When Daniel Burton’s nine-year-old daughter Ella asked for a £300 hairdryer, his response was simple: ‘Build your own.’
Burton is the latest guest on the final episode of season one of The Naked Founder podcast and said it’s vital that children understand the value of money.
Burton wasn’t very academic at school and got his first job at 16 repairing welding machines before moving into software.
He eventually launched Wondrwall, an advanced home automation system designed to change the way people interact with their homes.
A proud father-of-two, Burton revealed how Ella’s request for a £300 hairdryer ended with her launching her own company at the age of nine.
He said: “I’ve been building technologies for many, many years and I know what a product costs and what a product doesn’t cost. There’s no way on earth that a hairdryer should cost £300.
“That was my response to my daughter. When she said she wanted a £300 hairdryer I said ‘go and build one yourself’ and that’s how the journey started for her.”
The result was the launch of IONI, an independent British technology business formed to design and manufacture high-end consumer electronics that are affordable and accessible to all.
Daniel Burton with his daughter Ella
The company’s new tech-driven hairdryer, MYIONI, is now available on Amazon.
As for his own career, Burton launched Wondrwall with a vision to change the face of smart home technology.
In 2023, the company announced a landmark partnership with InfraRed Capital Partners that could unlock up to £100m of investment.
A passionate advocate of sustainability, Burton’s own home reflects his commitment to creating intelligent, net zero homes using the latest technology.
He said: “I’ve got 32 solar panels. I’ve got 75 kilowatt of battery storage. I’ve got two EV chargers. An air source heat pump. Hot water cylinder, all electric and our full home automation platform built into there.”
The entrepreneur said the company’s technology can reduce a customer’s energy bill by an average of £1,500 a year.
Burton also told The Naked Founder about the challenges of being a sole founder.
“The difficult part about being a sole founder is doing it all yourself,” he said. “You’re pretty lonely. You have got a lot to deal with yourself and you don’t have anybody to share it with. If I did it again, I’d probably have a co-founder.”
The Naked Founder podcast now has listeners around the world and has reached an all-time high of No. 37 in Apple’s business podcast charts.
The latest episode was sponsored by Financielle – The Home of Money for Women – and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.
You can listen to the latest episode here
• If you’d like to sponsor episodes in season two of The Naked Founder podcast, email Chris.Maguire@BusinessCloud.co.uk