April 5, 2016

Mohamed "Mo" Zerban and Connor White, co-founders of Tern Water, are gearing up for the launch of their first product, the Smart Faucet. You can feel the excitement in the room while meeting with them. The Smart Faucet is an elegant, intelligent, and eco-conscious vehicle for water consumption. It attaches to your regular faucet, simultaneously blends into your kitchen aesthetics while purifying your water, and connects to your smartphone. After working in the Baiada Institute at Drexel University with new team members Dante Marroccelli, Alex Pietrocola, Paul Giardina, and advisers who have over 20 years of experience in their fields, they begin to take pre-orders for their flagship product this spring.

Tern Water looks to deliver products to customers during fall of this year. This leaves ample time for the Smart Faucet to appear on holiday shopping lists for friends and family concerned with both the future of sustainable water systems and beautifully designed home products. Mo explains the revolutionary nature of the product, "The Smart Faucet is going to be the smartest home water product when it is released to market." You can learn more about Tern Water's vision here.

Existing companies offer water purification systems, but only the Smart Faucet offers real time data on water usage and purification. Using the product is as easy as screwing on the Smart Faucet and downloading the accompanying app. Then you can fully understand your water consumption. Mo says Tern Water is the first company in this specific space."When it comes to home automation no one is tackling it for the water system. You see home automation for energy, air quality, and security." Tern Water and the Smart Faucet are in the same realm as smart home systems like Nest or platforms like Wink. However, no existing products measure your water consumption. Measuring and offering real time data on water usage and purification is crucial to guaranteeing sustainable water solutions. Tern Water is the first step toward a more technological water system and a wholly smart house.

While the Smart Faucet's technological capability separates it from other water purifiers on the market, Tern Water puts significant care into aesthetic design as well. Connor White, the lead designer, makes sure the final product enhances the look as well as the functionality of your house. As the company tacks on the final bits and pieces leading up to their product launch, they continue to receive feedback from consumers. "Everything we do is based on user feedback. We do size testing and ask people what they like the most based on size. We get a feel for the norms and what people are looking for in a household product." Connor explains the end user's feedback is most important. Their target consumers want something that looks as stunning as it functions.

Initially, Tern Water looks to capture the young professional that is health conscious, interested in smart home technology, and cares about water quality. Once established in the market, and as more consumers adopt smart technology in their homes, Mo and Connor believe their customer base will grow organically. As consumers trend toward data-driven, technological, smart products in their homes, Tern Water and the Smart Faucet look to be an integral part of that system. Drexel University and the Baiada Institute continue to support and enhance their advancements. Pre-orders begin this Spring 2016. Leading up to that, you can find more information and support their launch campaign at Tern Water's website. Connect and spread the word through their Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram pages also.

Christian Larsen, Communications, Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship