The Triangle Experience

A Tale of 3 Engineers Designing Integrated Future-Ready Spaces

Ten years ago, there were multiple controls for all the technology in our homes. From handheld remote controls to light switches, dimmers, door locks, thermostats and even blinds. Today, as we shift to a paperless and wireless world, there exists the possibilities to control all these from a single device with a beautiful user-friendly interface. This is the Triangle
Experience which is second to none, and we are excited about the future!

Walking through the gates of Triangle Nigeria, you are welcomed with an interactive screen which takes your details and alerts your host that you are around. A biometric access control grants you access into the building where they have installed all the amazing technology they offer. The application of smart automation extends even to their guest restroom; with a smart mirror that has everything you can wish for a bathroom mirror. You can connect your smart devices, get updates on your stocks, read the morning newspaper, watch movies, see who is at your front door, or get the ideal light for your makeup. A state-of-the-art home cinema room, an interactive meeting room, an outdoor entertainment area and an open design studio makes this experience centre a showpiece of all intelligent system solutions.
Even the blinds and lights obey your command at the touch of a button!

We had a techy chit chat with the founders at Triangle. The trio talked about business, partnership and everything in between.

Meet the three musketeers

Kehinde Ayinoluwa: I studied computer engineering at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, in Nigeria. However, my desire for a career in technology, away from the norm of networking and programming, drove me to seek out a new industry — one where I could make an impact in Africa. Hence, the delving into the smart home automation industry right after graduation. Over the past 10 years, I have acquired international certifications in this area and I can say I’ve grown a lot more competent. Off the job,
I love to relax. Even though I like my space, you would sometimes find me hanging out with friends..

Kingsley Duru: I have a bachelor’s degree in electronics and computer engineering. To improve my competence in this build, I have taken several courses, both locally and internationally. I am a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a Certified Technology Specialist (CTS). Before venturing into this industry in 2008, I was formerly involved in computer maintenance, repairs and network hardware infrastructure along with many other projects. Starting Triangle was the best
decision and we do not have any regrets. When I’m not neck-deep in engineering, I love to cook; try new cuisine and barbecue. In my private time, I love playing football. Although, this has taken a nosedive due to proximity to soccer fields, I still love to have a watch.

Olayinka Odejayi: I have a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering. I’m also CTS certified and working on other certifications. I started as a DJ back in university, then moved to live sound because I knew I never wanted to have a 9-5 job. So, while looking for what to add to my other jobs, I stumbled on the smart home and smart office industry. I love to read, cook and play video games.

How Triangle started

Kehinde: We all worked in a company we think pioneered smart home industry in Nigeria. While working, we had ideas on how a business should run: how things could be changed in the industry;a drive to improve how things are done, overall. To a large extent, we were aware of how technology can help improve our lives. So, we took a leap of faith. We started by registering our company and almost immediately, we started getting iconic jobs.

Why the name Triangle?

Kehinde: So, we sat in a room, brainstorming for names. Several names came up and at some point, we had to ask ourselves what we’re really striving to achieve with this business. It was integrating different technologies to create an easy living and working experience. For example, your music should work with your lights; your lights should work with
your blinds; your blinds should work with your security. We thought what basic shape absolutelydefines integration – so, two angles are incomplete until there’s a third angle to complete it, making it an integrated system, and since there’s 3 of us, the
name “Triangle” seemed perfect.

Olayinka: We were looking for something that denotes perfect integration, perfect unity and strength. The name means many things and as much we are trying to build a business, we are also aiming to prove a point that partnerships can work. So, to pull that off, we needed to find that one name that works. Hence, triangle; which is the strongest shape in nature.

Kingsley: It was more like a synergy because all three of us are highly competent in our various fields. It was like three people coming together to build something different and turn it into an institution: something we want to see beyond us. At some point, it’s going to go beyond us, which is the bigger picture. Olayinka is the best when it comes to operations and systems design, while Kehinde who’s in charge of business development, is doing a fantastic job. And for the technology, I try to bring everything together.

How were you able to rise above the crowd in 1 year?

Kehinde: Definitely, there were loads of fear in our minds, but as Kingsley mentioned, we believed in ourselves and our idea. We had something that was different from the rest, and we knew it. Olayinka is an awesome designer. I get to talk to a lot of people about the solutions while Kingsley gets to implement it. We have become a formidable force that would change how people perceive technology in this market.

