Laurence Kemball-Cook: Pavegen

Laurence Kemball-Cook, 31
Company: Pavegen
Web: www.pavegen.com

Pavegen is a business fuelled by footsteps.

Founded by eco entrepreneur Laurence Kemball-Cook in 2009, the company has grown from a single tile generating renewable electricity from footsteps, to a multi-faceted global operation encompassing  energy, data and brand engagement.

The technology behind the flooring is simple – when weight is applied from a footstep, electromagnetic induction generators vertically displace, resulting in a rotary motion that generates off-grid electricity. And the potential for the product is huge.

As well as powering everything from lighting and low-energy screens, to sounds, branded games, and air quality sensors, every tile is equipped with a data transmitter. This collects digital information from every footstep and can be converted to a digital currency that can be used to reward loyalty or donate to charity. The information can also be used to predict peak timings, and identify footfall hotspots.

For brands and advertising the flooring offers a wealth of opportunities, with the tiles not only able to be customised to any visual design or brand identity, but also to power interactive messages, billboards and signage.

Pavegen is already working with some of the world’s biggest brands, harnessing data and driving revenue in the out of home advertising market (expected to reach over $40bn by 2020).

But with an increasing demand for smarter and more sustainable cities, and two thirds of the global population set to be urban by 2050, the company sees a huge opportunity in the smart urban systems market, which could be worth $400bn within four years…

With permanent installations already in place at high profile locations such as Heathrow Terminal 3,  Washington DC’s Dupont Circle, and London’s West End, Kemball-Cook’s innovative business has all the makings of a major market player.