RETROMIXER - UK Survival Kit

Description

All you need to make your time in the UK as convenience as possible. This pack consists out of: The Classic Retromixer: Adjustable to different distances between the taps (16cm - 24cm) Tool-free installation Helps reducing water waste Easy to disassemble and clean Dishwasher-friendly Resistant to heat Made of materials approved for drinking water Universal plug adapter: - All-in-one adaptor with surge protector, safety shutter and power indicator light - LED charging indicator - Works in worldwide: United States, Canada, Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia, The Caribbean, Great Britain, Ireland, Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, China, Japan, and more than 150 countries A rain poncho: - Waterproof vinyl material - Attached Hood - Lightweight and Reusable - Easy to carry in Purse, Luggage or Car - One size fits all £4,090 raised with 190 backers. PROBLEM Separate taps for hot and cold water are a pain for a number of reasons. Burning your hands vs. getting a frostbite: choose one. Filling the sink with mixed water is time consuming, wasteful and not hygienic. Replacing separate taps with a mixer tap is expensive. If you live in rented accomodation, replacing the taps might not be an option at all. SOLUTION Retromixer serves as a connector for separate taps that mixes the hot and cold water streams, allowing you to enjoy warm water again. Fits most tap spouts Can be adjusted to different distances between the two taps (currently 16- 24cm) Easy to clean, manually or in a dishwasher Made of materials approved for contact with drinking water and resistant to high temperature DIMENSIONS LOW-MAINTENACE There are other ways to solve the problem of separate taps. You could build your own DIY solution or replace the whole sink (given you have your landlord's permission). This could cost a lot of time or money, or both. Our adaptor can be fitted or detached within seconds, without using any tools. It is compact and adjustable, so you can take it with you when travelling or moving to another flat. RETROMIXER was designed to be an affordable solution with an aesthetic appeal and sustainability in mind. SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is important to us. RETROMIXER can reduce water consumption by up to 50%. We are currently working on improving the manufacturing process to reduce waste and our carbon footprint. About the Startup Describe your product in 3 words. convenient - sustainable - innovative How did you come up with the idea for this product? Artur: I did my undergrad at Coventry University and I was familiar with the concept of separate taps already. Luckily back then, the flat we were sharing had mixer taps everywhere, but the idea of making a product that would solve the problem in an easy and inexpensive manner has crossed my mind already. I moved back to the UK in 2014 to pursue my Master's at the University of Edinburgh. This time I was not as lucky... Edinburgh can be a truly inspiring place with its majestic architecture. However, old buildings mean also many old flats that have not been upgraded in quite a while. The flat that I moved into was located in the Old Town, just by the Grassmarket. All of the sinks were fitted with separate taps, including in the kitchen. With my flatmate, David, we tried to solve the problem by applying the famous plastic bottle solution. However, the hot water would make the bottle melt and we had some hygiene concerns. After several months of hassle, I wasn't just fed up- I actively hated separate taps. But it occurred to me that I'm not the only one. Virtually all of my international classmates (and quite a few British) were strongly opposed to the concept burning hot and freezing cold water. I talked about this with another engineer and best friend, Denny. We looked for solutions to this problem other than the plastic bottle, but haven't come across any adapter for sinks with double taps. The decision was to give this project a shot. We analyzed the market to see if there's a genuine business opportunity and concluded that there is sufficiently many people who would pay money for solving this problem. On top of that, it would have been a great opportunity for us to develop a product from scratch and get the first business experience working on a hardware startup. What makes your product special? The existing DIY solutions are in some cases cheap, but still require manual skills and will only fit the one specific set of taps. Additionally, the material might not be resistant to higher temperatures, for instance said reclaimed plastic bottle. They are also difficult to clean. There is no commercial product out there – we have a patent application pending and pursuit other forms of intellectual property protection. What has been the best part of your startup experience? We are two good friends who got fed up with washing the dishes in either scalding hot or freezing cold water and decided to develop a solution. We know that there is no such solution and the problem has been crying for one for many years - just google “separate taps solution”. We could pursuit all our ideas on our own and used the market for feedback. This is an entirely new working experience and not comparable to the work in a big company.