What goes around comes around for HyperNym
This is certainly the case for Innovator Hasham who loyally worked for none other than Microsoft for 8 years as a programmer. Fast-forward to now and he has Microsoft working for him!
A jaw-dropping sentence spoken for me certainly, but you won’t get that feeling from Hasham who is incredibly humble and chilled about his own successes as an entrepreneur and business owner.
Let’s hand things over to him shall we…
‘In my early 20’s back in Pakistan I fell in love with programming – the ability to build something from scratch, combined with the thrill of solving real problems, is unmatched. My journey started with a small web house in Pakistan, but at that time, there was limited capital and no funding agencies.
People weren’t ready to invest in new ideas, and customers weren’t willing to pay for them. Over the next 15 years, including 8 years at Microsoft and Oracle, I gained valuable experience across 14 countries, learning about customers and the power of data.
One pivotal moment was working with a gas utility company where I helped design an algorithm to pinpoint gas leakage or theft, and I realised just how transformative data could be. That experience reignited my passion for innovation, and I returned to building solutions, this time focusing on data—collecting, analysing, and making it meaningful through technology.’
So, how about your business – what are you bringing here to the UK?
‘The idea I’m bringing to the UK is a platform with two facets, serving both businesses and consumers. It collects data from various industries and households, offering real-time insights that streamline workflows and enhance efficiency.
For our business clients, our IoT platform integrates live data, tailored to industry needs, such as asset tracking, performance monitoring, and resource optimisation. These tools enable companies to operate more sustainably by reducing waste and improving energy use. For instance, it helps logistics firms track fuel consumption in real time or healthcare providers optimise their resources, offering both environmental and operational benefits.
On the consumer side, we’re introducing the EasyDay app, which serves as a central hub for smart home functions. It allows users to track energy consumption, control home devices, and even monitor pets—supporting sustainable living by making it easy to understand and reduce household energy usage.
The UK is one of the world’s most advanced markets, with a strong commitment to technology and sustainability. Our platform aims to enhance this by turning real-time data into actionable insights that support efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Today, for instance, we discussed real-time asset monitoring with the NHS, illustrating how IoT can help achieve sustainability goals across sectors.
We believe our platform will help the UK further its leadership in IoT and data analytics, bringing smart, sustainable solutions to businesses and households alike.
Let’s look back at the challenges you faced bringing this amazing technology to the UK…
‘Yes, so one of the significant challenges we faced was securing a business visa. Due to a COVID backlog, the process took much longer than anticipated, delaying our plans by about eight months. Another challenge has been breaking into the enterprise market, which is strongly network-based in the UK.
Gaining traction often depends on who introduces you, and building these relationships requires persistent networking. Additionally, hiring post-COVID has been tricky. The rise of remote work has shifted the dynamics of recruitment and workforce management, forcing us to rethink how we operate and engage with talent.’
Have you been able to overcome these at all?
‘We’re still navigating these hurdles. To tackle the network-centric market, we’ve joined various forums like Innovator International and TECH UK, while also attending conferences and leveraging our partnership with Microsoft, our principal technology partner. It’s an ongoing effort that requires consistent work. As for recruitment, we are adapting by exploring new ways of working with remote teams and adjusting our approach to managing people in this new landscape.
Innovation is at the core of our technology, and localised innovation is a key focus for the UK. Specifically, we are working on generative AI onboarding for customers and AI-driven reporting tailored to the next generation of businesses. Instead of relying on traditional application interfaces, users can simply chat or talk to our system, which will create jobs or generate analytics for them, streamlining business operations.’
Here’s a question for you, is there anything the UK can do to provide any support to your business at all?
‘I strongly believe that the UK government could play a pivotal role by assigning grants not only to startups but also by allocating a quota for startup businesses within public sector organisations. This approach would serve as a practical boost for the startup ecosystem. The government would benefit from innovative solutions, while startups would gain business, references, and credibility – key elements for increasing exports and scaling successfully.’
Back to Microsoft, what’s the story there?
‘It’s simple really. I worked for Microsoft for many years, learnt a lot about data and what could be possible. Making your own product and selling it is cool but having Microsoft then trusting you enough to buy your products is cooler.’
(At this point Hasham is practically shrugging as if this doesn’t blow my mind)
We delved a little deeper into this transaction…
‘It wasn’t as easy as I am making out. There are a lot of things you must do before a company as big as Microsoft is willing to buy into your business. Your products must be verified, you must have multiple customers or case studies and be legit enough before they will take you to marketplace. I worked hard to get all the proof required before it was a done deal.’
This story has been wonderfully informative of course but as usual I spent some time getting to know Hasham a little more, so here are some personal titbits for us all:
‘Despite having a fairly sizeable family and three kids I took a huge risk, quit my stable job to focus all my time and energy on developing my own products with the idea that it could potentially become a business one day. Problem solving has always come naturally to me and I thrive on it. It took a few years to get things progressing and despite some covid related delays as mentioned previously, we are finally at a pretty good point.
Once I started trading commercially we were able to build up trust and started bringing on some amazing clients and businesses. Qatar and Microsoft respectively have given us many projects to work on. Last month we were able to launch consumer products. It’s interesting to think of the growth, of course it started with just me, then it grew to three people, now we have six in the UK and thirty four people working abroad. Our forecasts and signed contracts are also looking strong and helping the foreseeable future look bright.
We are actively attempting to recruit more UK based people but there are so many barriers, so we are using recruitment agencies to hopefully help us.
Back to the family, I do try to adopt a healthy work-life balance, however as I’m sure my fellow entrepreneurs will appreciate work is never far from my mind. But I do have some passions to keep me away from my laptop, including watching and playing cricket. I go to the gym regularly too and I always ban work on Saturdays. My work leads to regular travel, I have in fact met or spied a few famous people either on the flights or in the airport. Saying that, I don’t get as excited about this as others might…’
How about giving our readers some key titbits of advice?
‘Okay sure, let me list them for you:
My advice is to find a co-founder with relevant experience, particularly in your industry. This can significantly reduce your time to market, especially when dealing with enterprise customers.
Another essential step is hiring a great accountant to manage the financial complexities, but equally important is joining networks like Innovator International. Their coaching and experience, particularly with UK laws and regulations, can be a massive help as you navigate the business landscape.
Surround yourself with experienced professionals—it will save you time and accelerate your success.
Also, invest in marketing – social media especially, we do ours in house that way they are more knowledgeable, their finger is on the pulse
Keep relationships with your staff strong
Continuously innovate and develop your products
And lastly, one thing we do is offer clients a discounted rate for paying in advance, this can help with cash flow
My experience has taught me that persistence is everything. You won’t always get quick wins, and sometimes you’ll face setbacks like last-minute refusals from customers due to unassigned budgets or larger companies swooping in with bigger relationships to take deals away. The key is to adapt, push forward, and stay resilient. Every challenge, from visa delays to market entry struggles and recruitment hurdles, has been a learning curve. It’s not about how fast you succeed—it’s about staying the course, building the right relationships, and continuously improving your strategy.
That’s how you build something meaningful.’
Find out more about HyperNym now:
Website https://www.hypernymbiz.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hypernymybiz
