By Riley Kaminer
Jörg Schulhofer, founder and CEO of SUNBULL, might have started his entrepreneurial journey on the sunny beaches of Fort Lauderdale, but his vision extends far beyond the Florida coastline. His invention? A beach umbrella that is as smart as your smartphone – an idea that came to him while lounging under the fierce Florida sun.
Schulhofer explained that the concept for SUNBULL’s smart umbrellas began on the shores of Fort Lauderdale, where he noticed a glaring gap in beach infrastructure.
“I was semi-retired at 38, and I got bored. One day, as I watched people opening and closing umbrellas in the scorching heat, I thought, ‘Why hasn’t this changed?’” Schulhofer [pictured below] told Refresh Miami.
That observation sparked the idea that would grow into SUNBULL, a system combining smart city technology with everyday beach equipment.
For Schulhofer, the beach umbrella was a product that had been overlooked for decades. He explained that despite the millions of umbrellas sold annually worldwide, the design had barely evolved.
“It’s as if the iPhone had never changed,” he said. “Umbrellas are still the same – nothing about their functionality has really advanced.” With SUNBULL, he saw an opportunity to modernize and streamline beach operations, making life easier for both guests and staff.
At its core, SUNBULL’s umbrellas are powered by smart city technology and a cloud-based outdoor property management system. Schulhofer and his team have built a digital ecosystem that allows beach operators to control hundreds, if not thousands, of umbrellas from a single hub.
“Our umbrellas are highly intelligent,” Schulhofer asserted. “We have GPS and accelerometers inside, so we know everything about how they’re being used. I could control an entire beach in Miami while sitting in Austria [Schulhofer’s home country].”
The umbrellas are solar-powered, meaning no need for complex wiring. They can even react to weather changes, automatically closing to protect against high winds or storms.
“We’re connected to weather stations, so we can close thousands of umbrellas in two or three minutes if needed,” he said, adding that the system can also detect when an umbrella has been flipped over and return it to its original position.
The possibilities for this technology are vast. SUNBULL isn’t just focused on hotels or private beach operators – Schulhofer sees potential in everything from the hospitality industry to luxury yachts and even smart homes.
“Think about it,” he said. “We have smart refrigerators, smart lights, but no one has integrated beach umbrellas into smart home systems.” His company has patented a retrofit system that can turn nearly any standard umbrella into a smart umbrella in about 15 minutes, making it accessible even to operators who have recently invested in traditional models.
SUNBULL is a SaaS platform that charges beach operators a monthly fee per umbrella. “It’s not just about the software, we provide the hardware too,” Schulhofer explained. He noted that this dual revenue stream, along with the potential for expansion into various markets, has already caught the attention of venture capitalists.
In addition to the smart umbrellas, SUNBULL has developed a full suite of solutions for beach and pool operators. Their cloud-based Outdoor Property Management System (O-PMS) allows operators to manage entire areas remotely, reducing the need for on-site staff.
Schulhofer also introduced the new SMART Beach Rent App, which includes one smart parasol and two beds connected with a smart lock system. “With this app, operators can offer a more convenient way for guests to rent beach sets, even allowing non-hotel guests to access the service. It not only improves the customer experience but also helps businesses save on labor costs,” he explained.
Looking forward, Schulhofer is excited to see smart umbrellas take over beaches worldwide. He envisions a world where guests no longer need to race to the pool at dawn to reserve a chair or struggle with clunky, outdated umbrellas.
“In five to eight years, I’m convinced traditional umbrellas will be part of the past,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense anymore to spend time on something that could be automated.”
“I want to create a brand that people associate with protection and convenience,” he said. “SUNBULL is your friend, and we connect you to shade in a smarter way.”
For beachgoers, the future looks both brighter and – thanks to SUNBULL – shadier.
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