Troverlo is revolutionizing the way businesses derive value from their products and assets. Leveraging our patented technology platform, we unlock the ability to collect usage and location data for assets that were previously beyond reach. When this data is combined with Troverlo’s Smart Asset AI, it creates an intelligent platform that drives new insights and value for customers.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Troverlo’s CEO and Founder, Cody Catalena, to learn more about what inspired the creation of Troverlo and how the platform is transforming IoT connectivity. In this interview, Cody shares his insights and experiences as a leader in the technology industry and discusses the future of Troverlo.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Troverlo and how it came to be?
One evening while working in my office at the ranch, looking out the window, I noticed that a piece of equipment was missing. I realized there had to be a better way to track assets than buying expensive GPS trackers. That’s when I had the idea to leverage Wi-Fi in reverse to track anything, anywhere, in a cost-effective, scalable manner. After patenting the approach and running a few technology trials, we realized this technology could work with anything you wanted to locate, reduce theft and loss, and improve efficiency for a lot of businesses and individuals.
How has it changed since that original inspiration?
Once you prove out the original intended use for the technology you start thinking about the off-shoots. Some of those you put on a shelf for later, others become part of the primary offering. What started as a location service quickly became location and data collection for low-cost, high volume, disconnected assets. What began as a mere location service has blossomed into a comprehensive data collection platform for affordable, high volume assets that lack connectivity. By combining data with AI, Troverlo has the ability to transform companies’ product understanding post-launch. Furthermore, by overlaying different datasets from complementary entities, a myriad of valuable insights can be unearthed. We are building more than a data platform and we are doing more than just using AI, we are blending the best of both. A platform that is able to gather data like no other, layered with AI to truly be an intelligent platform. It’s going to be a lot of fun!
What was your previous start-up like?
NetNearU started as PayNet, went through a name change and a product pivot that changed the company. Ultimately we created the modern way that people access public access Wi-Fi networks. The capture portals, paid or ad-supported service, etc. Hundreds of millions of people used that platform over the life of the company. We were the backend platform for public Wi-Fi networks for every major US airport, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, the US Navy and others. But life wasn’t always rosy, we started the company just before 9-11, and then after that came the dot-com bust. We endured some hard times, and saw quite a few competitors fall by the way-side. But we emerged during the following tech boom and the company grew very nicely. We were honored as an Aggie 100 company two years in a row and top 10 one of those years. That run ended with an acquisition of the company by ViaSat.
What was it like working at ViaSat after the acquisition?
ViaSat is a great company with great people. I ultimately ended up running the Global Business Solutions group. Our objective was to productize, market and sell Viasat’s services to businesses around the world. Applying the knowledge gained about global market entry will be invaluable as Troverlo expands into new markets.
What is Troverlo’s long-term goal?
Troverlo is a product and asset intelligence company. We enable companies to look at their assets and products in a way they have never been able to. Why? Because our low cost and dense global coverage enable data collection without requiring connectivity or a network. Troverlo’s technology works by utilizing off-the-shelf WiFi chips and leveraging the billions of already connected devices to passively track assets at a global scale at an extremely low price point. This ability to collect data that has been previously out of reach and unattainable, and feed it into our AI system gives our customers a truly intelligent platform.
