The ghd Innovation Hive ran from October 2018 - January 2019
ghd (the global leader in hair tools and subsidiary of the third largest beauty company in the world, Coty) and CW (Cambridge Wireless) partnered to bring a new form of accelerator to the technology scene. Five companies were invited to spend three months from October 2018 working alongside ghd R&D and local technology mentors to co-design a prototype connected hair styling device. The work was part-funded and for those start-ups whose intellectual property from the ghd Innovation Hive was taken to market by ghd, they were able to negotiate commercial terms.
Putting the capabilities of digital connectivity into the hands of users is the next step for beauty electronics and the best ideas always come from diverse, inclusive teams. By nurturing start-ups in the Innovation Hive and aligning their creativity and agility with the experience of the ghd product development team, we will be able to design advanced device prototypes in a shorter period of time.
Tim Moore, VP Smart Devices, Coty (parent company of ghd)
Based in the Bradfield Centre, a Cambridge co-working space for scale-ups, the ghd Innovation Hive offered a supportive and fast-paced environment for talented engineers, software developers and user experience designers. It immersed participants in the user requirements of the beauty industry and involved experts from across the supply chain, from device designers to salon technicians.