Yale alumni turning startup idea into $1 million reality
Two Yale alumni are on track to turning their startup idea into a real business with the help of Yale Entrepreneurship Institute. According to Yale Daily News, the duo has raised close to $1 million in seed funding so far.
Motivated to create a product that helps with adolescent scoliosis, Ellen Su ’13 and Levi Deluke ’14 developed “Cinch,” a smart strap for back braces. Using bluetooth, data from the strap syncs to users' smartphones. This allows parents and doctors to track how long a child has been wearing the back brace, also creating a reward system that fights the stigma against wearing a back brace.
Cinch is currently being tested and prepared for market launch in the spring of 2017. Research cited in the YDN article states that children suffering from scoliosis can benefit greatly from this product because bracing often reduces the amount of necessary surgeries. Cost-wise, families also benefit, for fewer surgeries cost significantly less money.
According to the YDN, Michael Vitale of Columbia University Medical Center sees great potential for this project and believes that demand for smart braces like Cinch will soon explode.
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