Kingsley cuts in: Yes, we were scared -because there wasn’t and there still isn’t a plan B. This was the dream. It was either swim or sink. Apparently, we don’t have anything else. Just this.

How did you scale the hurdle of funding?

Olayinka: Funding, hmmm… To be honest, everything we have done so far has been a lot of legwork, a lot of sweat, and the cool thing is, we have never had to borrow any money.
Though, we believe in the divine, we have been really fortunate to build relationships. The first major project we got was due to the relationships we built.

What brands do you use for your automation process?

Kehinde: We create experiences, not brands. What we tell people is that we sell experiences and not boxes but it’s all dependent on how much they’re willing to pay for this experience.

Olayinka: We try not to push brands, but there are brands we are comfortable with. The reason we are comfortable with those brands is because they are brands well known in the
industry. So, if a brand has a fantastic reputation, has been around for a while; has great products that are tried and trusted, chances are that we would look at the brand and work with them.

Kingsley: We currently represent leading brands such as; Crestron, Control4, Lutron, Nest, Ring, to mention a few.

Tell us about security automation

Kehinde: Security is big in what we do because security is important to us in Nigeria. But we don’t see it as just security alone. For example, if you arrive at any of the projects we’ve done, and you ring the doorbell, instead of it ringing on the screen in the house, it actually rings on the homeowner’s mobile devices. Hence, you can be anywhere in the world and see who’s ringing. Also, when you get a visitor in your house at night, a light comes on to give a clearer view of who’s at the door. There’s also a security feature where all the lights come on when a burglar is trying to get into the house.

Olayinka: Cybersecurity is also something we consider very important, so we make sure no one can hack into your accounts. These are the factors we take into consideration when
deploying these solutions.

What’s your most challenging project so far?

Kingsley: The Mike Adenuga Center; Alliance Française, was definitely the most challenging because of the scale.

Olayinka: It was our flagship project. So, we put all our energy into the project, paying serious attention to every detail, like the cabling. The amount of quality assurance poured into the project was really challenging and it was worth it at the end of the day.

Kehinde: Although, we were involved from the design stage, and we knew what we were expecting but it was still very challenging.

What are other projects you have done so far?

Kehinde: Most of the projects we have done are like our flagship projects. These projects include: The Mike Adenuga Center, several duplexes on No. 4 Bourdillon – which is the tallest residential building in Lagos, several penthouses at Eko Atlantic, Flutterwave, Coronation and Sparkle place amongst others.

What’s the biggest challenge in the market?

Olayinka: One of the biggest challenges in the market is the influx of people who don’t know, parading themselves as people who know. For this reason, we try to educate architects and consultants. We also try to educate decision-makers early enough, so they don’t end up engaging the hands of every Tom, Dick and Harry. Another challenge is the rapid pace of changes in technology. This is because it is almost difficult to predict the future, but we try to act like prophets.

Kingsley: The market we operate in is price sensitive. Clients would rather start talking about price instead of the value or the experience. You try to sell a client experience yet;
they ask for the pricing first.

Kehinde: Our industry is still new in the market. Remember when internet banking started, and people were skeptical about it? Now, everyone has adopted it. People are worried because of past experiences, just as Olayinka mentioned, where some people parade themselves as professionals but end up doing a terrible job. So, we need to learn how to win customers’ trust and that’s why we have set up a state-of-the-art experience centre, where we invite our customers so they can come and have the experience of how it works and we think that’s like a differentiating factor for our business.

How do you see your company in 5 years?

Olayinka: At the moment, we are trying to break the company down into three arms to cater for the 3 distinct parts of our business. Our strategy in the next 5 years is to become the trusted household name in this industry by getting involved in as many major projects as we can, both residential and commercial. So, we are breaking out into 3 entities, and each entity has the goal of capturing as much of the market as they can. There’s also a plan to cater for the wider mass market but we are still working on it. We also want to make sure we are the top market leader nationwide.

Kehinde: As Yinka said, we will be dedicating resources to the 3 individual entities because we are keenly looking at the future which involves making these solutions democratised and accessible to every single individual in Nigeria.

Kingsley: As part of our value addition, we make our infrastructure future proof, so that when we deploy the infrastructure, the technology can change but the structure will still be in part with it.