Garment IO, Egyptian IoT/SaaS startup, closes SEED round of $450K from Egypt Ventures & 500 Startups
Founded in 2017 by Ahmed Nounou and Mahmoud Sabae, Garment IO is a SaaS & IoT startup that helps garment factories improve their productivity by collecting meaningful real-time data from production lines using a small plug-and-play IoT smart terminal.
We sat down with the founders, Ahmed & Mahmoud, following the announcement of their SEED round of institutional funding to talk about big plans, expansion challenges, and the most exciting things happening in IoT right now.
Q1) MAGNiTT: To start, tell us briefly about Garment IO in layman's terms. How exactly does it work?
Garment IO is a SaaS that helps garment factories boost their productivity by gathering live data from production lines and uncovering inefficiencies using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. We give decision makers access to real-time data and tools to make decisions that dramatically improve the productivity of factories, and the quality of their products.
Q2) MAGNiTT: What's Garment IO's big-picture vision for the future?
Garment IO seeks to revolutionize the value chain of the garment manufacturing industry and significantly increase its productivity by shifting the decision making from intuition-based to data-based.
Q3) MAGNiTT: Safe to assume that after the most recent raise, Garment IO is going to have some exciting growth plans. Can you share some of Garment IO's plans for expansion with us?
On the geographic front, we’re going to explore new nearby markets (Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia). On product, we’re going to cover a wider spectrum in the value chain (cutting and packing), as well as smarter analytics and better reliability and responsiveness. For our team, we aim towards streamlining and standardising operations and sales functions, as well as enhancing our UX capabilities.
Q4) MAGNiTT: What do you believe the biggest challenges are when scaling, specifically within MENA?
Finding the right caliber with the required capabilities to lead sales and operations overseas, and developing the right formula to manage the HW supply chain across countries.
Q5) MAGNiTT: What are some of the most exciting things happening in the IoT space right now (globally)?
IoT is a booming technology with a wide-spectrum of applications. Smart cities, security, agriculture, asset tracking, and productivity optimizations are on top of the list.
What were you looking for from your investors, beyond capital?
Our investors are our partners in our growth journey. We rely on them to support us with ideas, insights, connections to open new markets, and raise funds for our future rounds.
Q6) Finally, what advice would you give yourself 5 years ago?
We would advise ourselves to be bold in our decisions, believe in the value we are offering, and be persistent in making things happen.
Looking for opportunities to join Garment IO? Check out their latest vacancies on our jobs board HERE
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