Interview with Trung Pham
RYSE is redefining the last untouched categories of the smart home: smart window shades and blinds—a multi-billion-dollar category that has remained largely untouched by Big Tech. While Nest revolutionized the thermostat and Ring reinvented the video doorbell, RYSE is leading the charge in smart shading, with retrofit devices that bring intelligence, automation, and energy savings to every space. Operating in a $158B smart home market growing 23% annually, RYSE stands out with patented hardware, seamless platform integrations, and retail presence. Its technology offers not only unmatched convenience through voice and app control, but also environmental impact—reducing heating and cooling energy use by up to 24%. Our technology has been featured by TechCrunch, CNET, Fox News, CBS, and has been awarded the Mark of Excellence by the Consumer Technology Associated in 2017 at CES. We have generated over $10 million in revenue, shipping 50,000 devices to date, and secured over $10 million in funding. With 10 granted patents, products in over 100 Best Buy stores, and a track record of rapid revenue growth, RYSE is positioned to become the go-to brand for smart window automation—a category primed for major acquisition as tech giants race to complete the connected home. Learn more at https://invest.helloryse.com
Trung Pham is a serial entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of RYSE, a hardware startup transforming the last untapped category in the smart home: window coverings. A graduate of the Schulich School of Business at York University (BBA) and a CFA charterholder, Trung brings a rare combination of financial discipline and product intuition. As a non-technical solo founder in hardware—a space typically dominated by engineering-led teams—he’s built patented, retail-ready smart devices from the ground up, positioning RYSE as the “Nest” of smart shades in a $158B industry.
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