Transcript [00:00] Voice Over Many of the greatest technological advances enabling the world right now were originally created by and for people with disabilities. Remarkable exists to amplify those innovators to help transform their ideas into revolutionary tools whose benefits are felt universally. Because technology cannot only drive inclusion and equity for people with disabilities, it can do it for everyone. Remarkable Disability Tech. Amplifying every human’s potential. [01:03] Emma Earley from Remarkable Hello everyone, I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we are gathered today. And for me that’s the Gadigal and Bidjigal peoples. I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and contributions. We believe We Are Better Together. Welcome everyone to the Customer Showcase 2024. Thank you so, so much for joining us. My name is Emma Early and I’m the Head of Acceleration programs at Remarkable. I’m a mid 30s half Filipino woman with long brown hair, proudly wearing my black t-shirt with a white Remarkable logo and some dangly gold earrings to celebrate the occasion today. This event has live closed captions that can be accessed in your Zoom toolbar and all pitch videos will display captions too. We have two ASL interpreters joining us today, Ashley and Lizzy and the recording will be available with a full transcript. So for this second ever Launcher cohort we had 38 teams participate and you’ll have the privilege to hear 90 second pitches from 32 of them and this is a world map showing seven operating countries of our teams: Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland and the US. Feel free to share where you’re dialling in from in the chat if you’d like and we’re proud to also share that 13 people in this cohort identify as living with disability and 17 people identify as a woman or non-binary. We are committed to continual progress to ensure a more diverse, inclusive and accessible program and wider ecosystem. So for those unacquainted, Launcher supports ideas to early stage startups making a difference in the lives of people with disability. And in just 8 weeks time our teams focused on validation of their problem space, solution or product depending on the stage of their journey. They had access to weekly master classes, one-on-one coaching sessions, a community of early stage founders and they received advice from experienced founders just a few steps ahead of them and had access to perks from our partners. And if you’d like to get started with your own Disability Tech idea and receive all of this support you can register your interest for Launcher 2025 at remarkable.org/launcher. Now we’ve listened to the disability community and identified 7 Horizons of Possibilities so far that currently need more attention and innovation. And today you’ll hear engaging 90 second pitches grouped by Horizon that start to address some of these challenges. For a lot of these teams this is their first time pitching so please bear that in mind and as we go add your support and encouragement to the chat. Alright let’s get started. There’ll be 3 sections of pitches and in this first section I’m so proud to welcome 8 teams focused on Early Intervention and Adult Disability Support followed by 7 teams building Innovations in Self-directed and Affordable Mobility. [04:31] Dr Michelle Wong from Feelings Foundation Did you know how more and more people are being diagnosed as autistic? Globally it’s 1 in 59. What’s the leading cause of death for people with autism? Suicide. My patients call me Dr Michelle. I’m a clinical psychologist in Australia’s largest paediatric hospital and the very first to specialise in mental health and disability. Why are so many children suffering when research tells us mental health problems are preventable? There is a bottleneck in accessing services and mental health programs are not accessible to all children. We’ve had a Royal Commission tell us that people with disability need specialised mental health programs. We need to do something now. In my research I developed accessible mental health programs for people that are autistic, non-autistic who might have complex learning communication and motor support needs. Over 2,000 Australian children are using my program and research has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving mental health in over 60 Australian schools. What do I plan for my startup? I plan to digitise and scale mental health programs to help children around the world and today I’m looking for partners in international business development, to help me establish a sustainable business model. [06:06] Casey Pfluger from Cortex Technologies Hi my name’s Casey and I’m the founder of Cortex Technologies. Have you ever had the experience of walking into a room and wondering why it was that you walked into that room and what it was that you’re doing? Well imagine having that experience all the time. Now when people have a neurocognitive issue, such as ADHD or a brain injury, they can experience those kind of symptoms all the time and that’s what drives Cortex. We’re here to provide neurofeedback therapy to help people with those kind of experiences. Now we’ve built hardware and software that can provide neurofeedback. Neurofeedback involves a headset that develop, that detects improvements in brain activity. The player then learns to consciously control their brain activity and is rewarded for ongoing improvements in their brain activity within the game. This triggers long-term improvements of up to up to 12 months. Now we’ve