Flo: The Startup Enabling Property Owners to Stop Leaks and Prevent Water Damage

Chien Lee
SparkAmpLab
Published in
3 min readJan 3, 2019

***This article is a startup story curated by SparkAmplify that can be shared or modified for re-post***

Water damage incidents are more common than we think! About 14,000 people in the United States encounter water damage at home or work. 98% of basements are bound to

experience water damage during their lifetime.

The water damage needs repairs, which can cost thousands of dollars. Statistics suggest that insurance companies have to pay $2.5 billion annually towards claims for water damage and mold. Another significant problem is the amount of water wastage from the leaks and cracks, which can exceed 1 trillion gallons in a year! Wouldn’t it be great if there was something to prevent water damage from happening in the first place?

The father and son duo and co-founders of the revolutionary startup Flo have created just that. One day, they came home to find the ceiling of their living room leaking and decided right then and there that they had todo something about it. Their efforts led to the invention of the Flo WaterDamage and Leak Prevention system.

The innovative device is installed on the main water line going into the house monitoring everything from the pipes connecting the toilets, shower, and faucets to those running behind walls and the foundation.

How Does it Work?

Flo uses three types of sensors to pick up water flow, pressure, and temperature, and employs advanced algorithms to detect and prevent incidents of leaks, burst pipes, and water damage. The system comes with auto-shutoff technology which ensures you don’t encounter a catastrophe or unexpected water bill when you come home from vacation.

Flo is engineered to detect leaks as small as a drop per minute and runs a health check on your water supply system every night. Alerts are sent right to the mobile app which connects over local Wi-Fi and also helps you set conservation goals.

Most often, we think about water damage when it’s already too late. Gabriel Halimi, CEO, and Co-Founder of Flo Technologies says how Flo comes to the rescue. “Flo enables you to take a proactive approach to your water management, notifying you of possible leaks at the first instance. In fact, 60% of homeowners who installed Flo immediately discovered a leak that they weren’t aware of.”

How is it Cost-Effective?

The device not only helps us conserve water, which in recent times has become incredibly important due to droughts, but it also saves consumers money. It does so by:

- Preventing leaks that cause the growth of harmful mold, which is costly and difficult to remove

- Protecting your property by proactively monitoring leaks and preventing water damage.

- Saving you money on insurance, as some insurance companies offer Flo users upwards of 10% discount on annual premiums.

- Saving you money on your water bill!

Flo’s innovation has been recognized by industry professionals. The company has been chosen as a CESInnovation Awards Honoree for their efforts for bringing in positive disruption in the plumbing industry. With Flo, plumbing and water management has now been turned into an intelligent system, one which makes things easier, convenient and cost-effective for all of us. Purchase or learn more about flo at https://meetflo.com/.

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Chien Lee
SparkAmpLab

A Cal Berkeley grad with extensive analysis consulting experience with Fortune US 500 companies. Love every moment in startup life. Let’s connect and share!