Vic de Smidt

One of the key reasons for founding Hyphabit is to help UK small businesses get to grips with the Internet of Things (IoT) and use it to their advantage. With over 20 years in the mobile and internet space, I’m always excited to see how technology can help consumers and businesses. 

My background in Telecoms

I started my career at Vodafone, delivering a new voicemail service as part of the launch of the GSM (2G) network.  I went on to lead much of the early development of mobile internet services. Part of this work included working closely with different strategic partners to help define their overall mobile and digital strategy.  As a result I was heavily involved in the first mobile banking services, working alongside banks and SIM card manufacturers to get some of the first OTA capable SIMs.

I ran a global workstream as part of a worldwide internet project within Vodafone. And with the advent of 3G, I went on to deliver a portfolio of 3G applications to demonstrate the new capabilities ahead of the network launch.

In the mid 2000s, I stepped away from the corporate world of telecoms, to focus on bringing up my family.

Digital Upskilling

Over the last 10 years I have expanded my skills in the digital space, focusing on the opportunities that online and mobile can bring to small businesses. I’ve worked with several start-ups managing their online presence and digital marketing activities.  

This leaves me well placed to be able to deliver Hyphabit’s vision of bringing the advantages of the Internet of Things to small and medium businesses, starting with easy-to-access, affordable connectivity across a range of technologies.