ZPOD - affordable and flexible sleep pods, 24/7

Aim

The future of rest stops, cheap overnight stays, and quick naps away from home has arrived. ZPOD is a startup providing sleep pods to rent.

Hi, we're a startup called ZPOD that's looking to take a step towards the future of short stays and flexible sleeping opportunities for travellers, commuters and everyone in between!

Currently in a concept/pre-operational stage, we're looking to engage with the fantastic crowdfunding community to help bring our dream to life - we want to offer an affordable, convenient place for anyone to grab a quick nap or stay overnight in cities across the country.

The key to our plans is the use of 'sleep pods'. These will be comfortable, private sleeping capsules that provide a cosy sleeping experience for any individual looking for an alternative option to hotels or hostels (which can often prove to be expensive in many cities).

Furthermore, many of these businesses will not be available for daytime usage - we want to provide a place to rest that can be utilised at any time during the day, opening up opportunities for daytime naps for workers or travellers who are looking to stop over before the next step on their journey.

The Location

With over half of the country's population and businesses residing in cities, it's a natural choice for ZPOD to begin operating in the UK's most populated areas. Furthermore, millions of tourists from across the world travel each year to places such as London, Edinburgh, and Manchester to see the sights and experience the culture.

We're looking to establish the business in London, where a huge number of residents, commuters and travellers can access our services and see what we have to offer. More specifically, train stations and airports will serve as prime locations for our sleeping pods to provide a much-needed rest stop that will be accessible to the largest number of potential customers.

A small retail unit located next to the South Harrow Tube Station in London (shown above) is a great example of the type of premises we're considering. As the sleeping pods are compact and take up less space than a bed, several units can be offered to consumers without the need for a large building or floor space. Additionally, small shops and retail units such as this are widespread around stations and airports, providing plenty of choice for ZPOD to expand and offer sleeping opportunities in different locations around the city.

The Pod

Despite the size, the sleeping pod will provide a cosy alternative to staying in a hotel bed without compromising on comfort or sleep quality. The pods contain a modern, comfortable mattress with the capsule blocking light interference and minimising outside noise from disturbing sleep.

Once the business has been established and funds are available to develop our idea, we'd explore the possibility of designing our own sleeping pods. As this is not currently possible, we will begin by partnering up with Restworks who supply the Podtime range of sleeping pods to offer to our customers; an example of the pods they offer can be seen below.

The Business Model

Without the overheads that a typical hotel incurs for providing rooms, ZPOD will be a much cheaper option for anyone looking to get some rest. Furthermore, the length of the stay will be entirely flexible - a pod can be used for as little as 30 minutes for those wanting a quick nap, all the way up to a full overnight stay. This allows for a considerably cheaper option when sleeping away from home without having to commit to a hotel room if an individual only wishes to get a quick nap or rest in.

It should also be highlighted that ZPOD will be open 24/7 and available for use at any time of day, potentially suiting the needs of travellers and tourists who are looking for sleeping opportunities in the daytime as a mid-journey rest stop, which many hotels are unable to offer due to the commitment of offering rooms on a nightly basis only.

The Funding

We would love it if you would consider helping us make our dream a reality by donating to our startup project. One of the biggest challenges for startups is securing funds to get off the ground, so we believe an appeal to the wonderful community at Crowdfunder would be enough to establish ourselves and provide a welcoming, affordable place for everyone to sleep.

Funds would be used towards securing our first premises and purchasing sleeping pods; once we've leased or bought these important assets, we can move quickly towards opening and offering our services to everyone!

In return, we would love to reward backers with a range of great deals once we're up and running. For only £30, we're thrilled to provide a stay in one of our sleeping pods - it's up to you how long you want to sleep, so this could be an overnight stay in London for a fantastic price!

Check out our rewards section for a full list of what we can offer based on how much is donated.

Thank you!

This project closed unsuccessfully on 14th July 2024