MAKO Student Innovation Award

There are a few steps to take to get from an idea to develop it and turn it into an actual product. As a product development company, we are aware of the efforts, time, and energy that have to be put into a project. MAKO takes pride in helping entrepreneurs and innovators through this journey and offering them the technical and financial support to develop their inventions. On March 30, 2016, we announced the winners of our MAKO Student Innovation Award live from Ryerson’s DMZ in Toronto.

This award is the result of a strong partnership between MAKO, the Brookfield Institute, and Ryerson University. The MAKO Student Innovation Award is one of the largest awards available across all of Ryerson’s Zones.  With over $100,000 raised in matching funds from MAKO, Ryerson University, and the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the $10,500 yearly award will offer support to the winning project to help the team take their innovation to a prototype ready for manufacture.

It is our great pleasure to introduce HelpWear, the winner of the MAKO Student Innovation Award. Our Vice President, James Chalmers, and our Director of Partnerships, Fatima Ali, were there to award the prize to the winners.

HelpWear: An Innovative and Promising Start-Up

HelpWear was founded by Frank Nguyen and André Bertram both high school students from Danforth Colligate and Technical Institute. The start-up has been benefitting from the help of the Biomedical Zone, a health tech incubator in Toronto.

The two innovators have developed HeartWatch, the first product design of their company. Their invention is a heart-monitoring wearable device that tracks users’ heart rate, calls for help in an emergency, and ultimately helps minimize fatalities caused by heart attacks. Frank and Andre’s HeartWatch has been getting very positive and impressive media coverage with articles in the Toronto Star, appearances in CTV News, and most recently in Global News, to name a few.

Frank Nguyen and André Bertram presenting their innovative wearable device.

We are truly inspired by the energy, passion, and creativity they put into their project. Their honorable contribution to the home healthcare industry and wearable technology through the innovative HeartWatch is much needed and will surely have a significant impact on our community. We wish them all the best in their adventure and will keep our eyes peeled for their next steps.

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!