There is still room for innovation in the IoT space: the power outlet. Tucked behind sofas, on counters behind microwaves, or in the middle of a hallway — these are all inconvenient places. The opportunity for innovation is in the extension chord.

It’s unlikely that we’re going to change the placement of power outlets anytime soon. Building code takes a long to cycle. However, power chords have started to evolve quickly to adapt to new technology.

In 5 years, as Magsafe and micro USB gets cycled out with USB-C, we’ll likely see many extension cables add these in. What will make these new extension cables successful? If they’re able to:

• Be tucked into sofa crevices but with wider ends so they don’t sink too deep behind cushions
• Stiff but flexible ends to wrap around table and chair legs
• Hooks for hanging
• Clamps to neatly manage its own wrapping
• Flat or square wiring to prevent rolling

Quirky and Kickstarter have brought us many new power management devices but there’s still opportunity.