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From the Newsdesk

Member Profile – Ammique Ltd

Could you tell us about the background behind the creation of the what you describe as “the most technologically advanced bed in the world!”.

Colin, my husband and business partner, and I were looking for a new bed and were disappointed that we could not make an informed decision when choosing the most important piece of functional furniture any of us buy. At the time, we were running Mainstay Designs, our furniture design and manufacturing company, and we decided to carry out more research into the design of beds and mattresses. We realized that mattresses cannot be assessed objectively, and that they deteriorate badly over their recommended seven years life span both in support and hygiene. This realization led us to look beyond the mattress to see if we could design a more functional and sustainable bed. The bed we created is a mattress free, precision engineered, and durable body support and sleep system developed specifically to address all the problems associated with mattresses.

Who are the driving forces behind the journey bringing this product to market and why did this new concept capture your imagination?

From concept to manufacture of a marketable product, we had dedicated substantial time and resources developing and creating the technology, bed and brand and protecting all. With no existing supply chain or infrastructure available to us, we set up Ammique as a vertically integrated company. An extended market test and field trial period enabled us to grow the management team to build the Ammique brand, and to ensure that there was a market for a high-performance mattress-free bed that people would be willing to pay a premium for. With limited production budget and capacity, we manufactured a few first gen Ammique beds. These were rigorously tested, exhibited in the UK and the US and sold to select private individuals and a couple of luxury boutique hotels. The response to Ammique at shows and in the hotels attracted international media, public and industry interest, exceeding our expectations. To move forward, we needed to access the finance required to make the second generation of beds to include the refinements and modifications we had developed, to fund additional patents and IP protection as well as multi-impression production tooling, R&D, assembly, storage and distribution facilities and London retail premises.

What are the key unique selling points of the remarkable Ammique bed?

The Ammique bed’s unique selling points are consistent support, health & hygiene, adaptability and sustainability; all of which are quantifiable benefits. Unlike any other bed on the market, the Ammique bed is engineered to yield inch by inch and instantaneously to the natural curves of the moving body irrespective of its weight and shape with no roll together and no need for any adjustment. It is robustly made and is consistently supportive, because there is no deterioration in the support structure and mechanism for a lifetime – guaranteed. It is healthy, hygienic and adaptable because it is 100% cleanable with excellent airflow, easy to lengthen, shorten and manoeuvre and has an outer decorative frame that can be easily styled and restyled to suit personal taste and trends, and is sustainable because it is energy efficient using only the most sustainable materials and is built to last a lifetime.

As a result of your investment in design, skill and craftsmanship, how will you lead the way in creating your market share?

Ammique is led by an experienced, specialist team on a mission to revolutionize the sleep industry. Our primary target market is the sleep savvy and the health conscious, who are looking for credible products to help them stay fit and well for as long as they can. Sleep sells and unlike any of our competitors, we have a uniquely functional bed, protected by patents, ACID protected designs of handcrafted furniture and much more – not least a clear vision for Ammique going forward.

Ammique is a leader not a follower. Good design is often copied, and we understand that you have created a proactive IP Strategy. Can you tell us a little more about this?

We are a design focused company with our own R&D facility led by an expert team of skilled entrepreneurs and creatives. Securing Intellectual Property Rights wherever feasible has always been embedded in our planning and creative processes.

What is your message about the copying culture that pervades some of your sector and those who ride rough shod over the law?

There are lawbreakers in all industries. We do what we can to invest in IPR to protect our products and to insure ourselves against risks.

Do you think that IP ethics, compliance and respect for intellectual property should be the cornerstone of the industry, in terms of declared Corporate Social Responsibility? And if so, how could the bed and interiors sector achieve this?

If securing IPR is legal then the law should protect the companies securing them by penalizing those who breach them. Neither the businesses nor the people running them should be above the law.

Why did you join ACID and what are the main benefits to Ammique?

The ACID brand of deterrence is yellow and black – a warning to others that we are registering ownership over our designs. As part of the ACID family, we feel supported too, by the advocacy of fellow members.

You invest in your people by helping them to develop skills and craftsmanship. How important do you think this is for the future of your specialist bedding sector?

We have created, by default, a new industry, which presents as many challenges as it does opportunities, so we understand the potential and long term value of forging joint venture partnerships, worldwide, to grow Ammique; from specialist suppliers to specialist retailers throughout the newly created supply chain.  

We now have an IP Act which will mean not only criminal provisions for intentional Registered design infringement but also for individual directors. Do you believe that if this is extended to unregistered designs infringement, it will become more of a deterrent?

IP deterrents and a more rigorous system of enforcement are paramount to the creative industries.

As you know ACID is the main Policy and Government campaigning body for Design & IP reform. What are your 3 recommendations to Government to stem the tide of blatant design theft to support the interiors and broader design sector?

Much tougher penalties for design infringement; cracking down on online marketplaces who appear to pay lip service to IP infringement on their platforms; easier access to a much more simplified Court system and making the infringement of an unregistered design a crime. These key changes would proactively support what is one of the UK’s most significant assets, its design, manufacturing and interiors industries.   

Ammique Ltd

 

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