WHSPR

Let’s start at the beginning, what inspired you to build a quiet heat pump?

“It all started with a challenge familiar to many homeowners living in attached housing: heat pumps can be very noisy. My co-founder, Hugo Huis in ‘t Veld, and I were both working at Eneco when a simple question came up: Does a truly quiet heat pump exist? One that can be installed in a backyard without creating friction with the neighbours? The answer was no. So we decided to build one ourselves.”

“Following an initial experimentation phase, including testing at Philips’ acoustic laboratory, we demonstrated that several noise-reduction innovations were highly effective. Based on these promising results, it was decided to establish a separate company dedicated to bringing this innovation to market: Whspr.”

Once you validated the acoustic concept, what was your next big hurdle?

“Our next challenge was finding the right product development partner to help us bridge the gap between proof of principle and a working prototype. We therefore started looking for a specialist partner with expertise in innovation partner selection and network building.”

How did you go about finding that partner, and what set BEACON apart from other candidates?

“We invited several firms to pitch for the assignment. BEACON stood out, not only because of their proposal, but because of the way Quintijn Innikel (Project Director) guided the conversation. Rather than immediately searching for suppliers, he first helped us sharpen our own requirements. What kind of product development partner were we actually looking for? How involved did we want to be ourselves? What budget constraints did we have? Which criteria mattered most in terms of technical expertise, flexibility, scalability and collaboration style?”

Hans Cools co-founder at Whspr • Silent heat pump ©Whspr

How did that process translate into finding the right match?

“Those discussions, informed by BEACON’s experience in similar innovation projects, proved invaluable. The process ultimately led us to Craftworks, a prototype development company, which proved to be exactly the right choice. Craftworks was engaged, flexible and genuinely motivated to help solve problems alongside us. I am extremely positive about the way BEACON guided us through this critical selection process.”

“And with success, because last April, we celebrated an important milestone together with all project partners: our first prototype had successfully completed an entire heating season in a residential setting. Both the homeowner and the neighbour were impressed by how quiet the system was.”

With a proven prototype in hand, how did BEACON assist you with taking the next step toward scaling?

“Following the prototype phase, we engaged BEACON again, this time to identify a large-scale manufacturing partner. BEACON developed a longlist of potential manufacturers and, together, we narrowed the field down to a shortlist of twenty candidates based on our selection criteria. We were looking for an experienced European manufacturing partner that was neither too large nor too small. Finding a company that met all of our requirements was not straightforward. Trade-offs were inevitable, and determining where to prioritize requires insight that a young company does not naturally possess.”

What was the most valuable aspect of having Quintijn and BEACON by your side during those evaluations?

“Quintijn helped us understand the manufacturing landscape: the different types of production partners available, how to evaluate manufacturing capabilities, which questions to ask during assessments, and where the common pitfalls lie.”

“The meetings with manufacturers in Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic, with Quintijn at the table, taught us a tremendous amount about how to run a structured supplier selection process. We learned how to evaluate factories, conduct due diligence, ask the right questions, and identify critical signals while walking a production floor.”

“That knowledge has now become an internal capability within Whspr, which continues to create value for our organization.”

Looking back at the entire journey, where does Whspr stand today?

“On July 6, we launched our first commercial production batch of Whspr heat pumps: quiet, compact systems specifically designed for Dutch terraced homes. It has been an extraordinary journey, from acoustic experiments in a sound laboratory to a market-ready product. The support and expertise provided by BEACON throughout this process have been instrumental in helping us get there.”

If you want to know more about how BEACON can support your product innovation and strategic partner selection, feel free to reach out!