Fear is instilled in us every day. The events and incidents that occur around the world and in our own backyards remind us that we are not immune to disaster. While many individuals prepare mentally and physically for the possibility of an emergency situations, companies and organizations are just as vulnerable to the effects of a disaster. For large scale companies to prepare for these events though, takes a large scale solution.
Aegis Bleu, the provider of a physical infrastructure self-assessment software tool, wants to offer that solution. Their tools and apps are a vulnerability management solution that allow companies to assess the likelihood of disaster within their organization. They work with multiple government organizations, health care facilities, consultants, and Fortune 1,000 companies to break down risks and provide actionable solutions.
Founders:
Daniel Young- Inventor and Creator
Ryan Vartoogian- Development
The Problem Being Solved:
Aegis Bleu offers global risk management for critical infrastructure.
Their goal is to look at the infrastructure within organizations (healthcare, government, etc.) and help them understand the risk of an undesirable event. If a company is wondering, “What’s my risk of a theft or arson?” Aegis Blue wants to tell them what that risk is and how they can protect themselves against it.
They do this with software they’ve developed that analyzes infrastructure and determines it’s weaknesses, threats, and capabilities. To make the most accurate assessment, the software looks at factors such as historic information and past events. And, as events happen, the software updates so that their risk factor is always current and accurate.
Where the Idea Came From:
Daniel has been working in the assessment field, consulting and preparing others for disasters, his entire career. But, he did it using paper and pencil. Data wasn’t being shared and he looked at the system and said there had to be a better way. He started to focus on risk identification and how he could improve the assessment process. “I’m creating a system that is objective, so it’s not just based on an individuals’ experience or past experience.”
His ultimate goal was, and is, to allow a bank or other institution to benefit from the experience of another. If one bank is robbed, the system will allow the other banks within the organization to see the information on how the incident occurred and, therefore, fix the issues in their own facility. “It’s about being proactive in reducing risk.”
Exciting Opportunities:
Daniel says there is no reason schools or organizations shouldn’t understand how to react in emergency situations such as school shootings, fire, etc. While events like this happen, they don’t have to. But if they do, they need to be less detrimental. “It’s like a pendulum,” he says. “On the left is paranoia and on the right is apathy and complacency. The middle is preparedness.” The middle is where Daniel wants to help companies be. “It would be ideal if something happened and they didn’t have to do anything because they were prepared.”
Target Customer:
Aegis Bleu’s target customers are large corporations, healthcare systems, governments (local, state and federal) and consultants. “Consultants are already providing assessments, we just want to provide a tool to make it easier.”
Biggest Challenge:
Simply put, Daniel’s biggest challenge is time. There’s a multitude of products he wants to create, but he needs the time and funding to create them quickly.
Surprises:
At this point, Daniel is surprised at how many people are actually looking for products like theirs. “We don’t do direct marketing and simply get a lot of business just from Google searches.”
Funding:
Their funding came from investors and a lot has been based on sales. “We are looking for a much larger investment firm or Angel investor to help create more products.”
The Future:
“In five years, I see our company being the industry leader in this area.” They are currently in talks with the government (federal, state and local) to replace their software and Daniel says he can see more and more people wanting to use the product.
Advice:
“A leadership team is one of the best assets you can have,” says Daniel. “Reliable individuals who are willing to do the same amount of work as you; that motivation is instrumental.”
He also adds that cash flow is number one, it’s the best and worst thing you can have. Being willing to do whatever you need to achieve cash flow is imperative. “You have to be willing to cold call or meet people and pick up the phone for four hours a day if you have to.”
