The Doctors: Crowd-Funding Contest For Inventors
Crowd-funding is more popular than ever, especially among young entrepreneurs who are hoping to boost their business with their new ideas. The Doctors kicked off a brand new segment that they were hoping would “put the fun in crowd-funding.” They called it “The Funder Games.” It was then explained that The Doctors would hear from five participants with five different products at different stages of development, all of whom have the same goal: more funding and more exposure.
Each member of the audience would get to vote for who they think most deserves more attention and money.
The Doctors: Pacidose To Give Medicine To Babies
Five entrepreneurs took their latest health product inventions to The Doctors in hopes of winning the chance to get more funding and exposure. (jasleen_kaur / Flickr)
First, was a product that claims to help make the lives of new moms, much easier and safer. Dr Agnes Scoville created a pacifier that attaches to a syringe, allowing parents to control dosage while giving their children medication in a pacifying way. It’s called the Pacidose, and Dr Scoville explained that, reportedly, up to 50% of babies are incorrectly dosed with medication.
Dr Scoville further explained that when she had her own baby, she literally drilled a hole through the back of a pacifier and super-glued a syringe into the pacifier. When she tried it on her own daughter, “it worked like a charm.”
Dr Scoville’s product is the most establish online compared to the others in the Funder games. The product is in 200 stores across 20 states, after launching last summer. She’s looking for more funding to keep expanding.
The Doctors: The Stinger Handheld Ice Massager
The next product came from Matt Hyder, who created The Stinger. It’s an ice-cold handheld massage roller that is reportedly easy to use. All you have to do is throw it in the freezer and it allegedly stays cold for 6 hours. Matt explained that in the recovery industry, he kept seeing high price-tags. He wanted to create a cheaper product to help avoid injury, stay healthy, and continue in their active lifestyles.
Matt actually began by making his own product out of the idea in his head, transforming it into the functional product it is today. Matt is hoping to win the Funder Games to expand marketing, because they haven’t yet been able to spend money on marketing. He did say that he’s worked with an NFL team and at just 23-years-old he really wants to get his product out there.
The Doctors: StandUp Walker For People With Mobility Problems
The next product was the StandUp Walker, meant to help those with mobility issues. The product reportedly allows its users to independently stand from a seated position, then walk easily. Ken Paulus reported that there are 45 million over the age of 65 in the United States and 17 million people who are diagnosed with mobility issues. Ken believes the product is not only life-saving, but also cost-effective in terms of health care.
Ken is hoping to get more funding to support manufacturing efforts, explaining that the product is made entirely in the U.S., whereas typical walkers are made in Taiwan or China.
The Doctors: iTENS App-Controlled Electrotherapy Device
The fourth product was an app-operated electrotherapy device created by Josh Lefkovitz. The device connects to your smart phone, is FDA-approved, and reportedly helps fight back pain, arthritis, and carpal tunnel. It’s called iTENS, and Josh explained that TENS therapy has been around since the 70’s, so the technology isn’t new, but his product is a neurostimulator that sends tiny electrical signals through the nerves to block pain. Because of the lithium-ion battery, it can be used for 24 hours.
There are different patches depending on where you want to apply the device. Josh explained that he hopes to get the money to help with marketing as well as hardware and software technology advancements.
The Doctors: TotTude Clothes With Fake Tattoo Sleeves For Kids
The final product was a new clothing line out of North Dakota called “TotTude.” The long-sleeved shirts were designed to make it look as if the arms of children were adorned with colorful tattoos. Tera Christianson, the creator, explained that she was working as a baby and children’s photographer for 10 years and noticed a lot of moms complaining about the lack of unique clothing options for boys. She came up with the idea for tattoo sleeves, and began selling them online.
Tera explained that she started her business in hopes of becoming a stay-at-home mom for her four girls. She wants to be able to employ other stay-at-home moms in her community to allow them to sew at home while their kids are at home or in school.
The Doctors: Funder Games Winner
So who’s invention would win the first Funder Games? The Doctors had their audience vote for their favorite, and then revealed the winner later in the show. After each audience member voted, it was time to reveal the results. With 32% of the vote, the StandUp Walker was named the first winner of the Funder Games! You can find out more about the StandUp Walker on The Doctors’ website.
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