3. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting :
Originally, the idea was to develop an energy harvesting
system for medical devices. Piezo electric harvesting has
significant potential and has been used in external
wearable devices.
With the high initial cost of investment and constraints of
FDA regulations we decided to start with the software
industry which is comparatively easier to work in.
An example of extension of this technology where a
flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator could be used not only
to provide sufficient energy to power a cardiac pacemaker,
but also for real-time monitoring.
A research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of
Science and Technology (KAIST), working with the Division
of Cardiology at Severance Hospital of Yonsei University,
has developed a self-powered artificial cardiac pacemaker
operated semi-permanently by a flexible piezoelectric
nanogenerator.1 In trials, the energy harvested has
amounted to 8.2 V and 0.22 mA from very small
movements. The research team fabricated high-
performance flexible nanogenerators utilizing a bulk single-
crystal PMN-PT thin film.
4. OUR ORIGINAL BUSINESS THESIS
1.“Smartphone manufacturers will use our
microchip to make phones charge
themselves”
8. • Build and store charge every-
time the touchscreen of the
phone is touched.
• Building charge even when the
phone is being used.
• Based on our interviews; an
individual touches his phone at
least 20 times every hour. (To
unlock the phone, check the
time, send texts/emails,
Gaming, Facebook etc).
• Charging of the phone would
be directly proportional to the
intensity and frequency of the
screen touches.
9. RESPONSE TO THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT
SMARTPHONE USERS
Positive Negative Neutral
10. Positive Negative Neutral
SMARTPHONE USERS
120 Interviews conducted:
23: Manufacturer side
97: End User Side
With our original
concept:
• User response was
outstanding.
• 85% users gave it a
thumbs up!
11. SMARTPHONE MANUFACTURERS
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
NEUTRAL
R&D Marketing/Sales
• Unlike what we expected,
Though the R&D teams at
the manufacturer side we
happy to know about our
progress with our
technology, the response
from the Marketing side
was disappointing.
• Unlike the end users, the
marketing department
didn’t care about battery
drainage issues with the
phones.
• Of the 23 interviews; 12
were R&D engineers and
11 were Marketing/sales.
• Out of the 23; 4 interviews
were solely cold call based
interviews.
12. “Smartphone manufacturers will use our
external case to make phones charge
themselves”
OUR NEW AND IMPROVED
BUSINESS THESIS
13. VALUABLE LESSONS WE LEARNT
FROM CUSTOMER DISCOVERY
Technical Challenges faced during customer discovery:
1) Modifications to existing circuitry
2) Team members Quit
3) Compromising the Screen Resolution
4) Space Constraints
5) Affecting and Interfering with the existing sensor technology
Challenges posed by manufacturers:
1) Cost
2) Weight
3) Miniaturization of Circuitry
15. HOW WE TESTED OUR MINIMALLY VIABLE PRODUCT
R&D
Marketing
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Positive
Negative
Neutral
Response to the MVP
What did we do?
• Built a CAD MODEL and showed it to users
and Manufacturers.
• Put together a Specs sheet (Science Paper
Format) with list of parts and how they’d
work.
• Consulted with Project teams at GTRI to
help test the idea.
16. External Battery
Backup case
First Prototype
Get an electrical
engineer to help
solve technical
challenges with the
internal concept.
Extend Concept to
Medical Devices
Intellectual
Property (IP)
licensure
Identify and
strike deals
with local
vendors
Use funds from case
sales to build and test
Internal charging
concept
Conduct Clinician
Interviews
Apply for
SBIR/GRA funds
Build MVP
Venture lab Process
OUR BUSINESS MODEL
17. • We would like to sincerely thank Venture Labs for the
wonderful opportunity and unparalleled experience.
• A big shout out to Ilan and Matt at GTRI for their extended
support, co-operation and tons and tons of motivation.
• We would like to thank our ex-team-mates for their inputs
and time.
• Thanks to all those who helped us grow stronger and patient.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
21. • Venture
Labs
• Chip
Manufactur
ers and
suppliers.
• Eventually:
Angel
Funding
• Venture
Capitalists
• Technology Design
• Marketing
• Demo and Customer
Feedback
• IP (Patents)
• Linear
Technology
• GTRI
Interviews,
Surveys, MVP
feedback
Indirect Service
and then
eventually direct
service
• End users
(Smartphone
users)
• Smartphone
assemblers and
manufacturers
• Eventually:
• Biomedical
Companies
External battery Case
Eventually:
Wearable/Implantable Medical
devices
• Energy
harvesting
• Reducing
Frequency
of
Charging.
• Extending
Battery Life
Value-Driven
22. APPENDIX 3
HYPOTHESES
• H1 : Smartphones run out of battery at least once daily
• H2 : Smartphone users are using external measures to keep their
phone
batteries running longer
• H3 : Frequent battery drainage affects the way users use their
phone
• H4 : Users find it inconvenient to charge their phones more than
once a day X
• H5 : Smartphone manufacturers are employing measures to solve
battery
drainage problems
• H6 : Smartphone manufacturers will be open to incorporating a
new technology
23. APPENDIX 4
Cost Considerations :
Linear Technology - $4.22 per unit
http://www.linear.com/purchase/LTC3588-1
Ali Express - $3.60 per unit
http://www.aliexpress.com/price/ltc3588_price.html
Power Management System - $200 per unit
http://www.linear.com/purchase/LTC3588-1
24. VALUE PROPOSITION
Smartphones run out of battery at least once daily
• Based on our Customer Discovery, 61% users reported that
their phones run out of battery atleast once daily.
• Existing technology to solve drainage issues:
APPLICATIONS that shut down other Background apps
that keep running even when not in use.
EXTERNAL PORTABLE BATTERY BACK-UP that do not
charge themselves.
• Existing solutions don’t tackle the problems effectively.
• Our Product will cost less than existing portable back-up solutions.
• Our product will last longer than current solutions.
• EXISITING MARKET FOR BACK-UP CASES= 133.77 million!
