Kivy

I Overview

On 01.12.2024, the Kivy project was launched and began its actual activity. Kivy is a smart product dedicated to the modern kitchen, combining an advanced nutritional application with an innovative physical device called Kivy Hub. It includes a projector and a camera that transforms any work surface into an interactive screen, controllable through gestures and voice commands.

The proposed solution centralizes essential functionalities, recipes, nutritional recommendations, AI assistant, timers, unit conversions, in an intuitive interface, to personalize the culinary experience. Thus, the application helps us control many nutritional aspects of our lives, such as what we should eat, how much water we should drink to find certain gaps.

Kivy is not just a digital assistant, but a smart cooking partner, adapted for both beginners and gastronomy enthusiasts, offering an interactive and efficient experience in the kitchen.

Headquarters address: Strada Calea București no. 75, Brașov. Form of organization: Collective entrepreneur - team of students Main object of activity: Manufacturing of computers and other electronic equipment

II Executive summary

We see the conception of this project, respectively, product, as an opportunity in fact that we have identified a niche for the offered product, Kivy. Although there are and can apply nutritional applications that monitor physical activity, micronutrient consumption, can perform many such activities, sometimes they are found separate and do not communicate effectively with each other, requiring a lot of manual work to transfer data from one application to another, between various existing solutions.

The demand for this product comes from both those who want to monitor and analyze what they consume and nutritionists who want to see various data about their patients with precision, as well as chefs and people who like to cook, discover and learn new recipes and culinary methods.

The competitive advantage of what we are launching as a business results from the fact that all the searches made by team members in identifying nutritional, culinary and AI solutions similar to what we offer that are completely integrated into a harmonious system had the same result: there are no complete solutions, but only imperfect individual pieces and for the existence of similar software environments, and on the other hand similar for the adaptation environment, they are not special we also run into the same integration problem. Our business vision is: “To become known on the market, by offering a quality product as a young team attracted by challenges and innovations”.

In the same context, we present the following objective:

Supplying all units ordered within a maximum of 7 working days;
Improving health through proper nutrition;
The demand will be created following the presentation of the facilities resulting from the following product: Kivy Hub.
Presentation of the opportunity to use Kivy Hub will be demonstrated at the High School Fair, the Researchers’ Night and demonstrations at various activities such as: Hackathon / Conferences / Presentations requested in order to popularize the product and attract potential investors.

III Market Analysis

Open market for the use of a new product submitted to the attention of the Kivy team, an area, initially, people with an active lifestyle, who have a well-defined objective for nutrition and people passionate about gastronomy.

III.1 Product and services

Product

a) Hardware Component

Kivy Hub is the hardware component of the project. It displays an interface of a kitchen assistant and helper application that is controlled by hand gestures, like a phone. The robot helps in cooking both by preparing recipes and easy-to-use tutorials, and by offering numerous useful tools in the kitchen, such as a timer, measurements and virtual assistance. It is completely touchless, being controlled by voice and by palm movements.

b) Software Component

Kivy is the software component of our project and consists of a mobile application that helps users achieve their nutritional goals, whether they want to lose weight, gain weight or adopt a healthy lifestyle. The application promotes an active lifestyle by setting daily goals such as the number of steps, distance traveled and energy consumed, while also providing access to a social network dedicated to culinary recipes, where users can explore and share dishes from verified databases or their own creations. For an advanced experience, Kivy Plus offers access to an extensive set of premium AI-based functionalities, including an intelligent allergen exclusion system, automatic recipe modification tools based on user preferences and advanced algorithms that personalize the experience of each user, thus ensuring maximum safety and complete satisfaction.

