Updated on: February 28, 2024
SafetyDetectives recently had the opportunity to interview Arturo Falck, the Founder and CEO of Whoo.ai, a company revolutionizing smart apartment technology. Whoo.ai’s flagship offering enhances the convenience and accessibility of apartment living through innovative intercom systems, allowing residents to manage access via their mobile phones. In this interview, Arturo shares insights into the future of urban living, the challenges in adopting smart apartment technology, and the inspiration behind Whoo.ai’s mission to modernize access to buildings. With a focus on enhancing the quality of life for residents and addressing the needs of property managers, Whoo.ai stands at the forefront of transforming the way people interact with their living spaces.
What are the flagship features of Whoo.ai’s smart apartment technology?
Our clients are companies like SmartRent that offer access control and automation services to Property Management companies.
Whoo is at the forefront of transforming how residents interact with their living spaces, focusing on enhancing the convenience and accessibility of apartment buildings through smart technology. Our flagship offering improves on traditional intercom systems, allowing building residents to manage access via their mobile phones. This innovation addresses a common inconvenience, whether expecting a delivery or hosting visitors, residents can communicate with and grant entry to guests from anywhere in the world, directly from their smartphones.
We don’t make the intercoms… we make them better.
- We have built a complete end-to-end solution that addresses the needs of all the people involved:
- For visitors, it is intuitive.
- For residents, it is convenient.
- For property managers and management companies, it is reliable.
- For installers, it is simple.
- For resellers and manufacturers, it gives recurring revenue.
And the best part is that we sell as much or as little as each of our clients need. We help each of our clients and partners fill the gaps in their own offering without forcing them to adopt the rest of our platform.
What role do you see smart apartment technology playing in the future of urban living?
The core philosophy behind our products is not merely about enhancing security—a fundamental expectation in urban living—but about significantly improving the quality of life for residents. We envision a future where entering one’s apartment building is as smooth and effortless as unlocking a smartphone, where technology seamlessly integrates into daily life, enhancing convenience and accessibility.
Imagine being able to walk into your building with your hands full of groceries and have the intercom recognize your face or hear your voice and open the door for you. Or talking to your intercom when you get home and have it tell you about the visits that you missed, like a doorman does in a full-service building.
What are some of the main challenges in getting residents or property managers to adopt this technology?
We recognize the challenges but also see the immense potential. Our technologies are sold to the property management team, not the residents. So, while individual residents are normally not directly involved in the adoption decisions, their collective demand for modern, convenient living solutions is what drives property managers towards adopting such technologies.
For property managers, the primary concern is reliability; our competitive edge lies in offering dependable, effective solutions that not only meet but exceed their expectations. Our technology is not seen as an additional expense but as an investment that enhances property value, attracts and retains tenants, and ultimately, contributes to a property’s profitability.
I’ve spoken with property managers who tell me that it is much easier to raise rents after they install our technology, because the current residents appreciate the convenience and the intercom is the first thing that prospective tenants see.
Can you share what inspired you to create Whoo.ai and what your vision was when founding the company?
We started Whoo with an initial focus on facial recognition technology aimed at enhancing customer service through personalized interactions. However, after encountering various challenges in the market, we found our niche in improving intercom systems. This pivot was not just a business decision but a mission to modernize access to buildings, making daily life more convenient for residents.
Through trials, pivots, and eventual success, Whoo has remained dedicated to serving the needs of residents, property managers, and stakeholders in the property management ecosystem, demonstrating our commitment to innovation and empathy towards those we serve.