What is Nelli?
Nelli turns the daily “brush your teeth, pack your bag, put your shoes on” routine into an independent, stress-free process for children. Designed for children aged 4 to 12, including neurodivergent children on the autism spectrum, the Smart Hub uses visual schedules, timers, voice prompts, and rewards to guide kids without parental nagging.
Nelli engaged Techne HQ after completing an initial concept phase with a startup accelerator. While the accelerator helped validate the initial idea, Nelli instructed Techne HQ to take the platform significantly further. We expanded the original scope to transform early concepts into a fully engineered, market-ready IoT system, taking charge of hardware sourcing support, custom firmware, cloud infrastructure, and UI/UX optimization for mass production.
Expanding Scope for Production Execution
Building a connected IoT product for families and neurodivergent children required balancing intuitive user experiences, physical manufacturing costs, and strict hardware constraints. Nelli needed to overcome three key technical challenges:
01. Translating Concepts to Hardware Specifications
Turning early software concepts into a physical product required careful consideration of chip processing limits, display specifications, production costs, and real-time synchronisation.
02. Global Sourcing & Hardware Viability
Identifying and evaluating reliable manufacturing partners in Guangdong, China, while ensuring child-safe hardware, technical quality, and sustainable production quantities.
03. Assistive Technology & NDIS Requirements
Designing a secure, predictable ecosystem with PIN protection, no cameras, and no unrestricted web browsing, suitable for children with diverse sensory processing needs.
4-Week Re-Architecture & End-to-End Delivery
01. 4-Week UX, PRD & Engineering Sprint
Conducted API feasibility studies, developed comprehensive Product Requirement Documentation (PRD), and refined the product architecture and UI/UX around real hardware constraints.
02. Collaborative Hardware Sourcing & Custom Firmware
Supported factory evaluations and prototype reviews in Guangdong, China, and engineered custom firmware for secure, low-latency communication between physical devices and cloud infrastructure.
03. Child Gamification & Product Retention Engine
Designed an interactive reward system that allows children to earn virtual stars for completing daily tasks and exchange them for parent-approved rewards, encouraging positive habits and ongoing engagement.
04. Scalable Cloud Architecture & Calendar Sync
Built a scalable ecosystem connecting IoT devices, mobile apps, and cloud services in real time, including two-way calendar synchronisation with Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendars.
$1.2M+ Revenue Generated Since Launch (100% Self-Funded)
$3M Company Valuation
1,000+ Custom Devices Manufactured & Shipped
4.88 / 5 Customer Rating across verified Australian families
NDIS Recognized Low-Cost Assistive Technology
Revenue Generated Since Launch
Company Valuation
Custom Devices Manufactured & Shipped
Customer Rating
Product Features
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Discuss your idea with Gordon, understand the technical risks, and create a clearer path from concept to market.
Tech stack
This UI design process is created to transform user interactions by utilizing cutting-edge technology and creative methodologies. By focusing on user needs and design trends, we strive to develop an intuitive interface that enhances usability and satisfaction across various digital platforms.
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Two crucial factors that could have caused the Nelli project to fail: finding the right developer and finding a good reliable manufacturer. We know people firsthand who invested $100K+ with a developer only to have the final product turn out terribly poor quality and unusable. Thankfully, our developer was recommended to us, they're a Melbourne-based software company... and they didn't let us down!
Lisa Kelly
Founder and Co-Creator of Nelli
MORE Work
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FAQ
Got specific questions?
How does Techne HQ help startups transition from design prototypes to production hardware?
We bridge the gap between abstract design and physical production by evaluating early concepts against hardware constraints, chip processing limits, and display specs, authoring comprehensive PRDs and custom firmware to ensure full system viability before manufacturing.
How long does an initial technical re-architecture and feasibility study take?
Our intensive re-architecture sprint typically takes four weeks, resulting in complete API feasibility studies, validated system architecture, and production-ready blueprints designed around real manufacturing budgets.
Can Techne HQ support ongoing post-launch product scaling?
Yes. Techne HQ serves as an ongoing strategic technical partner, continually designing, prototyping, and deploying new features like multi-calendar syncing and hardware expansions as our clients scale.