Freshman's startup turns desks into wipe-off boards

For students who find their dorm rooms utterly un-inspirational, College freshman Brandon Saw promises to “redefine your workspace” by transforming desks into blank canvases for ideas.

Wrap is a high-quality dry-erase sticker that is made to cover the surface of any-sized desk, providing a convenient space for brainstorming, working and jotting down reminders.

“It creates a collaborative space for thinking,” Saw said. “If you use a piece of paper you put it away or lose it. I keep a giant to-do list of things I need to accomplish and reminders.”

Wrap has experienced an unanticipated level of success since its Nov. 6 launch on Kickstarter, an online crowd-sourcing platform that helps aspiring entrepreneurs raise money. Saw quickly surpassed his $4,000 goal by 650 percent — in less than a month, Wrap has raised a total of over $26,000 from 620 backers, numbers that are likely to increase before the end of the campaign on Dec. 6.

Although the product was originally aimed at college students, schools and businesses want in. Several technology websites have featured Wrap, and it was named a Kickstarter Staff Pick, listed as one of the top 10 design products on the platform.

The inspiration for Wrap was drawn from innovative tech companies such as Apple and Google, which use “war rooms” with dry erase walls and surfaces that create collaborative and open spaces for brainstorming. “Wrap lets you take this kind of work space and bring it to your own home [or] office,” Saw said.

Although there are products with similar functions on the market, Wrap stands out from the crowd because it is simple to apply, easily removed and customizable to fit any desk.

Saw and his team tested numerous prototypes before deciding on the materials to use in the final product. Although Wrap collaborators declined to disclose the materials used, they said that durability, thickness, aesthetics and ability to erase were factors that went into their decision.

“Depending how successful this is, we can put money back into the company and move it forward,” Wrap collaborator and Wharton freshman Cory Lesher said.

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