already made significant progress in our goals and we’re now developing our headset frame and software and hardware and seeking funding from manufacturing, optimization and compliance. We’d love to hear from you and thank you very much. [07:47] Tansel Ersavas from RoPets: Companions For Life RoPet the ultimate furry companion. World’s population aging rapidly. People over the age of 65 is reaching over 1 billion soon, including our grandparents and parents. Many ageing people have chronic conditions, they are lonely and they need care. We could offer a solution to help loneliness and track wellness, a cute and cuddly companion like a pet, a RoPet. An amazingly natural looking interface to a highly sophisticated technological platform, but who can develop such a companion? If you bring an AI expert, a robotics guru, a domain expert and a cyber security and marketing expert this team can. RoPet has an advanced AI system based on dog-like behaviour, a cute and cuddly body with meaningful dialogue ability and sensors that can observe vitals. Meet Frankie the 4th, the ultimate companion already in the prototype stage. RoPet’s competitors are either non-cuddly and looking like a pet terminator or small toys with very little capabilities. RoPet’s B2B strategy targets aged care centres and home care providers. Later we will establish B2C channels. RoPet’s MVP with mobile app sensor technology and licensable AI technology will be ready by August 2024. Now our priority is to partner with the aged care providers. You can support our mission to help ageing population. Connect us with the aged care networks and help the elderly stay connected through RoPets. [09:20] Matthew Falcomata from Embodify Hi I’m Matthew, founder of Embodify. I’m a mid-20s Caucasian male with a black top knot. Globally 80 million people are autistic, with up to 80% experiencing mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. For many communication and self-expression become hurdles especially when the world can fail to understand. My experiences supporting autistic individuals have taught me that each day presents unique challenges and existing solutions often lack accessibility and personalisation. That’s why I created Embodify. An AI powered application offering a unique journey towards self-expression and empowerment. To illustrate Sam a 20-year-old autistic adult faces daily workplace anxiety. Using Embodify Sam identifies their emotions, creates characters representing their current and aspirational cells and integrates them into a story. Helping reframe experiences to visualise a positive outlook. To empower more individuals like Sam we are seeking insights from autistic individuals, parents, caregivers or anyone with a connection to autism. We recognize these challenges extend beyond the autistic community and if this resonates with you or someone you know we welcome your input. Sam is only one of 64 million. Imagine what Embodify could do for the rest? [10:56] Alexander Geht from Testa Seat Hello everyone, my name is Alex, I’m the founder and CEO of Testa Seat. About 12 million children with disabilities struggle to sit independently and need a new special seat every 3 years. 90% can’t afford it. Most of the product of the market are very expensive and providing poor support, affecting the children’s ability to communicate, eat and even breathe, and in the long term can lead to development delays and spinal deformation. Testa Seat are the most affordable and multifunctional product on the market. Thanks to 3D printing and our unique customisation platform we can make any size, disrupting this market. We made $90,000 in revenues, delivered 200 products to families and leading institutions. We received investments, grants and we have great partners as Alphalab Health, and Remarkable helping us reaching more customers. Our team is dedicated to make a difference in this market. Our biggest need is introductions to children’s hospitals and charities, and we are looking for SAFE note investment to expedite the roadmap. Thank you and please join our mission to make sure that every child can sit independently. Thank you. [12:29] Rachel Wang from Bliss Flow Bliss Flow will change the lives of half a billion people worldwide. My name is Rachel, and I will tell you how. 1 in 4 Australian adults have urinary incontinence, and for 17% of them who have moderate to severe urinary incontinence, there’s no cure or effective solutions. After speaking to 82 patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, we found that the current solution can cause complications, such as dermatitis and urinary tract infections. This could put more weight on the patient and the caregivers. That’s why we are developing a noninvasive smart urine transport system. It has two components, a disposable wearable and a urine transporter. The user simply puts on the wearable just like regular underwear. Then, when there’s urine leakage, it will trigger the transporter to remove the urine from the wearable into a secure and portable container. Bliss Flow provides greater comfort and lower risk of developing complications and is much easier to use than catheters. We will launch in Australia first, targeting adults in the community, then serve care facilities and hospitals. Our diverse expertise in engineering, medical science, marketing, and business makes us well-suited to take this idea to the market. Please introduce us to any experts in urology, geriatrics, or textile design. We are BlissFlow. We empower a healthy, fulfilling, and independent