mHUB Member Spotlight: Zerv

In today's society, there's virtually nothing that cannot be consolidated to the convenience of a mobile application. Door, gate, and garage access for real estate or commercial buildings is no exception. In 2018, Cody Horchak, CEO and founder of Zerv, set out to create a modern technology that enables smartphones to communicate with any access readers without requiring overhauls to existing systems and processes.

Where did your idea and value proposition start?

We began our entrepreneurial journey with the mission of taking an access credential and making it digital, allowing cellular devices to be used as keys. Traditionally, this requires a cumbersome and pricey infrastructure updates that involve ripping out the old systems and inserting new technology that is Bluetooth or Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled. The cost of these updates can vary by application. But for reference: to update a single traditional automated parking kiosk with technology that allows it to communicate with your phone can cost anywhere between $30,000 to $120,000.

Our solution provides two options to business owners and consumers:

Zerv Access (Stationary): To bring modern day technology to access card readers at a reasonable price, Zerv created a device that can communicate with any legacy access reader allowing end users to utilize Bluetooth from their smartphones to unlock garage doors, hotel rooms, office buildings, and more. This hardware device is easily and un-intrusively installed in proximity to any and all access card readers. This solution doesn’t change any day-to-day operations for local management. Everything remains the same, but users can now use their phones to access facilities.

Zerver (Handheld): To mobilize our stationary solution and provide many use cases for the user, we designed the Zerver. This credit card-sized physical product allows users to access facilities utilizing legacy card readers with one device that’s always in their pockets and connected to their phones through Bluetooth. This one device can provide users access to all garages, apartment buildings, office spaces, hotel rooms, transit, and any other access readers that don’t require a traditional key.

What led you to mHUB?

We joined mHUB in March of 2018 after meeting Bill Fienup, mHUB co-founder and director of innovation services. Bill was able to introduce us to many of the connections that have helped us fund, prototype, develop, and manufacture Zerv products.

How has your business grown?

Since 2018, we’ve raised more than $750,000 in funding and have begun building our products with a local contract manufacturer in low quantities. We are currently in the process of evaluating options for 10,000+ quantities with manufacturers, but we have not begun scaling yet.

Throughout the entrepreneurial journey, we’ve continuously looked to mHUB for mentorship, guidance, the ability to work with people in the industry, introductions to contractors in the space, and introductions to potential partners. Coming from a finance background with limited engineering knowledge, the mHUB network has been a critical element of Zerv’s success.

What’s next for Zerv?

We’re focused on market adoption, specifically in industries including parking, commercial real estate, residential real estate, and hospitality. We’re also preparing for another capital raise by the end of 2019. If interested in finding out more, please reach out to Cody at Cody.Horchak@zervinc.com.

Cody Horchak, CEO of Zerv, is a visionary with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong background in finance. He prides himself in his ability to innovate, adapt, and champion the needs of Zerv to accomplish the goals of tomorrow. As a solution-driven individual, Cody is motivated to help resolve the commonplace access issues that nearly every person and business faces, all while maintaining the highest level of compliance for data privacy and human rights. Last but not least, Cody is thrilled that the days of awkwardly fumbling for his keys, fobs, and access badges are long gone.