THE
CHALLENGE

FiComms’ first project was a maintenance tool called FiSpy that detects faults in the microducts used in the installation of fibre optic cabling. The sales this product were intended to support the research, development and ultimately, the production of the company’s second project, Testify.

Testify was meant to provide assurance to a network owner – such as a company like Chorus – that its microducts have been tested to the industry standard. The main challenge was that while Founder and CEO Sean Rainthorpe knew the problem he wanted to solve, he needed guidance to design and create the product to suit these requirements.

HOW WE
HELPED

Sean first heard of the potential to co-locate at the Newmarket Campus through the firm that originally invested in FiComms. After talking to Dr Enrico Tronchin, Sean realised that the real opportunity in co-locating could be much more valuable than simply having a physical space at the campus.

Sean described himself as a telecommunications guy, not an engineer, so he need people that could translate his problems into a technical solution. While having a physical space in which to work from was valuable, it was by providing expertise and a pool of talent to rub shoulders with that made the most significant difference.