The first ever SEARCH showcase event took place on December 18, 2014. After a semester of incredibly hard work and learning, selected SEARCH class students were given the huge opportunity to talk about their ideas, which had blossomed into companies, to a large audience in the Miller library. This was the culmination of learning and perseverance over 15 weeks, learning how to use computer software such as TinkerCAD and Weebly to help build their businesses. The first ever SEARCH class, a fusion of business, science and technology, pioneered by Ms. Chou, was at center stage. Each of the two SEARCH classes crowdsourced several ideas per week, and eventually was left with 9 main ideas from which companies would burgeon. Then, each of these companies went through the fruitful and arduous process of learning everything they could about business and trying to create their product using their knowledge of science. The groups also ensured that their product was the best it could be for the customers by conducting 80 to 100 interviews of their target market to validate their hypotheses. Each of the students spoke about how much they had learned from the class, and it had provided them with invaluable experiences, learning the importance of teamwork and cooperation in the process.
The first company, called 2th Brush, was run by Raychel Hatch, Samiksha Patil, Charu Vijay, and Maria Penno, Their product, facilitates the process of putting toothpaste onto the brush by means of a syringe mechanism that allows for the easy application of the paste onto the brush from the head itself! The toothpaste is stored in the hollow base of the brush, and it contains enough to last for a week, assuming brushing twice a day, and does not dry up due to the airtight nature of the syringe. Furthermore, it is refillable and customizable, unlike several other similar products on the market, and is conveniently designed so that it is allowed on flights. Currently, 2th Brush has a working prototype constructed, and they plan to sell the product for $1.30 to dentists, who would give it to the patients, and $4.00 in retail. They are seeking $45,000 to kickstart their company, and are currently partnered with 7 Hills Dental, who will distribute their product. You can find out more about them at 2thbrush.weebly.com.
The second company, Aqua Lead, provided an insightful solution to the problems incited by mechanical pencil lead by creating a pen that uses an emulsification of graphite to make it write like a pencil and also be erasable. Led by students Aniruddha Alawani, Santosh Sankaran, Jonathan Ye, and Rick Zhang, they conducted over 100 interviews to better their product, and through the process of trial and error, were able to create a successful ink using an emulsion of powdered graphite in rubber cement and soap that was erasable and did not clump, and was also smear free. Now, their current challenges include trying to make the ink last longer without drying, so it can be erased, and they are also attempting to find the right cartridge for their ink. To explore their exploits, go to theaqualeadteam.weebly.com.
The third company to present was pioneered by Raghav Ganesh, Krishna Bhattaram, Evan Si, and Alexander Yu. Their company, entitled Liquid Tech: Smart Shower, provides a fast, as well as energy, resource, and money efficient way to heat up a shower before using it. Using a microcontroller and a temperature sensor, as well as 2 coffee heating elements, and a wireless application that can actually show how you are saving water with time, their product enables you to heat up a shower to any temperature desired within 20 seconds! Furthermore, their functional prototype contains styrofoam insulators to preserve the temperature, and a plastic bag to prevent leakage. This amazing product can be purchased, according to their estimates, for solely $80, a fraction of what several of their competitors offer! To find out more about Liquid Tech: Smart Shower, visit their website at liquidtech.weebly.com.
The next company to present was the Magic Lunchbox, started by Sai Devaguptapa, Rhea Kamath, Ian Tai, and Kavish Trivedi. Their product fixes a common problem faced by many students and workers. The Magic Lunchbox is an insulating lunchbox that comes with an easy-to-use, non-electric heat pack to warm up food when desired. They created an instant heat pack using calcium chloride, which undergoes a highly exothermic reaction when mixed with water, producing a lot of heat, which can be used to warm up the food. The reflective material used on the inside of the lunchbox helps to trap the heat produced inside the box. The team at Magic Lunchbox learned a lot about social media advertising, and they are currently funding on Piggybackr, seeking $20,000 for 10% equity of their company. To learn about their product, check out their company at magiclunchbox.weebly.com.
The last group that talked about their idea was Expireminder, created by Aishwarya Atmakar, Anusha Fatehpuria, Milan Ganai, and Rachana Muvvala. Their company has created a mobile application to remind the owner about expiring foods in their kitchen to prevent food wastage and illness. After conducting 85 interviews, they designed their product - for now targeted to the niche market of Android owners. It implements a barcode scanner and a syncing feature to create a database of food items that are expiring, already expired, and expiring soon, that the user can easily navigate through and search alphabetically. The user then receives updates and notifications based on their preference, either through Google Calendar or on their mobile device. Furthermore, the app has a shopping list feature that the user can utilize, and each food has its own separate page with a picture that the user can take, highlighting the clean look of the app. This app is currently $0.99 to use, and in the future, Expireminder seeks to embed their application in LG’s Smart Fridge, as well as creating easy-to-use QR codes on food products. You can explore their website at expireminder.weebly.com.
It is worth noting that several other deserving companies also put in hard work, but did not receive the chance to feature in this showcase. However, this does not take anything away from their wonderful work, and the phenomenal products they created. The first semester of the SEARCH class was an incredible success, and we can only wait to see what the geniuses of second semester can create.