As we celebrate 20 years of innovation at Mesh Systems, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the journey that brought us here. This three-part series traces the evolution of our company—from our earliest days pioneering connected products, to the strategic partnership with Microsoft that helped us scale, to the long-term customer relationships that continue to shape our success. Whether you’ve known us since the beginning or are just discovering Mesh, we invite you to explore the milestones, people, and partnerships that made the last two decades possible.
In April 2005, Mesh Systems was born from a bold idea: to add connectivity and software-based intelligence to everyday objects.
At the time, the term “Internet of Things” didn’t exist. Founders Richard Baxter, Uriel Kluk, and Doug Brune saw an opportunity to connect the physical world with software-driven intelligence, focusing on commercial and industrial use cases. Their vision positioned Mesh Systems as a pioneer in what was then known as “Wireless Sensor Networks” and “Machine-to-Machine” (M2M) communications.
What made 2005 the right time?
Several technological trends converged to make the business viable:
- The emergence of low-cost, standards-based wireless chipsets and protocols
- Breakthroughs in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors, offering greater accuracy and affordability
- Mobile carriers expanding the use of 2G digital cellular networks for more than voice calls
- A shift toward centralized computing and cloud-style infrastructure
These catalysts provided the foundation Mesh needed to bring real-time, remote connectivity to previously offline systems.
Getting off the ground
Seed funding came from CEO Richard Baxter, Rob Wynne (now Chairman of the Board), and Pensar LLC—a group of investors made up of Baxter’s former colleagues. Just a few months after forming, the company made its public debut at the Sensors Expo in Chicago in June 2005.
That same summer, Mesh landed its first customer: Dow AgroSciences. The partnership centered around applying wireless sensor networks to detect and manage termite activity—an innovative use case at the time.
Laying the groundwork: 2006–2008
In the years that followed, Mesh Systems focused on building its 1st generation core platform: MeshVista. This M2M application enablement platform supported early customer pilots including:
- Remote monitoring of termite stations via a 900 MHz mesh network and dial-up gateways
- Solutions for wastewater lift station monitoring
- Automated demand response for commercial HVAC equipment
These early deployments laid the foundation for what would become Mesh’s end-to-end/full-stack IoT approach—well ahead of its time and the broader market curve. But building a future-ready platform wasn’t something we did alone.
Up next: In Part 2, we’ll share how our early alignment with Microsoft became a defining force in our ability to scale, innovate, and support enterprise customers at every stage of their connected product journey.