life. Thank you. [14:12] Ali Goktogan from [URATech] The KOBE Robot Acute Flaccid Myelitis, or AFM, is a neurological disease primarily affecting children. It often leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, and respiratory complications. In some cases, children may require mechanical ventilation connected through tracheostomy. Carrying a ventilator manually can restrict both the caregivers and the child’s mobility, potentially limiting their participation in activities and freedom of movement. Our mission is to liberate children from the burden of carrying a ventilator, providing enhanced mobility and independence. Introducing the KOBE robot: Keeps One Breathing Everywhere. The KOBE robot is designed to follow its users at a fixed distance while carrying the mechanical ventilator, freeing them to move around without needing to manually hold it. Featuring a custom-made tether sensor, the KOBE robot tracks the user’s position and establishes a tangible link to foster intimacy and security. Onboard obstacle sensors enable the KOBE robot to navigate around obstacles both indoors and outdoors. The KOBE robot is equipped to traverse various surfaces, ensuring playtime anywhere. Let’s collaborate to ensure every child can breathe freely everywhere. Contact us today to learn more and get involved. [15:26] Mackenzie Boundy from The Somal Sponge Hello everyone, I’m Mackenzie, a stomal therapy nurse and the founder of The Stomal Sponge. Millions worldwide live with the daily stress of having an ostomy, facing the constant threat of disruptive bag leaks. Individuals are robbed of social interactions and their self-esteem, with the added stress of associated health risks. These leaks often lead to individuals exceeding their monthly allowance of essential consumables. How would you feel if you ran out of your essential hygiene products? The Stomal Sponge offers a lifeline—a biodegradable sponge placed externally in the stoma bag to absorb output. The Stomal Sponge addresses key concerns voiced by those with ostomies by minimising leakage while also neutralising odours, aiming to restore the confidence and freedom stolen by their condition. The multi-billion dollar global ostomy care industry underscores a ripe opportunity for innovation. The Stomal Sponge isn’t just a market disruptor; it’s a revolutionary solution aimed to enhance the dignity and quality of life for those living with an ostomy. We are wanting to take the next step towards transforming ostomy care and are seeking expertise in medical device marketing and co-founder collaboration. Together, let’s simplify ostomy management, one sponge at a time. [16:53] Tom Cronin from AidMotion Have you ever seen someone drag the back wheels of a four-wheel walker to move it sideways or struggle to turn it, or just abandon their walker altogether? The current walkers clearly do not fully address user needs. So at AidMotion, we are making a more mobile walker that moves like a shopping trolley and has innovative 3D printed brakes. I’m Tom, the founder of AidMotion. Between Wayne and I, our diverse fields of knowledge in physiotherapy, business, and engineering have allowed us to uniquely understand and fix this problem. 100% of the 50 physiotherapists surveyed have supported the new walker design. We have confirmed our new design meets ISO standards for rollators, completed initial user testing, and are designing our next prototype. Do you or someone you know want a better walker? Do you manage facilities or other groups that would like better walkers? Please contact us on our website, we would love to work with you. [18:06] David Ingerson from Tangible Workshop Like many other families with a child in a wheelchair, a trip to the beach was not for a family activity. I would stay in the park at the top while my wife would take our son down to play in the sand and in the water. Not only do wheelchairs not go on sand as they need special wheels, but some beach chairs can be unsafe, frequently tipping on a slope. No beach chair allowed for the positional supports that many wheelchair users need. Of the 4,000 people with cerebral palsy, 1,000 use a wheelchair with postural supports to help them sit upright and even allow for better breathing. We designed the GetAbout for our family, then started getting asked by others if they could have one. We found that three sizes suit almost anyone, from a young child to an older adult, and it needs very little adjustment. Laterals and other postural supports can be configured easily, making a trip to the beach possible. We even made some floats to turn the GetAbout buggy into a watercraft, and we are now looking at effective marketing to potential clients and for overseas potential partners. [19:23] Aleksandr Malashchenko from ReviMo Hi, I’m Alex, a founder of ReviMo. After my dear grandfather became paralysed after a stroke, many times I saw embarrassment on his face when he asked me to take him to the toilet. I quit my role as a deputy director of an R&D Institute to create the first mobility device that allows people like my grandfather to get back their dignity. In the US, there are 5.2 million people who cannot transfer themselves from a bed, and caregivers are hurting their backs trying to lift people from their beds, with about 70% of caregivers experiencing lower back pain. I believe that many of you have encountered this problem yourself or with your family or friends, no matter where in the world you are. And here, ReviMo comes in. ReviMo is the first mobile transfer device that can be easily used by