The Cornwall Innovation Podcast

In this episode of the Cornwall Innovation Centre podcast, Rebecca Loto speaks with Sam Taylor, co-founder of Green Power Solutions, a company that provides monitoring solutions for off-grid assets. Sam explains that Green Power Solutions helps operations teams gain visibility and make predictions about off-grid assets such as CCTV towers along motorways that are powered by battery or solar. The technology allows operations managers to determine how long an asset will remain operational, monitor battery status, predict solar performance, and plan engineer visits more efficiently. Historically, approximately 75% of engineer visits to these assets are unnecessary, as fleet owners often change batteries on a fixed schedule without knowing if replacement is actually needed. The conversation covers the significant financial and operational benefits of this visibility. Site visits can cost around 200 pounds for half a day, and by reducing unnecessary visits and optimizing engineer routing and priorities, clients achieve substantial savings. Beyond cost savings, the technology helps clients transition away from diesel generators to battery and solar-powered systems, supporting sustainability goals. Sam discusses how Green Power Solutions initially operated as a SaaS software company integrating with existing manufacturer hardware. However, around January 2024, when AI improvements made it easy to replicate software features, their competitive advantage disappeared almost overnight. This prompted a significant pivot into hardware development. The company now develops its own hardware specifically designed to use minimal power - critical for power-sensitive off-grid assets - while controlling the entire data journey and protecting their intellectual property. The pivot from remote-first software company to manufacturer required a physical office space for testing and development work. Sam highlights how the company now uses AI agents to enhance productivity, with a team of just three people operating with the capability of a team of ten or twelve in traditional terms. Clients' needs are also evolving due to AI capabilities, with some now preferring to access raw data endpoints rather than pre-built dashboards, allowing them to build their own interfaces with AI-assisted development. Sam reflects on AI's role in her business and the broader market. While recognizing AI's potential to improve productivity and enable small teams to compete, she acknowledges the paradox of being a B Corp committed to environmental sustainability while relying heavily on AI to deliver that sustainability benefit. She describes it as "use AI or die" for a small company unable to compete with traditional development approaches. Sam discusses the advantages of being based at Cornwall Innovation Centres, including startup agility with quarterly rather than annual contracts, the ability to scale flexibly, and a supportive environment. When the team experienced connectivity issues during testing, the innovation centre team worked with them to find solutions rather than having them relocate. Sam notes feeling valued as part of a community rather than just an office number. You can find Green Power Solutions at Pool Innovation Centre.

In this episode of the Cornwall Innovation Centre podcast, Rebecca Loto speaks with Adrian Kelly, founder of LetCheck Inventories, a service that protects properties, renters' deposits and landlords' reputations through detailed inspections at the beginning and end of tenancies. Adrian explains how LetCheck removes ambiguity from the renting process by conducting detailed inspections at the start of a tenancy. These reports help property managers fairly allocate expenses between reasonable wear and tear and renter liability, making the end of tenancy administration much smoother and fairer for everyone involved. The service covers studio flats through to four or five-bedroom houses, predominantly residential properties across the UK. LetCheck started in London many years ago and now operates across 17 different locations around the UK, primarily in high-density city areas. Adrian explains that the company relocated its headquarters to Penryn Innovation Centre in Cornwall 16 years ago. Initially managing both the business in London and establishing operations in Cornwall was challenging, but over time the company built a growing team at the innovation centre. Adrian discusses being one of the longest-standing tenants at Penryn Innovation Centre for 12 years, describing how the flexibility of the space enabled the business to adapt through Covid and scale up. He values creating an environment where team members feel part of something bigger than just the mission, and the innovation centre's facilities including the cafe, parking and security make it an ideal place to work. The discussion covers the impact of regulations and compliance on the lettings market. While not directly affecting LetCheck, these changes have significantly impacted their clients. The corporate landlord market is growing faster than the private landlord market due to increased compliance requirements and costs. Adrian explains the "built to rent" model where institutional investors and operators purchase buildings, converting them into apartment blocks, with the intention to hold and rent them long-term as an annuity stream rather than selling. Adrian shares his background, having worked in banking in London for an American employer between New York and London before leaving after five or six years to start his own business. He tried several ventures including running a letting agency, but LetCheck was the business that "just kept on slowly growing" despite paying it minimal attention initially. When Adrian and his wife decided to commit fully, they bought out his business partner and scaled from there.