We sat down with the CEO and co-founder of Nanit, Assaf Glazer, and got the 411 on their new product, where the inspiration came from, and advice they’d give to other entrepreneurs just starting out.
Q: What does Nanit do and how does it work?
A: Nanit is the first baby monitor camera that can actually see and classify behavior, such as sleep. The camera uses computer vision and machine learning technology to provide parents with insights into their baby’s sleep habits and capture four scientific measures: sleep onset, parent interventions, room conditions and total hours of sleep. Parents receive daily and nightly sleep reports that come with actionable tips to help parents improve their baby’s sleep, and ultimately their own sleep.
The Nanit app is also easily shareable with multiple caregivers, allowing access to critical information in a easy-to-use private social feed.
It comes with a beautifully designed floor stand, eliminating the need for complex installations, and also includes a night light, a white noise maker, six nature soundtracks, a fully integrated cable management system, humidity and temperature sensors, sound/motion notifications, and the best view of your baby–no bars in sight.
Q: Where did the inspiration for Nanit come from?
A: Nanit was designed for parents, by parents, out of curiosity. When founder & CEO Assaf Glazer became a parent for the first time, he had a strong curiosity to get to know his son better, which is why he built Nanit to understand his behavior and patterns. The camera was designed to provide parents with insights into their kids’ habits that they normally would not be aware of.
Q: What sets Nanit apart?
A: Nanit is the only baby monitor that can measure sleep without a wearable device or sensor, and it’s the first camera of its kind to classify and measure human behavior. This has never been done before with a consumer-facing product.
Nanit implements the best video quality and is situated in the best position with a bird’s-eye view. The camera is also optimized for the clearest vision at night–existing monitors have poor image quality and clunky apps.
Nanit is the most secure baby monitor camera ever created. As parents ourselves, we’ve placed a heavy emphasis on safety and security. Nanit is HIPAA compliant and our data is secured with enterprise-level encryption standards.
Q: What is the smartest move you’ve made so far?
A: The smartest move we’ve made so far was probably at the early beginning when we decided to anchor Nanit around curiosity and not around fear, with the goal of helping parents make better daily decisions for their kids. Many other baby products out there capitalize by playing into a parent’s fears when they have a baby, especially their first one. That is something we wanted to make sure we didn’t do.
Q: What is the biggest mistake you’ve made so far?
A: I would say our biggest mistake so far was assuming that manufacturing would be easy. It is behind us now, but our first attempts to build a camera were not what we expected. Today, we call our first camera the Frankenstein model, due to its grotesque and ‘made of parts’ appearance
Q: What is one piece of advice you’d give to other entrepreneurs just starting out?
A: Entrepreneurs should trust their gut feeling when choosing a direction, but it is also critical for them to be surrounded by the best partners, advisors, and colleagues that aid in helping them realize their vision.