FT Start-Up Stories Series 2: Bare Conductive and the Chinese counterfeiters 2/10
Mar 6, 2016
Matt Johnson, an American entrepreneur based in London, co-founded Bare Conductive, known for developing conductable paint. He shares his journey from an innovative academic project to a versatile product line. The discussion reveals the challenges they faced with counterfeiters trying to clone their revolutionary Touchboard. Matt delves into the balance of open-source technology and brand integrity, highlighting community support and legal strategies as crucial in their battle against counterfeiting. His story illustrates resilience and creativity in transforming challenges into business opportunities.
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Student Project Turned Product
- Matt Johnson turned a Royal College of Art student project into a product after thousands of emails asked to buy it.
- The project became a business when demand forced them to accept it could be sold.
Paint Is Both Wire And Sensor
- Electric Paint functions like a wire and also as a capacitive sensor when paired with the right hardware.
- The touchboard turns conductive surfaces into touch or proximity sensors using capacitive sensing.
Discovery Of Chinese Clones
- A forum user posted a photo that revealed Chinese clones of Bear Conductive's TouchBoard.
- Matt saw copying as both validation and a threat because clones could damage the brand.