Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Peter Dawe has now stepped down as CEO of Dawevision to concentrate on other projects

Dawevision, which developed a new device called BabelTV that combines a set-top box, home computer and a number of other communication gadgets, was  set up by Dawe and Nigel Playford, the founder of failed telecoms giant, Ionica in 2005.

The aim was to “integrate TV, internet, computing and telephone in ways that have been much hyped but not delivered.”

But having failed to secure sufficient first round funding in the first instance, compounded by an inability to attract further investment or the signatures of any channel partners willing to help take the product to market, the venture has now been stripped back to the bare bones.

First round investment came from "various Cambridge angel funders," but at a level "well below" the £1 million the company was seeking.

Dawe is continuing to payroll the services of two engineers, at least for time being, but says that Dawevision is now desperately seeking either funding or a "helping hand" from someone that shares the vision.

Dawe himself stepped down as CEO around four months ago, a role that has since been assumed by one of the two remaining employees. A total of three redundancies have now been made at the company.

"From the start we have been working on a shoestring and while what we have achieved with the resources at our disposal is miraculous, we have not had the money to spend on marketing nor building up a decent stock of devices. This would have made us more attractive to partners.

Dawe cited an example of one potential partner who would have been willing to offer a route to market if Dawevision was able to supply 100 devices on a sale or return basis. "We were just not able to finance this risk," said Dawe.

Co-founder Playford parted company with Dawevision several months ago after a disagreement with Dawe over the future direction of the business. Business Weekly understands, but Dawe was unable to confirm, that Playford is now pursuing opportunities in China.

The BabelTV box is a device built using standard PC components, running a flavour of linux that combines the features of a set-top box, a personal video recorder and an internet-enabled home computer.

Among the strengths of the product, as Dawe sees it, is the user interface, modelled on the Apple iPhone; its ability to receive the Freesat high-definition service; web browser and email capability; potential fan-free, silent operation; and its ability to podcast recorded TV to a mobile device.

This versatility may though, have counted against it when it came to securing deals, with the BabelTV caught between more than two stools.

"Our device did everything that that a set-top box or a DVD player can do and a whole lot more. But rather than expand their brains, the people that we have pitched the vision to have dismissed it," said Dawe.

Among Dawe's past successes are Unipalm, PIPEX and Flute. Having stepped down as CEO of Dawevision, Dawe is now concentrating on a number of other projects, including writing a book - due to be published next month - and the wash Tidal barrier, an enterprise designed to protect the eastern coast of England from climate change.

Commenting in his most recent blog for Business Weekly , Dawe said: "At corporate presentations my frustration at the blindness of the buyers, escapes as arrogance resulting in our failure to gain a partner for two reasons, 1) They don't get it and 2) They don't like me!

"I've now bowed-out of DaweVision, so that my commitment to the vision does not get in the way of any possible occasion where the buyer gets the vision."