Prototyping at warp speed leads to local presence
June 24, 2019
Ai Highway is a startup in the SoundTech Accelerator Program. Their idea is to create an intelligent stethoscope that can help common practitioners to screen for possible heart problems early – something that normally requires doctors with many years of practice.
Doctor Krishna, one of the founders, explains:
Ai Highway has worked with the idea for more than a year now and we believe in it – but we are not engineers, we are doctors and we needed help to get to the next stage. We heard about Sound Hub Denmark via Facebook – applied – and got accepted to the SoundTech Accelerator Program – that was our lucky day.
Networking is crucial
Although we are merely halfway through the program we have taken some major steps already. Sound Hub Denmark is an amazing environment for startups such as ours – we have found openness and willingness to share knowledge and a highly competent network of people who help us. Within a week they found a partner with a microphone – we might have been able to do this ourselves, but it saved us months of experimenting and research.
Using local specialists
Then we had to make a prototype to test. Sound Hub Denmark directed us to Insign – one of the local specialists in prototyping here in Struer. I approached them on a Friday morning. They told me they were rather busy, but would take a look at my problem in the afternoon. We met around noon and I left them with the drawing at 1 p.m. and at 1.53 p.m. they called and told me they had a prototype ready for me. I have never experienced such flexibility and speed anywhere. When you get in touch with the right people you will move at an incredible pace.
A Danish entity
In 6-8 weeks, we start up clinical trials and data collection and our ambition are now 8 months to market. Due to this experience at Sound Hub Denmark and all the other benefits we see from staying here in Struer, we have decided to set up a Danish entity with people who understand stethoscopes and who can coordinate things for us with the specialists here.
We can hardly wait to get started.