Seeing to Safety With TelWAI, a Conversation With the Co-Founder, Eleanor Wright

Eleanor Wright?co-founded an innovative security camera business TelWAI (pronounced Tell-Way), with Laurence Broadbent. Eleanor's impressive machine-vision-centred career includes mapping dangerous buildings for the European Defence Agency and an inspiring passion for technological development.

And her commitment to tech-driven safety continues. For example, Eleanor and Laurence designed the TelWAI camera to alert staff automatically to potential security and safety risks. So, TelWAI is tailored to the user's safety needs, so the cameras suit the customer.

Eleanor came to us for guidance in the fundraising process for TelWAI. We asked if she would like to be featured as part of Female Founders Friday, intending to inspire budding and potential female tech business founders through her story.

She is an important role model for female tech founders because the security industry is male-dominated.

Eleanor is preparing to ask HMRC for advance assurance and plans to raise SEIS with our guidance.

As Digital Marketing Executive for FounderCatalyst, I've been chatting to her via WhatsApp - including talking about how much she loved her time doing her Masters in the Robotics Lab at UWE Bristol Business School. Her qualifications prove she's earned her place in the machine vision sector!

I asked her some questions to help others understand Eleanor's entrepreneurial journey.

FC: Could you summarise your business and tell me about your background?

EW: TelWAI delivers video surveillance built on wireless mobile networks with integrated edge AI enabling targeted object and event detection.?

My background is in the security and defence sectors, primarily working on early to mid-stage technology development.

Whilst doing my masters at UWE Bristol Business School, I was located out of the Bristol Robotics Lab working on machine vision technology. This includes systems such as age and gender analysis for the DOOH market to the internal mapping of hostile buildings for the first European Defence Agency R&D program.

Following this, I worked on a project for Network Rail focused on trespass detection and deterrence. This project led to the co-founding of TelWAI by myself and our CTO, Laurence Broadbent.?

FC: What professional achievement are you most proud of and why?

EW: I worked on a project focused on automating response procedures between fixed assets and robotic systems. This project led to the demonstration of small robotic systems which I built. I'm not an engineer, so building those mini-robots was cool. I'm also proud of being part of and delivering the EDA project.?

FC: Is there anything unexpected that has inspired you in business?

EW: I've had more exposure to the telecoms sector more recently, and that sector has been inspirational. I was also on a Singapore trade mission, and Singapore itself is truly inspiring, as is its history and founding father.?

FC: What do you enjoy about working in tech?

EW: I enjoy watching systems do what they are designed to do and the value created from that. Solving and fixing bugs is the best.?

FC: What are the upsides to being a founder compared to working for an employer?

EW: Being able to profit from the value you're building and the ability to innovate freely.?

FC: Are there any barriers you’ve faced as a female founder in the Tech industry??

EW: I feel like my knowledge is doubted on both the technical and market side and that I have to do more to prove that I know what I'm talking about. I feel like when men speak, they are generally taken at their word and that I have to do more to show and back up my credentials.?

FC: What advice would you give other female founders?

EW: I'd say lean into being a "female founder", build up your profile within your market and don't follow the crowd.?

FC: What’s your biggest challenge as a founder?

EW: Convincing investors to invest in TelWAI and brand building.?

FC: What’s the best part of working with FounderCatalyst?

EW: Hugely informative and an easy guide for getting investment ready. It's also a hugely knowledgeable community that is easy to engage with.?

FC: What do you like to do for fun??

EW: I like watching podcasts. Lex Fredman is one of my favourites. I also love hanging out with my friends.?

Thanks to Eleanor Wright for contributing to Female Founders Friday. We'll be on hand to guide her if needed throughout her fundraising process.

TelWAI's website is?here?if you want to learn more about it. And the LinkedIn page is?here.

Click?this link?to let us guide you on your fundraising journey.

Author: Jenny Jasper, Digital Marketing Executive at FounderCatalyst