Arrow Electronics gives Flash Funding to qualified Indiegogo campaigners with Arrow Certified Technology. You can qualify for a chance to win by joining the Arrow Certification Program.
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Being handed $10,000 can make a world of difference for any entrepreneur. That’s what just happened to five additional Indiegogo campaigners across the globe thanks to Flash Funding from Arrow as part of the Arrow Certification Program. Since the onset of this transformational partnership, Arrow has awarded over $1.5 million in funding to innovative and enterprising Indiegogo campaigners.
The winners are:
Gartenzwerg: a home garden system with IOT technology. (Based in London)
invisaWear: smart jewelry that alerts emergency services and loved ones during an emergency. (Based in Boston)
PuppComm: a portable safety and environmental monitor for dogs (Based in Denver)
Q.bo One: an interactive, open-source robot for kids and developers (Based in Barcelona)
Sensorwake Trio: a scent-based alarm clock (Based in Paris)
“The Indiegogo community is full of incredible entrepreneurs, and it’s wonderful to be able to recognize these select innovative tech products with Flash Funding,” said Rachel Oborny, Global Business Development Manager at Arrow. “We enjoy collaborating with entrepreneurs as they create, make, and manage their technology and look to bring their products to market.”
“We feel honored and privileged to have received Flash Funding,” said See Tho of Q.bo One. “In addition, we feel a higher sense of responsibility to do better with our product...the funding will be particularly helpful as we are developing a new iteration of our product based on feedback provided by our backers from the crowdfunding campaign.” Q.bo one, which teaches users basic robotics, also utilizes parts from TE Connectivity (TE), the official Connectivity and Sensor Technology Provider for the Arrow Certification Program. TE provided Q.bo with reliable and durable connectors and sensors to power their open source robot.
Tackling Prototyping and Manufacturing Challenges
Working with Indiegogo and Arrow has given each of these campaigners more than just funding. As members of the Arrow Certification Program, they received expert consulting from Arrow’s engineering team during their prototyping and design journeys. Experienced entrepreneurs often recommend getting this sort of outside input while prototyping, in order to save valuable time and bounce new ideas off of a knowledgeable third party.
“We had some very specific challenges we faced with our product,” said Sabrina Palme, Gartenzwerg’s CEO and Co-Founder. “There were some issues with the water level sensor we’re developing as well as selecting the right cables for our system–not just in terms of specifications but also availability, look, and costs. We approached Arrow for help and their expertise, and in both cases they came back to us very quickly and had some really good feedback and ideas.” Gartenzwerg also benefited from Arrow’s network of experts, like those from TE Connectivity. Industry leading BNC connectors, provided by TE Connectivity, helped the Gartenzwerg team link pH sensors to monitor plant health via their IoT smart personal garden system.
William Loopesko, Founder and CEO of PuppTech, had a similar experience. “Early on in our prototyping process, we were encountering strange results and defects from our product,” he said. “This ended up being due in part to the fact that we were using prototyping “breadboard” type components. We were able to work with Arrow to identify components that we needed to include on our board to make sure everything worked properly.” An Analog Devices' Amplifier and Power Management solutions, from the Power by Linear™ portfolio, also provided PuppTech with products that helped to meet their sensing and low power system goals quickly.
Some of the winning campaigners also worked with Arrow on manufacturing and supply chain management. Many entrepreneurs say these areas are the trickiest challenges of the entire product journey, because they often force you to rethink prior design and engineering decisions. That’s why Arrow engineers help entrepreneurs find manufacturers and components that will be the right fit.
“It’s never easy knowing if the price quoted for us is the best...Arrow has helped us think of other equivalent products or partners, and challenged us on the prices we received from our suppliers,” said Guillaume Rolland, CEO of Sensorwake. “Thanks to Arrow’s important presence in the electronics market, it helps us benefit from larger choices and more possibilities for our new products.”
“We definitely think one of the biggest benefits we got from working with Arrow was the introduction to our manufacturers,” said Rajia Abdelaziz, Co-Founder and CEO of invisaWear. “We ended up building a great relationship with the President of the facility that manufacturers our products and he has helped us open up so many doors that we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do.”
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Have a great tech idea? Join the Arrow Certification Program today to access benefits including engineering support, product discounts, Flash Funding opportunities, and more.