Timeline
Ideas are easy. Taking an idea to product is hard. Helping someone with that product...is bliss.
Our Story
Originally focused on developing a lightweight automated room control system for hotels, our direction underwent a significant shift following a pivotal encounter. Our friend and neighbor, Dr. Jean S., an ER Trauma Surgeon, emphasized a critical need. During her travels, she wanted to know that as she opened the door to her hotel room, that no one was inside, and she was safe. Mind you, these were very upscale hotels. But the problem with any lodging is that it’s someone else’s property, not your own. And she had no control over who had a key to her room. That was something this very smart lady thought about. And thought about often. This revelation deeply affected our CEO. Could there be a need from an entire segment of travelers that we missed?
Prompted by her concerns, we conducted extensive research and uncovered a startling and prevalent issue. Dr. Jean wasn’t alone. In fact, our research discovered that about 90% of businesswomen travelers don’t feel safe. The lack of assurance regarding room safety was something we felt could be addressed with what was becoming available in Technology.
We found three core challenges.
- The Unknown
- The Unseen
- The Unexpected
So, in January 2019, SafeStay, was born as we decisively pivoted our startup towards remote monitoring, determined to address this pressing concern. Motivated by the imperative to ensure travelers' safety, we embarked on a journey to revolutionize hotel awareness, guided by empathy and a dedication to meaningful innovation.
Then, in 2022, as the world was still slowly recovering from COVID-19, a family-owned restaurant asked if we could help prevent another loss of their inventory. They had just lost a significant amount of food (and money) due to one of their freezers failing without their knowledge. And since this fell within our Mission of Awareness, we took on the challenge. Our answer became TruVue and actually did prevent another loss for them as we found that lightning does strike twice. This led us to helping to decrease the more than $50 Billion in annual food loss from insufficient refrigerated storage in the US.
Now, as we begin to incorporate AI into our logic, safety and security once again comes to the forefront with the introduction of TruAssist, our panic button system for hotel staff. But we're not stopping there. As our world is quickly changing, we now face new challenges. And this one threatens even our dearest loved ones. In recent years, Human Trafficking has risen to become the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, second only to drug trafficking.
So, we are now preparing to merge what we have learned and built to create the Next-Gen Safety Alert System (Panic Button) to combat this. That said, we welcome you to join us as we continue our journey to do our part to make this world a little better place…for everyone.
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2015
⬥ IoT gains ground with added infrastructure
⬥ The idea for iOpen is born -
2016
⬥ Formation of I Open Innovations, Inc. -
2017–2018
⬥ Several Proof of Concepts (POCs) for controlling Hotel Rooms
⬥ Major epiphany and discovery that gave us our "WHY" -
2019
⬥ Major Pivot as we began to emphasize an Awareness System
⬥ We introduce SafeStay to Luxury Hotels at "Inspire 2019" -
2020–2021
⬥ COVID-19 hits, everything stops, and Zoom meetings are born
⬥ Virtual roadshow to several major US cities via 1-Million Cups
⬥ iOpen receives MEDC grant to move office to McKinney, TX -
2022
⬥ TruVue is born from customer demand
⬥ Innovation Hub debutes TruAssist at the Best Western Conf
⬥ iOpen secures PreSeed Funding from Impact Ventures
⬥ iOpen receives the HOSPY Allied Partner of the Year Award -
2023
⬥ TruVue deploys to Marriott Dallas
⬥ TruVue places among top picks at the Las Vegas Tech Conf
⬥ iOpen is a recipient of the AHLA Tech Acceleration Award
⬥ iOpen joins the AHLA Staff Alert Technology Workgroup
TEAM
The Importance Of ESG
In recent years, iOpen Innovations has increasingly recognized the importance of the ESG framework as integral components of our corporate strategies. By embracing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), our company aims to minimize our environmental footprint, foster inclusive workplaces, and uphold ethical standards in governance.
Using ESG as a guide, our technology aims to not only enhance long-term sustainability, but we want to make an actionable contribute to a more positive environmental and social impact. By aligning to hotel business objectives with ESG principles, we seek to drive innovation and foster trust among stakeholders. Our commitment thus serves as guiding principles for technology companies to navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape while contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.
Environmental
We prioritize sustainability by reducing the number of facilities that go wrong, food waste, and embracing renewable energy sources. By investing in green technologies and implementing energy-efficient practices throughout our operations we are striving for a net-positive impact on the planet.
Social
At iOpen Innovations we excel at creating awareness by leveling up our client environments to be safer for hotel staff and guests. We support spaces where is a well-being reflection of the diverse hotels we serve. We are proud our products support peaceful initiatives that lift up underrepresented groups in the hotel industry and in society at large.
Governance
iOpen Innovation’s technologies supports transparency, integrity, and accountability in decision-making processes by enabling robust corporate governance structures, promoting ethical behavior, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and industry best practices.
Our Awards
As a result of our commitment to helping, we've gotten some recognition.
NHLA Tech Conference
Sharp Pool Finalists
2023
AHLA Technology Acceleration Award
2023
Hospy Awarded
Best Allied Partner
2022
