Startup story: Purple Parrot X Tehnopol Startup Incubator

Each year, dozens of high-potential startups develop their product or service in Tehnopol Startup Incubator’s main program and special accelerators. One of the startups currently building their solution in the incubator is Purple Parrot.

Purple Parrot is developing novel AI software and hardware to bring intelligent digital monitoring to private environments. The team’s initial market is baby monitoring, with future verticals including elderly care, Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), and kindergartens. Their flagship product, Purple Parrot, is set to become Europe’s first private, fully portable, intelligent baby monitor – designed to protect both children’s physical safety and their digital privacy. Using on-device AI algorithms for camera-based breathing and roll-over detection and remote pulse-rate detection, Purple Parrot aims to deliver advanced safety features while ensuring that no images or videos ever leave the home.

The company is founded by a husband-and-wife engineering team: Max Simmonds and Maija Simmonds. Max has worked across CERN, the European Space Agency, Bolt, and Starship, bringing experience in designing large-scale, safety-critical systems. He leads Purple Parrot’s technical vision and product roadmap. Maija is the product design and sustainability lead, with a background in mechanical and environmental systems engineering – combining hands-on manufacturing experience with human-centred design and sustainable materials. Purple Parrot’s work was introduced by Max Simmonds.

How did you come up with the idea to create a startup?

“Two years ago our daughter was born. We looked at current baby monitors on the market and their privacy policies – and we couldn’t agree to them, with saving and sharing images, video, and audio of our child. So we went with a basic, non-WiFi monitor. But that meant sacrificing the safety features of intelligent internet-connected monitors, like breathing detection and roll-over alerts. When we searched for a product that was both offline and had advanced AI features, we couldn’t find one. Since we’re both engineers, we decided to change that and offer parents both privacy and safety.”

What have been the biggest challenges/failures and the biggest wins so far?

“The biggest challenges are raising capital for a hardware startup, and on the technical side, building algorithms robust enough to not require infant data for training – and that work in all environments. The biggest wins are organic signups to our product, being accepted into Tehnopol, and getting two podcasts and an article under our belt in just three months!”

What sets your startup apart from competitors?

“We’re fully private and offline. All processing happens locally on the device. That gives us incredibly low-latency responses and allows us to work in internet-denied environments. We’re also one of the only monitors in the world that can offer these intelligent insights without exposing your child to the internet.”

Why did you apply to the Startup Accelerator?

“We’re first-time founders. We have a lot of technical experience, but less on the business side. The incubator is perfect for finding great experts in all areas – like our key mentor, who has been fantastic. It also enables networking, which is especially important because Estonia is a new country for us – we moved here last year.”

Where do you see your startup in 1 year? And in 5 years?

“In the next year, we expect to have raised our first round of funding and be almost ready for the first sale of Purple Parrot. In five years, we’d like to expand into our other verticals: elderly care, NICUs, and medical drones.”

Who is the next (Estonian) unicorn?

“Starship!”

Which books/podcasts/publications and influencers in your field do you follow and recommend?

“Book: The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects by Andrew Chen.”

We are currently accepting applications to the Startup Accelerator. Are you the proud owner of a tech startup, armed with a passionate team and a groundbreaking concept that’s already past the idea stage and into the MVP or prototype phase? If your company is registered in Estonia, you’re in luck, because you’re exactly who we’re looking for! Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the application period, so submit yours today.