Services

a) Hardware Component Revision

The hardware component revision service includes their diagnosis, verification and maintenance to ensure optimal functioning. The process may involve cleaning, testing, repairing or replacing defective components. Depending on the complexity of the intervention, these revisions may include additional costs, which will be communicated before the work is carried out.

b) Virtual Assistance

Kivy virtual assistance provides fast and efficient support for users, guiding them in using the platform and resolving technical issues.

c) Kivy Plus (Premium Subscription)

Kivy Plus is a premium subscription service that unlocks advanced functionalities within the Kivy application. It includes:

Intelligent Allergen Exclusion System: Advanced tools that allow for precise allergen exclusion.
Advanced Nutritional Analysis: Additional tools for a more detailed nutritional analysis of meals and the user’s progress, providing more complex reports and statistics.
Automatic modification of recipes according to user preferences.
Weekly Premium Recipes: Exclusive access to a selection of premium recipes created by nutrition experts and professional chefs, updated weekly. These recipes are designed to be not only delicious, but also nutritionally optimized.
Priority Access to Support: Kivy Plus users benefit from priority support from the Kivy team, ensuring the rapid resolution of any problems or questions.

d) Secondary Sources Secondary sources include Kivy Dev (paid access to the API service), Kivy Marketplace (apps and recipes sold by the community from which we will take 30% of the profit).

III.2 Commercial activity

It will be carried out through the application for services, subscriptions and software products, and for the hardware product through a website created specifically for the sale of the product. The product is presented on the site and the services we offer and the shopping cart are highlighted.

The services we refer to consist of:

Hardware component review

Virtual assistance

The company’s activities will be carried out at the headquarters of the National College of Informatics “Gr. Moisil” with headquarters at Calea București no. 75, Brașov.

III.3 Production

The activity related to the actual production will initially be carried out at the college’s headquarters, where the product will be assembled, after which, as the order for Kivy Hub increases, we are considering several spaces that we can call on without additional costs, for example: the parents’ garage or the grandparents’ barn. We will also focus on a space located in the city’s commercial center, easily accessible to employees and customers. The price of such a space would be €350 per month. We have established partnerships for electronic components, the metal parts are produced by a company with which we have an agreement so that they can be made to order, in a short time without involving additional costs. Currently, the production and marketing areas are sufficient and optimal. We also emphasize the fact that the manufacture of the components used in the creation of our product, the transport and the use of the device can generate polluting emissions, which requires us to comply with the legislative norms in force and to carry out measurements that draw attention to the exceeding of the legal parameters admitted.

III.4 Organizational Structure

Cazacu Christian Matei:

Hardware Engineer
Software Engineer
AI and Data Science Engineer

Simedrea Alexandru:

Software Engineer
UI / UX Designer

IV Business Presentation

The activity of the team participating in the competition focuses on the production, development and marketing of Kivy , a system designed to help users achieve their nutritional goals, whether they want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. The application integrates a social network of culinary recipes and uses advanced technologies for monitoring progress, including intelligent algorithms and compatibility with wearable devices.

IV.1 Technical and economic analyses

Materials used

Kivy Hub will be made up of an ergonomic structure, designed precisely for its applications, for the prototype version, it is created from a simple projector, attached by a rigid PLA plastic frame, a rigid and recyclable plastic to a wall. The robot runs wirelessly, a device where the processing components are located can be placed anywhere at a short distance, acting as a server. The orientation and positioning of the robot can be done manually, but the calibration is done automatically with high precision by means of a sensor installed on the front of the projector.

Infrastructure and Facilities

Our headquarters will include a main area where the assembly and testing of the product will take place. This area includes work tables and tools necessary for the activity. Being located within the school unit, the headquarters has all the necessary facilities to meet the needs of any kind of team members so that the activity can be carried out in the best conditions.

IV.2 Sources of financing

The parts were purchased with personal funds, ensuring that we can create a fully functional prototype. With the growth of the company, we believe that we will be able to finance ourselves, both through the profit obtained and by the fact that by purchasing larger quantities of parts, the selling price can be negotiated in the sense of decreasing it.