people, like my grandfather, independently. It has a remote control and an innovative seat that allows a user to easily sit on the device without assistance. It’s very easy, it takes one minute, and then they are free to drive to the toilet or kitchen. We are currently developing a new prototype and would greatly appreciate feedback from people who have faced this problem. Join the waitlist on our website to receive the latest updates on our product developments. Thank you. [20:58] Sam Michalka from NaviShare Human Augmentation Lab Hello everyone, my name is Sam Michalka. I have brown hair and I’m wearing a science-themed scarf. I’m here to introduce a project called NaviShare from the Human Augmentation Lab. We’re collaborating with people who are blind to build better tools for navigating unfamiliar environments. Navigation challenges can be exhausting and even discourage participation in social and professional opportunities. Our solution is two intertwined accessible products to help empower the blind community. The first is an indoor and outdoor navigation app that provides precise localisation and crowdsourced maps. The second is a bag that enables the wearer to use their phone’s camera and control voiceover or another screen reader without needing to devote a hand to holding the phone. We’ve validated these ideas by working with more than a hundred people who are blind. Three ways that you can help are, sign up on our website linked below to get involved, provide introductions to businesses or governments willing to invest in making spaces more accessible, and donate to our research program to support university students working in disability tech. Together, we can make accessible navigation a reality. [22:16] Omar Faruk from Acme AI Hello everyone, I’m Omar Faruk from Acme AI. I’m from Bangladesh, a man in his mid-20s wearing a t-shirt. I’ll be presenting Dris T, a navigation body kit powered by computer vision for people with low and complete blindness. The World Health Organization reports 2.2 billion vision impairments globally, with only 3% having access to assisted technology in low-income countries due to high cost, unavailability, and incompleteness of existing products. Our solution offers navigation and guidance through camera, left-right haptic feedback via wireless vibration via wristbands, and auditory feedback via speaker. Currently, our engineering team has successfully developed and tested the firmware. We also partnered with a global NGO called the Center of Rehabilitation of the Paralysed. We are supported by Remarkable and the NVIDIA Inception program. Our next milestones will be to launch our SAAS-based app that can be used with mobile phones for more scalability, and it will enable us to empower 10,000 visually impaired persons as a midterm objective. So, be part of our journey by connecting us with new partners, helping us secure $50,000 USD, or maybe helping us to apply successfully to the Remarkable Accelerator. You can contact us via email, WhatsApp, or just scan the QR code. Thank you for your attention, we will be waiting for your message. [23:37] Monzurul Alam from RehabExo Hi, we are RehabExo, and we would like to introduce you to our Rehab ExoSuit, a soft exoskeleton for bringing bigger smiles on people’s faces. According to the World Health Organization, over 75 million people are dependent on their wheelchairs because of disabilities resulting from stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, or other medical conditions. Around 80% of people with disabilities are of working age, yet only 50% of them can afford an assisted device. Additionally, 49% of children with disabilities are more likely to never attend school, and around 51% report feeling unhappy. Hence, developing an assistive device to help them regain functional independence and participate in society is essential. Exoskeleton robots have been developed and tested in recent years, however, these exoskeletons are bulky, heavy, expensive, and cumbersome to use. Furthermore, most of them are not designed for children. With the vision of providing an affordable solution for all age groups to support walking and standing, by combining fabric and soft robotics technology, we have designed a lightweight and comfortable exosuit. Currently, we are looking for health professionals to help us test and validate our design for people with paralysis. For more information, please visit our website at rehabexo.com. Thanks. [25:10] Justin Fong from Rehapp Hi, I’m Justin, and my dad just turned 70. It turns out he doesn’t really want to know he’s getting older, and honestly, neither do I. But there’s a reasonable chance, now one in three, in fact, that he will fall this year, and if he does, it could be one of the 670 people in Australia hospitalised every day as a result of a fall, or unthinkably, one of the 15 that die. The good news is that many falls are preventable. Exercise programs, environmental modifications, changes to medication, or even footwear can help reduce falls by more than 40%. The problem is, it’s really hard for us to know when our risk of falls is increasing, especially as we get older, and so it’s really hard for us to know when to implement these potentially life-saving changes. At Rehapp, we’re solving this problem. We’ve developed a simple device that attaches to a walking stick that measures how we walk. When things start to get a little bit wobbly, we connect with clinicians so that they can help us stay on our feet. We’re currently validating our solution with studies at the