ClearZone

Investor progress report

ClearZone, in 90 days.

From hackathon to production-ready hardware startup. Here is everything that happened.

Last updated 22 May 2026

The ClearZone device, reading Do something GREAT

The timeline

Seven chapters, late February to today.

Open any marker to jump straight to that chapter.

  1. Ch 1Late Feb 2026
  2. Ch 2March 2026
  3. Ch 3Late March 2026
  4. Ch 4Early April 2026
  5. Ch 5Mid April 2026
  6. Ch 6Late April 2026
  7. Ch 7May 2026
Chapter 1 · Late Feb 2026

It started as a hackathon.

The 48-hour build we chose to turn into a company.

Open this chapter

What we're working on right now

Bootstrapping straight through to finished hardware.

The team is self-funding the final stretch of development. Here is where every thread stands this week.

CE certificationCertification testing is ongoing with the test house.
PatentResearching patent protection for the core technology.
Carbon fibre printingMulti-colour carbon fibre case printing has started.
V3 PCBsThe final V3 production PCBs have been ordered.
Muslim Tech FestPreparing to showcase ClearZone at Muslim Tech Fest.
Strand VenturesFinalising the investment terms with Strand Ventures.
  1. Late Feb 2026Chapter 1

    It started as a hackathon.

    We built the ClearZone proof of concept in 48 hours at a hackathon. Within days we decided to take it past the weekend.

    The founding team formed around it. Haider on software and AI as CEO, Tymur on electronics, PCB, and compliance, Nikita on mechanical and product design.

    The three ClearZone founders at the hackathon, holding the first working proof of concept
  2. March 2026Chapter 2

    We picked apart every assumption.

    We ran rapid case design iterations and sharpened the Android MVP, while evaluating iOS feasibility and exploring manufacturing routes.

    We rebranded from FocusField to ClearZone and finalised the brand identity, voice, and aesthetic.

    An early ClearZone prototype, the electronics wired on a breadboard alongside the first 3D printed case
  3. Late March 2026Chapter 3

    200 sign-ups in 24 hours.

    We locked the tech stack. An ESP32C6 BLE beacon, an LSM6DSOX IMU running Kalman-filtered flip detection, a three-state firmware machine, and Wi-Fi FTM ranging.

    The Android MVP was complete and the site went live on Framer and Formspark. We opened the waitlist and passed 200 sign-ups in the first day. PCB design started in-house.

    Early validation
    0+Waitlist sign-ups in the first 24 hours
    0%Surveyed users who found existing solutions ineffective
    0%Beta testers who have loved the device so far
  4. Early April 2026Chapter 4

    First cheque, first board.

    We closed a £2.5K angel investment from Luqman (SEIS, introduced by Amir). The capital went straight into iOS development, printer capacity, and PCB manufacturing.

    We ordered our first custom PCB from China, and kept a working MVP running on off-the-shelf parts in parallel.

    The first custom ClearZone PCB, version one, wired up for bring-up testing
  5. Mid April 2026Chapter 5

    Our own silicon.

    PCB v2 worked fully, with custom-selected components. Battery life was validated to two weeks and the board passed CE testing.

    Beta testing began, iOS development started, and we incorporated as a UK limited company.

    ClearZone PCB version two, with the custom component selection and the C logo on the module shield
  6. Late April 2026Chapter 6

    Three boards, one final design.

    Higher-quality printers came online. We ordered PCB v3, the final production design, and froze the mechanical design.

    ClearZone PCB version one, the first custom board, off-the-shelf module selection
    PCB v1 Off-the-shelf component selection. Functional, but too expensive to produce.
    ClearZone PCB version two, custom-selected components, two-week battery life validated
    PCB v2 Custom-selected components. Two-week battery life, validated and CE tested.
    ClearZone PCB version three, the final production design rendered from the board layout
    PCB v3 The final production design. Cost solved through component re-selection.

    Scroll or swipe to compare the three boards.

  7. May 2026Chapter 7

    Premium prototypes, premium conversations.

    We bootstrapped £5K across the team through April and May, and acquired carbon fibre and multi-colour 3D printers to produce premium-grade cases.

    The final hardware version is working. We are in active negotiation with Strand Ventures for £70K at 4% equity, and we have been selected to showcase at Muslim Tech Fest (introduced by Abdullah).

    The ClearZone production case in a carbon fibre finish

The numbers

Where things stand.

0+Waitlist sign-ups in the first 24 hours
0PCB iterations to a final production design
0Weeks of validated battery life
£0.0KTotal capital deployed to date
£0KIn active negotiation at 4% equity, with Strand Ventures
0Days from hackathon to production-ready

What we beat

The problems that could have ended us.

PCB cost
Too expensive on v1 and v2. Solved in v3 through component re-selection.
Battery life
Insufficient on v1. Fixed in v2, now two weeks.
iOS development capacity
Unlocked by Luqman's angel investment.
CE certification
The single thing most likely to kill us, and the reason we raised. We outworked it. Full CE is expected mid-June, covering RED, RoHS, WEEE, GPSR, and Cyber Resilience Act readiness.

The team

Three founders.

Haider, CEO of ClearZone

Haider

CEO

Software, AI, and hardware integration.

Tymur, CTO of ClearZone

Tymur

CTO

PCB, compliance, and certification.

Nikita, CPO of ClearZone

Nikita

CPO

Product design and manufacturing.

What's next

What the round funds.

The capital we are raising maps directly to this list, in order of priority.

  1. 01Close the Strand round.
  2. 02Complete CE certification.
  3. 03Open pre-orders in mid-June.
  4. 04Begin mass production.
  5. 05Showcase at Muslim Tech Fest.