Twin entrepreneurs Max and Zach Zitney are out to change wearable technology market.
The brother’s active lifestyles led to a slew of missed calls. Whether at a loud concert or playing sports, the brothers couldn’t hear or feel their phones. Searching for a solution, the duo noticed products on the market designed for the wrist, but they wanted something smaller and sleeker, with good direct contact to the body. A ring was the answer.
MiRing is a stylish ring that syncs with your phone via bluetooth. The ring lights up and vibrates, quietly alerting you when you have new notifications.
Now the brothers are working to turn their concept into a reality.
Max and Zach are juniors at Ohio State and Co-Vice Presidents of Operation at the Ohio State Business Builders Club. A third-place finish in an idea-pitch competition through the club propelled the MiRing into motion. A prize of $500 from local entrepreneurs and valuable consulting hours at the Technology Commercialization Office at OSU provided the time and energy needed to research what it would take to actually produce the ring.
Local company Trident Design helped with the rendering of the ring, and Cleveland-based Valtronic provided specs for the electronics. They then filed a provisional patent for the technology. Next came a still-active campaign on Fundable to raise money for the prototype.
“We chose Fundable instead of some of the other popular crowd-sourcing options since it’s a local company,” Max said.
The entire process has been a learning experience. One that will not only help them with this venture, but with all others in the future.
“The product changes a lot,” said Max.
Nailing down the product is only part of the equation. The brothers are delving into the demographics and learning about the market. And learning the market isn’t always what they expect. They aimed the product toward high-school and college-aged students, but received feedback that it might be a great device for the hearing-impaired as well.
The biggest lesson they have learned is that any venture takes time and dedication.
“Everyone can have a great idea, but the hardest part is pursuing that idea and finding out how hard it is it make,” Max said.
For more information, visit miring.co.
