On their return, he began researching umbrella technology. "I would buy umbrellas and take them apart - my daughter would come downstairs and see me study 20 different umbrellas, so she probably thought I was a little bit crazy," he says.
Aimed at the adventurous traveller, Fromm's product is impervious to sand and water and has all sorts of extras, like quick-release heads - to avoid the indignity of answering calls with the selfie stick still attached.