University of Melbourne and have two clinics lined up to try the device, once it’s ready. We’ve also received $95,000 worth of funding to help commercialise our solution. We’d love to connect with clinicians working with those at risk of falls. Please reach out to us on social media and join us in our mission to keep our most treasured community members on their feet and protect them from the risk that they can’t see. [26:43] Pete Horsley from Remarkable What incredible pictures we’ve heard so far. Good morning, good evening, good afternoon everyone. My name is Pete Horsley, a 40-something-year-old male wearing a leather hat, a black T-shirt that does have a Remarkable logo on it, and a green jacket. I’m the founder of Remarkable, and it gives me great pleasure to extend my welcome to everyone who’s with us today. Firstly, I want to extend that especially to the founders who have worked so incredibly hard over the last eight weeks to get to this point of pitching to customers and other stakeholders. We can see your passion through your pitches so far, we’ve got lots more to come. But we also see how you are bringing your experience to really important problems, and we’re seeing the ways as well that you’ve been incredible supporters of each other. You all represent some of the best emerging disability tech in the world right now, and we also welcome their supporters, their family, their friends, and potential customers as well. We’re incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved. I also just want to say a massive thank you to Emma Earley, part of the Remarkable team who’s headed up this program. She started with us just 12 weeks ago, can you believe that? And she’s been an incredibly important addition to our team and she’s done such a great job, certainly with the support of Cynthia and George, Kirilly and Viv, Liza, and Kate as well. But you’ve all done an incredible job with this program. I do want to say a special welcome to our coaches as well, we could not run this program without you. We always say that it takes a village to raise a startup, and certainly, that’s the case in this program. These 38 images of people that you can see on your screen are the wonderful coaches that have shared their time, their energy, and expertise to support these startups, to hold them accountable but to also encourage them. It’s a really tough journey to start something from scratch. Each of them are incredibly busy people, and they dedicate their time and energy to help these founders. So, in whatever way is appropriate for you, let’s celebrate these coaches. You can either give them an emoji, give them a round of applause, or just send some positive thoughts their way. They are amazing people. Thanks to all our coaches. Also, Launcher is only possible with the support of our partners, and in particular, TPG Telecom Foundation. Here is Jonathan Kirkham, Head of the TPG Telecom Foundation, with a short message for you [29:41] Jonathan Kirkham from TPG Telecom Foundation Hello everybody, my name’s Jonathan, or you can call me Jonno. I’m the Head of the TPG Telecom Foundation. I’m wearing a black T-shirt, I’ve got a bit of a scraggly beard, and I’ve got a bit of a scratch on my forehead here, which you might not see. That’s from my four-year-old daughter who got a bit carried away playing ‘What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf’ with me only a couple of days ago. I can’t believe we are already here at the end of Launcher, these eight weeks have truly flown by. We are so proud here at TPG Telecom to be funding Launcher. Funding and investing in innovation and technology is absolutely core to our business. The cohort this year, all of you that are part of Launcher, is so diverse. Everything from off-road beach wheelchairs to making events and music events more accessible, through to makeup, through to gaming devices – the list goes on. It really is incredible what you’re all doing to solve some of the challenges that people are facing on your quest to make the world a more accessible place. Thank you to all of you, and I hope it’s been an amazing learning experience for you too. I know that Pete and Emma and the whole team at Remarkable truly put everything into this to make it a great experience for you. Team Remarkable, thank you guys so much. We are so proud here at TPG Telecom, in fact, that we will be funding Launcher again next year. So, I look forward to meeting the new cohort next year as well. Anyway, that’s enough from me. I hope you all have a great session today, tonight, and I’ll see you all next year. Thanks, team. [31:33] Pete Horsley from Remarkable Bye, thanks, Jonno. Certainly, we wanted to be able to support disability tech entrepreneurs from the beginning of their startup journey. We wanted to help them create the right building blocks and validate their ideas, and TPG Telecom Foundation jumped at the opportunity to do just that. They’re an organisation that wants to support impact, their foundation exists to create opportunities to improve health and well-being and education, particularly of Australian communities. They’re really passionate about building meaningful relationships and supporting a vibrant, connected community. So, with thanks to TPG Telecom, we’re excited that they’re going to be supporting this program again next year. We also want to acknowledge a brand-new partnership that we’ve got with Toyota as well. Toyota is going to be supporting early-stage startups with engineering support for hardware startups in particular, and you’ve seen the