Finding the next Fitbit: US-based Wearable IoT World to launch accelerators in Hong Kong, Shenzhen to tap connected devices

Consumers will soon be wearing devices to map their moods and help them make decisions and businesses must keep pace or risk losing out, according to the head of a US-run accelerator for start-ups specialising in wearables which is set to open a branch in Hong Kong soon.

Redg Snodgrass, CEO and co-founder of Wearable IoT World, a San Francisco-based accelerator aiding start-ups build up the Internet of Things (IoT), said the new technology has vast potential.

The IoT refers to a network of connected gadgets, including wearables and smart devices, that can exchange data - “talk to each other” - using embedded sensors and software, thus obviating the need for human directions or commands.

READ MORE: Microsoft, HKSTP invest US$1 million to turn Hong Kong into internet of things hub

Snodgrass said corporations must think of better ways to utilise IoT devices as people become more used to monitoring their every move through wearables and base decisions on the wealth of data collected.

Giving the example of a mother who tracks her child’s emotional state during the day and finds a dip after the youngster eats some candy, Snodgrass said such information could be of value to both parents and businesses.

“When you see that your kid feels [irritable] when they eat a candy bar, you’re going to change your buying decisions, which is going to be a huge shift,” Snodgrass said.