About Us

Pioneers. Inventors. Doers.

Our history in the low power IoT began at Savi Technology, where we brought wireless supply chain visibility to defense customers around the world. After Savi’s acquisition by Lockheed Martin, we began in earnest to solve the problem that led us to start Haystack in 2010. At that time, the low power wireless industry was dominated by a handful of outdated protocols that were not applicable to wide area or mobile wireless IoT applications. Moreover, those technologies all but ignored requirements like public key cryptography, real-time indoor location, multicast queries, and other features.

So we invented DASH7, launched the DASH7 Alliance to standardize the technology, filed patents, and built the first DASH7 firmware stack, OpenTag. At Haystack we set out with the ambitious goal of integrating DASH7 with near-field communications radios (it’s hard!) and prototyping a new hardware concept, HayTag 1.0.

Inventing the impossible.

Not satisfied with the HayTag’s performance, we went back to lab. We switched our radio focus from 433 MHz to 915 MHz and ported our stack to Semtech’s LoRa® radio. We also implemented real-time, low power GPS over LoRa® to address demand for LoRa® -based asset tracking solutions. In late 2018, we began the process of re-launching a hardware product, this time an OEM product running both LoRa® and GPS. The results have been worth the wait.

Sharing our breakthroughs.

Today, Haystack is the driving force behind many DASH7 activities and projects around the world, with a mission to help companies of all sizes realize their wireless vision using DASH7. For developers and integrators interested in working with us, we offer both completed OEM hardware products our software stack and related intellectual property. We also offer product design and customization services as well as ongoing developer support.

We are based in San Mateo, California and are privately funded.

Leadership

PATRICK BURNS

CO-FOUNDER & CEO

Pat joined Haystack from Savi Technology where he led marketing, licensing, and alliances for more than six years before and after its acquisition by Lockheed Martin. While at Savi, he spearheaded Savi’s ISO 18000-7 and OEM licensing programs and co-founded the DASH7 Alliance. Prior to Savi, Pat was co-founder of Demandline, a B2B telecom marketplace backed by New Enterprise Associates, and was also a founding member of SkyTel’s Advanced Applications Group, prior to its acquisition by MCI. He has also held positions with ARDIS, a joint venture of IBM and Motorola, as well as positions with the Office of Management and Budget and Office of the Secretary of the Treasury in Washington, D.C. He holds multiple patents in wireless communications and e-commerce and received a bachelor’s degree from American University and an MBA from Kellogg.

JP NORAIR

CO-FOUNDER & CTO

JP is the creator of the modern DASH7 specification and the creator of OpenTag, which is the original and de-facto implementation of DASH7. Before starting Haystack, JP moved from the east coast to California in order to work with Pat Burns, at Savi Technology, as an applications engineer for their technology licensing program. JP’s previous life on the east coast began in Washington DC, made a stop at Princeton University to get a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, and finally migrated south to space-coast Florida to work in a passive-RF technology startup. JP currently lives in San Francisco and can sometimes be spotted at the city’s finer cafés and pubs, often wearing DASH7-branded clothing.

Haystack careers

Haystack is always looking for talented embedded systems engineers and software developers with mobile & cloud application experience. If you are interested in working for Haystack, please contact us at [email protected]. Use the subject “Haystack Careers” and be sure to include links to LinkedIn, GitHub, or other examples of your work.