vast array of hardware startups that we’ve had in the Launcher pitches so far. Through Toyota and the partnership that we’ve got with them, we’ll have access to up to 2,000 engineering hours. Watch this space for some exciting developments with that partnership, but certainly, thanks to Toyota and especially thanks to TPG Telecom Foundation for all your support. Now, I’ll pass back to Emma. [33:01] Emma Earley from Remarkable Now, I have to give it another plug. If you’re feeling inspired or know someone who might be, please register your interest for Launcher 2025 at remarkable.org/launcher. Oh gosh, I don’t know about you watching at home, but I’m just feeling so proud, so privileged. Like a proud auntie, sister, friend, whatever that relationship is. And I hope you are feeling a similar way at home. Get comfy, top up your drink if you need to, and please welcome another 8 incredible founders working on Affordable Assistive Technologies and Effective Real-Time Communication. [33:42] Billie Stanley from My Ability Hub Meet Charlie; he is 13 years old and like most 13-year-olds, Charlie’s biggest concern is the next thing on his social calendar. However, Charlie has an intellectual disability, he is nonverbal and cannot read or write. As a teacher, I have seen how the use of visual activity schedulers can help and support individuals like Charlie. Unfortunately, these old-school schedules lack flexibility, the generic images provide no meaningful connection, and the biggest kicker for me, they are so time-consuming to create. I knew there had to be a better way, and that with my lived experience, I was the perfect person to create it. My Ability Hub is an on-the-go photo calendar application that uses photos from your own personal gallery to create events, set rewards, and reminders, promoting independence and task completion. We are moments away from development, and we are just so excited. We would love to connect to any families or allied health professionals that would like to be the first users of My Ability Hub. Now is your chance, sign up today, get in touch with us, and we know that My Ability Hub will be the perfect tool for your family because it is the perfect tool for ours. [35:15] Peter Hartley from Quick Styx Hi, I’m Peter from Quick Styx. Our mission is to revolutionise wound care using a NASA-designed healing gauze. We’ve pinpointed two priority target groups, children born with clubfoot and athletes dealing with minor injuries. Why are these two groups? Personal experience fuels my passion. My son’s clubfoot treatment used an 80-year-old procedure and is etched into my memory. It drives my commitment to constantly look for ways to make things better. And athletes, we all know that the worst part of exercise is injuries, soreness, and sprains, which prevent us from keeping fit and being our best. Over 300,000 Australians, for example, grapple with plantar fasciitis each and every year. We believe that this tiny piece of tech can have an enormous impact on the lives of so many Australians. The Remarkable Launcher program has opened our eyes. The masterclasses, experts, networks, and coaches have helped me realise we’re no longer relying solely on benevolent philanthropists to make a difference. In 2024, we all have the potential to forge new paths to success in disability technology. How can you help Quick Styx? We’re currently seeking experts for a clinical advisory board. If you know wound care specialists or key leaders in sports performance recovery, then we’d love to speak. You’ve probably heard the saying that time heals all wounds. Well, at Quick Styx, we believe in creating a world where healing happens in no time at all. Thank you. [36:48] Lorace Zhang from Vysm When was the last time you had eye drops running off your cheek, and how rigid was the plastic eye drop bottle? 900 million people around the world use eye drops daily, and if it’s difficult for you, eye drop administration is a bigger struggle for people living with dexterity challenges such as parkinson’s and arthritis. My name is Lorance, co-founder of Vysm. Vysm’s delivery device simplifies eye drop delivery and tracks medication usage. Our user app provides treatment feedback to both users and eye clinicians. Our device is eyedrop agnostic, semi-automated, and designed for users. Our ability to provide connected care in the eye drop space makes us unique. Vysm received $100,000 to date which enabled IP protection, usability studies, and ongoing product development. Our prototype has attracted interests from key leaders, social clinicians, and our industry partner who were keen to support Vysm’s distribution of the products through clinics, webshops, and pharmacies. As a team of clinicians, engineers, and healthcare economics experts, we are confident to make this happen. If you live with dexterity challenges, join our usability study to provide feedback. We also appreciate introductions to parkinson’s or arthritis supporting groups or organisations. You can reach out to myself via Lorace@vysum.com.au. Thank you. [38:21] Tori Marshall from Teamy Hi, I’m Tori, the founder of Teamy. This is me and my twin sister Georgia. After our dad’s heart attack, Georgia’s supports became more complicated with more workers and therapists involved. Like Georgia, around 15% of the world’s population live with a disability. Not everyone will need a team around them, but for those that do, supports often operate in isolation. Insights from almost 50 surveys show that 75% of people are spending up to 10 hours per week organising