Checkout Chats: Melissa and Brennan, Co-founders of hyve Security

Mark Rober's glitter bomb videos might have given us over half a decade of satisfying porch-pirate revenge, but Americans still have an over $16 billion worth of packages stolen from their doorsteps each year - that's roughly 260,000 theft incidents every single day. While watching thieves get doused in fart spray and glitter makes for great YouTube content, the explosive growth of eCommerce demands a more practical solution. Hell, Walmart alone saw its online sales surge 27% last year, so people are ordering more stuff to their home than ever.

The solution? hyve Security, a $300 smart home security system that's tackling package theft without all the pyrotechnics.

This week we sat down with hyve’s mother-son co-founder duo Melissa Kieling and Brennan Naylor.

The $16 Billion Problem

hyve emerged from a perfect storm of personal frustration and industry expertise. For Brennan, living in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood meant constant anxiety about packages disappearing during his long workdays commuting to Palo Alto. For his mother Melissa, who had spent years revolutionizing sustainable packaging through her ventures PackIt and PackIt Fresh, it represented a chance to tackle one of e-commerce's biggest challenges.

The timing couldn't be more critical. In 2023, Americans saw over 120 million packages vanish from their doorsteps. Major metros have been hit particularly hard - New York City alone lost nearly $1 billion to porch pirates, while cities like Philadelphia and Chicago each saw losses in the hundreds of millions. Even more concerning, in some cities like Cleveland, thieves struck an astounding 1,370 times per 1,000 households.

Smart Security Meets Practical Design

The hyve pod combines smart security features with very practical design. The sleek unit connects via Bluetooth and WiFi, securing to your door through a clever cable system that makes theft next to impossible. There’s an integrated accelerometer that triggers a loud alarm if anyone attempts to tamper with the device, while simultaneously alerting both the homeowner and opted-in neighbors through the hyve app.

The system's technology includes:

• Remote locking/unlocking through a smartphone app

• Unique access codes for different delivery services

• API integration capabilities for seamless courier access

• Community security features that alert neighbors of potential theft

• Compatibility with smart home systems for enhanced security

From PackIt to hyve: A Sustainability Revolution

While package theft may be hyve's most obvious target, the company's origin story reveals an equally ambitious mission: revolutionizing sustainable delivery. For Melissa Kieling, hyve represents the culmination of over a decade spent tackling the environmental impact of e-commerce. Her journey began with PackIt, a freezable lunch bag company, and later PackIt Fresh, which developed larger freezeable solutions for eCommerce grocery retailers.

"I launched PackIt Fresh after getting Blue Apron deliveries to the house where you get the box and the blanket, the 6-pound gel packs, and then another box and blanket and gel packs," Melissa explains. "I originally set out to disrupt that category and eliminate all of the wasteful shipping packaging with a reusable solution."

But she quickly discovered a crucial insight: any solution requiring reverse logistics – sending packaging back to retailers – faced massive resistance. This lesson proved invaluable in developing hyve. Rather than creating another reusable packaging system that would need to be returned, hyve eliminates the need for excessive packaging altogether by providing a secure delivery point.

The environmental impact could be massive - current shipping waste is so extensive that the boxes used in a single year could create a mile-wide road stretching from Charlotte to Los Angeles and back three times. "By securing packages on a doorstep, hyve allows retailers to eliminate secondary packaging and just deliver the product," Melissa notes.

The Future of Home Delivery

While hyve's immediate focus is securing packages, the company's vision extends far beyond simple theft prevention. "We see this as more of a platform and a hub," explains Brennan. "Think about the Amazon locker system, but right at your doorstep."

This vision is particularly relevant for the booming recommerce market. Companies like Rent the Runway, Nuuly, and other clothing rental services require constant back-and-forth shipping between customers and warehouses. hyve could serve as the secure middleman for these transactions, streamlining both deliveries and returns.

The company is also positioning itself for the next wave of delivery innovation: drones. Through LoRa Technology, which enables long-range, low-frequency signal detection, hyve can authenticate approaching drones from up to two miles away. Future versions of the unit will include mechanical capabilities to open and close automatically, enabling completely touchless drone deliveries.

Looking Ahead

With a Kickstarter campaign launching in March 2025, hyve is preparing to enter the market at a crucial time. States are also beginning to crack down on package theft, with eleven states now having specific laws on the books that treat porch piracy as a felony, carrying penalties ranging from six months to 30 years in jail.

For retailers losing billions to theft, consumers tired of chasing down packages, and a planet drowning in shipping waste, hyve offers a compelling vision of how technology can make home delivery better for everyone.

When the Kickstarter launches this March, we'll see if consumers agree that the future of package delivery is smart, secure, and sustainable!