iParcelBox smart parcel delivery drop box was originally conceived by a smart-home enthusiast in his garage, as a solution to his family’s frustration with missed parcel deliveries. Here’s how iParcelBox developed from a home DIY project to one of the leading at-home parcel delivery solutions:
iParcelBox Founder Paul Needler was living in Harrow, Greater London with his wife and 2 young children. As a busy family they regularly shopped online, but were fed up with missed deliveries, frequently getting home to find ‘sorry we missed you’ cards on their doormat.
Having searched online and realised there were no smart home products available for parcel deliveries, Paul decided to create his own solution to this very common and frustrating problem.
Paul’s initial creation was a painted wooden parcel delivery drop box, made with tongue-and-groove flooring from the DIY store and a spare front doorbell as the button, fitted with an electronic lock and LED lights sourced online. He connected the electronics to the smartphone-controlled garden lighting system he’d recently installed in the front garden.
Paul could now lock and unlock the box from his phone when somebody pressed the doorbell, allowing the family to get parcels delivered when they weren’t home.
Paul spent the next few months working evenings and weekends on turning his parcel delivery box into a high-quality consumer product.
This included drawing up plans for the custom-made metal box; designing the electronics; and even writing the code for the iParcelBox controller and smartphone app.
At the same time, Paul and his team were setting up iParcelBox Ltd., the website and brand, whilst working on necessary patent, legal and regulatory submissions.
In early 2019, iParcelBox announced a trial of their new smart parcel delivery drop box to early-adopters. These pre-production units were extensively tested by customers in real-life use over a period of several months. Valuable feedback from homeowners and a range of couriers was incorporated into the final production design.
After finalising design modifications and completing regulatory testing, our original mains-powered iParcelBox was formally launched in September 2019, at the International Parcel & Post Expo in Amsterdam.
Since launching the first version of our smart parcel delivery drop box, we have continued to innovate and develop iParcelBox, launching new product types and gaining significant recognition for our market-leading technology. Here are just a few examples:
A regional competition recognising local entrepreneurs with innovative solutions.
iParcelBox launches on Amazon.co.uk, with next day delivery available to Amazon Prime members.
McAfee’s Advanced Threat Research team, the world leaders in internet security based in Oregon USA, test our technology for vulnerabilities. Read more here.
Finalists in Parcel and Postal Technology International Awards 2020 – Final Mile Innovation of the Year
Winners of the The Gadget Show Challenge, selected by the “G-Team” the best technology solution for home parcel deliveries.
Launch of new battery-powered model at the globally renowned Consumer Electronics Show (CES), arguably the most influential tech event in the world.
iParcelBox announces collaboration with EZVIZ, one of the leading Global Smart Home brands for consumer cameras.
iParcelBox is selected by Theo Paphitis as winners of his #SBS small business competition
Finalists in the Prolific North Tech Awards 2021.
Winners of Hull Live Business Awards – Innovation & Technology Award
You asked, we delivered! iParcelBox launches an Extra Large size – providing over double the capacity of any other parcel delivery box on the market.
iParcelBox partners with Hull University to develop online sustainable deliveries tool.
Read more about the research here.
We are selected as one of only 3 companies to pitch their business to Theo Paphitis and his panel of investors as part of #SBSInvest.
Launch of iParcelBox Medium, making our award-winning technology available to even more customers at a very competitive price.
We believe there’ll be a time when having an iParcelBox for parcel deliveries becomes as common as the letterbox in your front door.
We’ve got lots more exciting developments planned. Sign-up to our mailing list at the bottom of this page to be first to hear about our news!
