UK: The Cambridge based tech firm Spotta has created a product which helps hoteliers identify bed bugs before they strike.
Known as a bed pod, the small monitoring device keeps an eye on hotel beds, alerting managers when pests have been sorted.
The technology works through a combination of physical monitoring tech, namely through lured traps which bring in bugs, and monitoring software which identifies the pest. This allows hoteliers to catch infestations early, before significant damage can be done.
The company was founded by Robert Fryers and Neil D’Souza-Mathew, who met while working at a Cambridgeshire R&D firm. They had previously set up a tech consultancy before identifying the potential gap tech could fill in the pest prevention industry.
Bed bugs can be a major problem for hotels, with 82 per-cent of American hotels reporting a yearly infestation. Removal can be even more costly, with Spotta estimating that cases of bedbugs alone can cost a hotel as much as £67,200 in a year.
Fryers said: “As well as litigation, treatment costs, staff time and replacing damaged furniture or furnishings, bed bug infestations also cost hotels their reputation. A negative review mentioning bed bugs can impact the likelihood of future bookings and even the rate a room can be sold at.”
The company has already reported it has caught over 100 cases since it first started doing business a year ago. The tech, which you can set and forget, has received investment from the Cambridge Angels as well as a variety of grants.
For more stories about tech investment, check out our stories about a new locks system, or a hotel introducing a new Hospitality Pricing Optimiser.
