Harry Gestetner’s Pivot From Burnout to a $10M Sleep Tech Startup

The shift in startup culture from bragging about sleep deprivation to optimizing rest for performance has created a fertile market for longevity-focused hardware. Gestetner, formerly the founder of Fanfix, realized during his recovery that founders often neglect the biological maintenance required for long-term output. Working alongside sleep specialist Dr. Michael Breus, he identified body temperature as the primary lever for sleep quality and developed Orion to automate thermal regulation throughout the night.

Building the hardware proved more complex than the software ventures Gestetner was accustomed to. He navigated significant supply chain hurdles, including a factory closure, and personally endured months of disrupted sleep while debugging early prototypes. Despite these operational stresses, the product found immediate traction by positioning itself against market leader Eight Sleep. Orion differentiates itself through a lower entry price point, a subscription-free model, and an offline-capable design that appeals to consumers concerned about EMF exposure.

The company is currently scaling at 112 percent month-over-month, with Gestetner maintaining a hands-on approach by personally engaging with customer feedback. Beyond direct-to-consumer sales, he is actively integrating the technology into hotel suites, aiming to transform climate-controlled sleep into a standard hospitality amenity. Having earned both Red Dot and iF Design awards for 2026, the startup is now positioning its temperature-regulating covers as a fundamental home utility rather than a luxury niche.