TeleSense has raised $6.5M in total. We talk with Naeem Zafar, its CEO.
PetaCruch: How would you describe TeleSense in a single tweet?
Naeem Zafar: TeleSense uses wireless sensors and machine learning to preserve post-harvest grain, and provides grain managers the ability to predict quality. This ensures that decisions to blend, move, sell, or keep the grain are data-driven and optimized for efficiency.
PC: How did it all start and why?
NZ: When we first started we were looking for industries that hadn’t seen huge disruptions or innovations yet. We also wanted the right use case, something with broad appeal and clear benefits for society. In agriculture, specifically grain storage, we found global appeal and a triple bottom-line business opportunity. We could build a profitable business, while also providing positive social impact and positive environmental impact. Such companies are difficult to find and build, and I’m excited that TeleSense is a triple bottom-line company!
PC: What have you achieved so far?
NZ: In a short time we’ve built an excellent team, and secured more than 400 customers worldwide – momentum is building, and traction is strong. We currently have about half a dozen products for different grain storage applications, and we have several more in the pipeline, which we will debut over the next year.
PC: How will you use your recent funding round?
NZ: Up until now, the focus was on building an all-star team. We accomplished that, and now we are focusing on channel building.
PC: What do you plan to achieve in the next 2-3 years?
NZ: Over the next couple of years we will be able to precisely quantify the ROI, and have dozens of use cases demonstrating how we preserve grain quality, save energy, save lives, and increase operational efficiency for our customers.
