Rachio, a Denver-based
start-up, has been selling a "smart sprinkler" for the last year. The
device takes the place of a traditional control box on an automated home
sprinkler system. It hooks the system up to the Internet -- meaning that you
can control it from a smartphone.
It also means the sprinkler system
can now check the weather. If it's going to rain or has rained recently, the
system holds off on watering. It also automatically adjusts the watering times
for each season. And it waters intermittently to allow for maximum
absorption -- which also encourages the grass to grow deeper routes and become
more drought-resistant. These things alone can cut lawn water use by 30%,
according to the company -- no small amount when at
least eight Western states are in extreme drought, or worse.
The company was formed after Chris
Klein and Franz Garsombke -- two software engineers working for a real estate
intelligence firm -- went through the last drought in Colorado in 2012.
When fall came and the dryness subsided, the two noticed that sprinklers in the
area were still running, even though it was raining.
"We figured there had to be a
better way," said Klein.
So the pair started writing code and
entered a contest run by the Colorado Innovation Network -- a consortium of
businesses, governments and universities that promotes economic development in
the state. They won $50,000, quit their jobs, and began building the company.
Now they have 18 employees, and sales are on track to quadruple from last year,
although Klein would not disclose revenue numbers or units sold.
The hardware mounts in your home,
the software is accessible online.
The device itself looks like a
router, and Klein said most people can install it in 20 minutes. (If you still
can't, most likely a gardener or electrician can.)
The entire thing -- plastic,
electronics, packaging -- is made in Colorado. Klein said it would probably be
cheaper to make it abroad, but the company is convinced that U.S. manufacturing
costs will fall as more companies decide to build stuff here -- and they want
to be part of the force driving that change.
It's compatible with Nest and other
smart home systems, and many areas experiencing drought -- including Los
Angeles, Fresno and the Santa Clara Valley -- subsidize the $250 retail price,
said Klein.
California running out of water
Of course California is the most
populous state seeing a historic drought, and Klein said roughly a third of his
sales are in that state, up from about a quarter last year.
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