VALO UK – Bringing the Smart City to the United Kingdom

Who are VALO?

VALO UK are born from the Valo Smart City Corporation. We were set up in 2017 by Isaac Sutton in New York City, USA to focus on smart energy saving products such as LED lighting. We delivered multiple projects in cities before changing focus in 2019 on integrating Smart City technologies into street furniture – anything from street lighting to bus stops, traffic lights, or rubbish bins.

What is smart city technology?

Its simple! Smart City technology adds digital connectivity to cities to create better networks, more data and new digital infrastructure, such as free Wi-Fi for citizens.

 We install, maintain and operate street furniture on behalf of cities, delivering all these benefits whilst saving the city on installation costs and generating revenue via advertising, which is split with the city in a Public Private Partnership.

 We partner with leading international technology companies to include free Wi-Fi, pollution and air quality monitors, traffic monitors, 5G, and the platform allows any new technologies to be included. In the UK our digital countdown displays are fed by PassageWay, a leading Transport for London information supplier.

What are you doing in the UK?

We are creating London’s first Smart Borough in Croydon. Whilst we are relatively new to the UK, we have recently signed an agreement to provide the next generation of smart bus shelters and stand along digital displays for the borough. Starting in March 2022 we will begin replacing council owned shelters across the borough with a sleek new design by international architects Grimshaw.

For the first time all the council shelters will include digital countdown displays and free Wi-Fi, powered by the VALO system. The free Wi-Fi has a range of 50 metres and will in many areas link up with other bus shelters to create a smart connected borough.  

How do local businesses get involved?

Unlike traditional Out of Home advertising, VALO’s infrastructure offers the most affordable and value driven advertising infrastructure to businesses. The digital nature of the format makes creative possibilities endless, and the fact that we also offer several models for placing ads, even smaller, local businesses for whom out of home was previously out of reach, can get involved.