We want to be transparent about how NestNinja works: we follow an open core model with both a fully-featured open source Community Edition and commercial products with premium features.

Three Ways to Get NestNinja

🏆 Premium Complete System

Perfect for: Bird watchers who want a hassle-free solution

Our complete bird box includes:

  • Pre-assembled weather-resistant bird box
  • Integrated smart camera with night vision
  • Pre-configured system, ready to mount
  • Professional installation guide
  • Email support with guaranteed response times
  • Software updates and bug fixes

Price: ~£200-300 (estimated)
Support: Direct email support included

This is our premium offering for customers who value convenience and reliability. You get a tested, warrantied product with professional backing.

🔧 Smart Camera Module

Perfect for: Tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts with existing bird boxes

If you already have a bird box (or want to build your own):

  • Pre-assembled camera and sensor unit
  • Mounting hardware for various box types
  • Configuration guide and tutorials
  • Works with standard bird box designs

Price: ~£100-150 (estimated)
Support: Community forum + user guides

This option gives you flexibility to use your own bird box while getting a reliable, tested camera system. Great for makers who want some DIY freedom without component-level assembly.

🛠️ DIY Component Build

Perfect for: Makers, developers, and electronics enthusiasts

Build from scratch using our Community Edition open-source firmware:

  • Source your own ESP32-P4 board, camera, sensors
  • Use our Community Edition open-source firmware (releasing Q3 2026)
  • Full hardware documentation and schematics
  • Build guides and component lists

Cost: ~£65-100 in parts (sourcing dependent)
Support: Community forums only (self-service)

This is for people who enjoy building things from the ground up. You’ll need technical skills, soldering equipment, and patience. But you get complete control and the lowest cost.

Why This Model?

Sustainability

Creating quality products requires resources:

  • Hardware testing and iteration
  • Professional documentation
  • Customer support infrastructure
  • Reliable supply chain management
  • Proper warranties and returns handling

Revenue from premium products funds ongoing development, allowing us to:

  • Improve the firmware
  • Test new features
  • Support the open-source community
  • Maintain documentation

Quality & Support

Not everyone wants to solder components or debug firmware issues. Many bird enthusiasts just want something that works reliably. Our commercial products meet that need.

Innovation & Community

We believe in open core. The Community Edition firmware is fully open source, providing:

  • Full bird box monitoring capabilities (HD streaming, night vision, motion detection)
  • Local recording and web interface
  • Complete ESP32-P4 firmware source code
  • Hardware schematics and PCB designs
  • Bill of materials (BOM)
  • Build instructions

Premium features (developed separately for commercial products):

  • Advanced AI species recognition
  • Cloud backup and remote access
  • Multi-box fleet management
  • Professional API access
  • Enterprise integrations

This enables:

  • Custom modifications
  • Educational use
  • Research applications
  • Community improvements
  • Derivative projects

The maker community can build on our work, and we can incorporate community improvements back into our products. Everyone wins.

Timeline

Current (Q1 2026):

  • Firmware development (private)
  • Hardware testing and refinement
  • Website and branding

Q2 2026:

  • Beta testing with early adopters
  • Final hardware design
  • Pre-orders for premium products

Q3 2026:

  • Commercial product launch
  • Community Edition open-sourced 🎉
  • Hardware designs published
  • Community build guides released

Q4 2026 & Beyond:

  • Smart camera module launch
  • Mobile apps
  • Additional features
  • Community contributions integrated

Pricing Philosophy

Premium Products: Fair Market Value

We price to cover:

  • Quality components
  • Assembly and testing
  • Packaging and shipping
  • Customer support
  • Warranty reserves
  • Ongoing development

We’re not trying to maximize profit margins. We want sustainable pricing that lets us keep improving the product.

DIY: True Component Cost

For DIY builds:

  • No markup on our part
  • You source components at best prices
  • ~£65-100 depending on suppliers
  • Same technology as premium products

Our Commitments

To Customers:

✅ Quality - Thoroughly tested hardware and software
✅ Support - Responsive help when you need it
✅ Updates - Bug fixes and feature improvements
✅ Privacy - Your data stays on your device
✅ Warranty - Proper returns and replacements

To the Maker Community:

✅ Open Core - Community Edition is fully open source
✅ Full Features - Community Edition has complete bird monitoring capabilities
✅ Documentation - Comprehensive build guides
✅ Community - Active forums and discussions
✅ Transparency - Clear about what’s in Community Edition vs premium
✅ Collaboration - We’ll accept community contributions

To Bird Welfare:

✅ Non-invasive - IR lighting, minimal disturbance
✅ Best practices - Following RSPB/BTO guidelines
✅ Education - Promoting responsible bird watching
✅ Conservation - Supporting research and monitoring

FAQ

Q: Why not make everything open from day one?

A: We’re following an open core model. The Community Edition (releasing Q3 2026) has full bird monitoring capabilities. Premium features (cloud services, advanced AI, fleet management) are developed separately to sustain the business.

Q: Will you always offer a DIY option?

A: Yes! The Community Edition will always be available for DIY builds.

Q: Can I modify the firmware on premium products?

A: Yes! Premium products run the same Community Edition core with additional premium modules. You can flash custom Community Edition builds. (Premium features require licensing and may affect warranty.)

Q: What if the project fails commercially?

A: The Community Edition code is already open source (releasing Q3 2026), so your hardware will remain usable regardless of our commercial success.

Q: Will community contributions be accepted?

A: Absolutely! Once open-sourced, we welcome pull requests, bug reports, and feature suggestions.

Q: Can I resell DIY builds commercially?

A: Once open-source, you’ll be bound by the firmware license (likely GPL/Apache). Hardware designs will have their own license. We’ll clarify all licensing.

Join Us

Whether you’re interested in premium products, DIY builds, or contributing to the project, we’d love to have you in the NestNinja community.

  • 📧 Customers: Sign up for launch notifications (coming soon)
  • 🔧 Makers: Join discussions
  • 💻 Developers: Watch for open-source release
  • 🐦 Bird watchers: Follow us on Twitter

We believe this model lets us build great products while supporting the open-source community. Thanks for being part of the journey!

Questions or concerns? Let us know!