home

"The DVD player of smart homes - Just plug it in and it works."

  • Pre-configured, plug-and-play hub
  • Works across ecosystems, out of the box
  • Local, private, reliable
  • Designed to look at home - not a DIY project
  • App control from anywhere in the world

Built for long-term value

Beyond the hub, growing with the customer

  • Scalable Setup - Add or remove devices from your system as needs change
  • Curated kits - Lighting, Heating, Security, Energy, Entertainment — tested, designed to “just work.”
  • Optional subscription - Bespoke automations, automatic updates, remote monitoring, secure backup, priority support

Future Growth Opportunities

  • Home Builders & Developers - Default appliance in new builds, white-label or co-brand
  • Electricians & Installers - Upsell kits during renovations; training + trade discounts = referral channel
  • Property Managers & Rentals - Smart hub resettable between tenants; energy savings + security for AirBnB and rentals
  • Energy & Utilities - Partnerships to optimise heating, lighting, EV charging; align with net-zero goals

Business Model

  • Appliance sales → £250-300 upfront for the hub
  • Curated kits → Repeat hardware revenue (Lighting, Heating, Security, Energy, Entertainment)
  • Optional subscription → Recurring revenue (bespoke automations, updates, monitoring, support, backup)
  • Future B2B channels → builders, electricians, property managers

Early Progress

  • Brand and website - croftsmarthomes.co.uk
  • Working prototype - Using off-the-shelf hardware (replaced by the custom built hub)
  • Software built for scale - Reproducible software builds, automated onboarding, automated testing

Next 6 Months

  • MVP Hub Build - Finalise dedicated hub hardware and build. Finalise BOM cost and supply chains
  • Shortlist hardware kits - Finalise the hardware most likely to be in demand for launch
  • Customer Discovery - 15–20 interviews with homeowners & renters
  • Pilot Program - 5–10 test units deployed in real homes, measure onboarding + reliability
  • Marketing Materials - Create marketing stratagy

Competition

The big players don’t solve the real problem

  • Amazon Alexa / Echo
    • Strengths: cheap, popular, voice assistant.
    • Weaknesses: cloud-reliant, limited automation, weak privacy
  • Google Home / Nest
    • Strengths: AI + ecosystem integration.
    • Weaknesses: fragmented, product strategy keeps shifting
  • Apple HomeKit
    • Strengths: secure, privacy-focused, premium brand
    • Weaknesses: limited device compatibility, only works well for Apple households
  • Samsung SmartThings / Philips Hue / IKEA
    • Strengths: good devices in niches (lighting, sensors, appliances)
    • Weaknesses: isolated ecosystems, limited cross-platform support

Our Edge

  • Appliance simplicity - Plug-and-play, no tinkering
  • Works across ecosystems - Zigbee, Thread, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
  • Works across devices - Phillips Hue, IKEA, HomeKit etc
  • Local-first & reliable - Not cloud-dependent*
  • Curated Kits - Tested hardware bundles that "just work"

My Ask

What we’re looking for from this incubator

  • Customer Discovery Support - Help validating product–market fit and refine our go-to-market strategy

  • Growth Marketing Expertise - Help building repeatable customer acquisition strategy(content, digital ads, trade/installer partnerships)

  • Business Mentorship & Network - Sharpen pricing, operations, and fundraising strategy; access to investors, advisors, and early customers

Vision

We’re building more than a hub - we’re building the foundation of the truly Smart Home

  • Short-term → The appliance layer for smart homes: plug-and-play reliability and curated kits of devices
  • Mid-term → Expansion with trade partnerships and property builder integrations.
  • Long-term →
    • Become the default standard for smart home infrastructure.
    • Enable self-sufficient, automated homes (energy, water, security, comfort).
    • Build a platform that empowers homeowners, renters, and builders to live smarter and more sustainably.