IV.3 Business size

We expect that in the next year we will be able to equip a considerable number of homes with the Kivy Hub product, as well as a medium-sized market coverage with the application. In an ideal case, we will achieve:

In the first year, revenues of €22,500 (€150 / product unit)
Profit: €5,000 (average total cost €100)
Number of customers: 150 (for the hardware component) ~1,000 (for the software component)
Geographic area (initially): Romania

IV.4 Expansion

Perspective strategy

We thought about expanding the activity at the national level by analyzing an overview of the global market for nutritional applications, conducted in the USA. According to the latest research, their global market looks promising in the next 5 years. As of 2022, the global nutritional apps market was estimated at USD 1.1 billion and is expected to reach an even higher amount by 2028, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) during the forecast years. This report covers a research period from 2018 to 2028 and presents an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the global market. The 125-page “Nutrition Market” 2024 research report conducts a meticulous and comprehensive analysis of the industry segmentation, focusing on types, applications, and regions. This report analyzes current trends, identifies emerging opportunities and risks, and highlights the key factors influencing the growth of this type of market.

V Performance / Utility

Kivy Hub is a robot that will help food enthusiasts broaden their horizons and beginners who want to learn. Kivy is an innovative nutrition application that contains a wide range of tools that improve the quality of life.

V.1 Economic parameters

Hardware component

Unit cost: €150
Unit sales price: €349.99
Commercial markup: 133.33 %

Kivy Plus

Periodic cost: €9.99/month or €99.99/year (approximately 17% discount, or the equivalent of two free months).
Revenue model: Monthly or annual recurring subscription.

V.2 Product policy

We will market a main product, it will have a packaging with a smart aesthetic that matches our vision and the direction the company is heading, the same aesthetic will be reflected in the application.

The software component will be the core piece of this business, it will be marketed on its own, but it will be the support for the hardware component.

V.3 Pricing Policy

The product price is €350, we will offer significant discounts on Black Friday and “cooking day” (November 8) to make the product price more affordable.

V.4 Distribution Policy

The physical product will be sold in electronics and home appliance stores such as Altex SRL, MediaGalaxy SRL, Emag SRL, etc.

V.5 Sales Methods

Kivy Hub will be sold through electronics retailers. Kivy will be available for installation from Google Play and the App store. All subscriptions and separate purchases will be made through the app.

V.6 Promotional Media

Our products will be promoted through social media, Google ads, and TV and Radio ads. Kivy will be promoted at food summits, cooking TV shows, High School Fairs, Researchers’ Night, and at requested presentations.

V.7 Management

The engineers on the team will be responsible for reviewing manufactured products to see if they meet our standards, managing the app and the responsibilities that come with it, and dealing with technical issues. The managers will be responsible for the legal side of the company, promoting the product, and growing the company financially.

VI Conclusions (SWOT Analysis)

STRENGTHS:

New, innovative product;
The location of the product is safe, does not require payment of utilities;
The performers have solid knowledge in the field of robotics, programming;
Easy-to-use, efficient product;
Stable, secure market;
Fixed capital elements that are easy to acquire from the perspective of price and supply;

WEAKNESSES:

Lack of marketing experience;
Unpredictability of the reaction of beneficiaries to a new product launched on the market;
Kivy must be maintained through periodic updates - the time available to team members is limited and irreversible;
Lack of funds to carry out an impactful advertising campaign;

OPPORTUNITIES:

Technology is advancing - product performance can be improved;
Demand, at a general level, is high - there is a kitchen in every home;
Clear, unsegmented market;
Loyalty of beneficiaries (customers);
Lack of barriers to entry on the market;
Efficient operations;
Profit margin, increasing;
Stable price structure, with decreasing trends over time;
Relatively low risks;

THREATS:

Unprecedented evolution of technology in the field of robotics, programming;
Emergence of hardware-based competition;
Irrelevance of the software component for objective reasons;
Reduction of the productive activity of suppliers of some products;