Row.co.uk knows all too well how easy it is for people to lose their mobile phones. As one of the UK's leading gadget insurance companies, we've heard countless stories of how these expensive products can go missing, causing huge inconvenience and even nomophobia.

The idea for the product came in 2009 after Raj lost his travel bag, including his new Macbook and his passport, while connecting flights from Heathrow Airport. The duo then combined their engineering and business skills to develop a wireless tracking sesor, which they launched as 'Lupo' in 2014 after a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising almost £27,500.

Vincenz Klemt kindly agreed to speak directly to Row.co.uk about the TV experience and what is next for Xupo.

Row.co.uk: Dragons Den is a great platform to propel a business, but it's also known for taking large chunks of valuable equity. What made you decide to pitch on the show?
Vincenz (Xupo): We realised that the exposure we could get was phenomenal. Naturally we were aware of the risk of being grilled on the numbers or a dragon taking our product apart – not just figuratively. Above all, however, we went in the pursuit of smart money, a dragon investor with expertise and connections to take the product and the company to the next stage, somebody to join the board and with whom to grow the company.

Row.co.uk: You've just returned back from exhibiting at CES17 in Las Vegas. How was that and were you able to tell journalists and prospective buyers about Dragons Den or did you have to keep it a secret?
Vincenz (Xupo): We were invited to present at the media event Discover Blue by the Bluetooth SIG, the organisation behind Bluetooth, as the all-new and improved Bluetooth 5 was presented to the world. BT5 really is a game changer in the IoT and consumer electronics and with our product we try to be in both. Both at Discover Blue and later at CES we saw fantastic new developments across industries and segments and made new connections. The dimensions of CES are phenomenal and it was also inspiring to see how other technology start-ups, some in our market, have made progress. Naturally, what happens in the Den stays in the Den until the air date and we wouldn’t want to spoil the show for anybody, would we?

Row.co.uk: What are the major plans for Xupo in 2017?
Vincenz (Xupo): Xupo, evolved from the Lupo platform seen on Dragons’ Den, has a new chip set and allows for more cloud features than Lupo ever did. Xupo isn’t just a smarter key finder or item tracker, the idea is to unlock additional features through the app, using the Xupo as a button. This is almost going back to the original Lupo back in 2013, that had what we call “button as a service”, so there are more interesting things in the pipeline. We're also exhibiting at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which will be great.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Smartphones have come a long way from the usual functions of calling and messaging; you can play 3d games, watch movies, take high resolution pictures, etc. All of these tasks consume a lot of battery power, but smartphones are equipped with powerful processors that can handle the power demands. Although batteries have been enhanced, they still need a quick recharge to ensure that they last the day.

People have been working on innovative solutions to resolve battery issues and as a result, there are quite a few battery chargers available in the market or rather will be in the near future, that are just plain awesome, while some are even outlandish.

·      Body Heat Charger

What if you came across a device that could charge your phone while it was in your pocket, without plugging it in any power outlet? Of course, that would be awesome. Dr Gang Chen, the head of the mechanical engineering department at MIT has built a prototype material that absorbs heat from low grade sources to produce electricity. The device consists of cheap nanomaterials that draw in energy from the environment and generate an electric current.

Experiments show that the device can be used to charge your mobile phone’s battery while it it’s in your pocket; it will utilize your body heat to do so. Of course, the device is still under research and it will be quite some time when we see it in the market, but the idea is intriguing at best. It has an efficiency of 12 percent at a temperature of around 20 to 60 degrees Centigrade.

·      The Super Fast Charger

Would you want to buy a charger that would charge your phone in just 30 seconds? Yes, you heard it right. There is a startup in Israel called Storedot that has developed a prototype of a battery that is capable of being recharged in 30 seconds. The super fast charging battery employs nanotechnology to achieve such record breaking times. This battery consists of special amino acids, instead of Lithium which allow it to be charged in under a minute. It can be used on laptops and tablets as well.

·      Plan V

No it is not the title of an alien invasion movie nor is it the plot to the next Star Wars franchise; rather, it is a device that makes use of a 9 Volt battery to charge a smartphone. If you ever faced a situation in which you are having a night out with your friends and your phone becomes low on battery, then this charging device is the perfect match for you.

Made of plastic, the charger has two parts; one end of the device is a USB cable, while the other end is a battery connector. A 9 Volt battery goes there and you can plug in the USB into the charging port on your phone. It is a good remedy in situations when you need a quick boost in battery life. It provides up to 4 hours of talk time.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.