supports. It’s ineffective and time-consuming. Currently, communication, scheduling, note-taking, and day-to-day organisation are all happening across separate platforms. So, the idea for Teamy was born, a central hub where everything is in one place. Teamy will be a subscription-based, person-centred app, available on both web and mobile platforms. It’s designed to empower individuals to be the leaders of their own support team. Teamy’s innovative scheduler helps to streamline organising supports. Pick your support time, team members enter their availability, and the work is done for you. Other features include voice-to-text, progress notes, a news feed, team profiles, goal tracking, document storage, and messaging tools. The ability to customise app privilege settings for every team member ensures that it works for you. Our research shows a strong demand for Teamy, but we need your help to bring it to life. We’re looking for software developers and collaborators to join us on this journey. Teamy a future where organising support is simple and easy. [39:58] Storm Menzies from By Storm Hi, I’m Storm, I’m the founder of By Storm Beauty. I’m a female in her 20s, i have short brown hair and red lipstick on. My story starts with a stroke at birth that’s left me navigating life basically one-handed. But it wasn’t until I injured my good hand that I actually understood just how inaccessible the beauty world was. Suddenly, I couldn’t open a tube of mascara, let alone hold it steady. Feeling completely frustrated and with mascara everywhere, the idea for By Storm was born. By Storm is redefining beauty and inclusion. We have designed a range of makeup accessories that attach to your favourite makeup items to make them easier to use for everyone. That includes if you have an upper limb disability, poor grip strength, tremor, or dexterity issues. Our products were co-designed with the disability community, which is why we understand that makeup is so much more than just looking pretty. It is about self-expression, identity, and independence. With a potential market of over 13 trillion dollars currently overlooked by the beauty industry, By Storm is smart business. We are also NDIS registered for assisted technology. So, we’re searching for someone passionate about accessible beauty to be the face of our social media. If you know someone or have a connection at Sephora or Mecca, please get in contact with us. You can also join the waitlist for our products by scanning the QR code. Thank you so much. [41:55] Gregory Mena from Seymour Accessibility Hi, I’m Greg from Seymour Accessibility. There are millions of deaf and hard of hearing people around the world, and they often face barriers to fully engage at live events. Simply put, they can’t understand what’s being said because there are no captions, making them feel left out and frustrated. Our solution, Seymour, delivers real-time computer-generated captions to mobile devices at live events. Seymour has two touchpoints, first our solution starts with an application developed for live sound technicians—better sound quality leads to better caption accuracy. Second, we have developed an easy-to-use, mobile responsive, customisable captioning app for end-users. With the support of Launcher, we are excited to announce that we have moved from our prototyping phase into private beta testing. We are currently working with one public school and one place of worship, and we are improving our product every week with the feedback we are getting. Our next priority is increasing the number and variety of venues that we are working with, so we are asking for your help in identifying new venues that would like to be early adopters. All beta testing venues will receive legacy pricing when we launch Seymour to the public. Please visit our website to apply. [43:30] Tessa Riley from Hey Jean Hi everyone, I’m Tessa, one of the co-founders at Hey Jean. Growing up in the ’90s, my older sister Stephanie was diagnosed with Edwards syndrome, which was a massive shock for my parents. She had a lot of help and support from support workers and allied health providers, but back then, care providers didn’t use any technology to track her progress or keep us informed. Fast forward 30 years, and it’s sadly still the same situation. Australian service providers spend more time on running their businesses than with their clients and participants. They have a lot of paperwork and reporting to do but no time to do it. The industry lacks affordable tech, so businesses either build their own clunky software or they use pen and paper methods to manage their staff and clients, which means that at the end of the day, there’s no real-time communication or updates. We’re building a care management tool that is purpose-built for the NDIS and aged care sector. Our technology will give small service providers all the tools they need to manage their client care, schedule their staff, and keep loved ones instantly informed. We’d love your support. If you’re a small NDIS provider, we’d love to speak with you and hear more about your business. You’re also welcome to join the waitlist on our website to find out when we launch to the public. Thank you. [45:59] Gary Mansted from iVocab Introducing iVocab, a groundbreaking augmentative and alternative communication mobile app that is revolutionising how individuals with communication impairments express themselves. Traditional AAC solutions fall short with lengthy setup procedures, outdated interfaces, and frustrating user experiences, compounded by user disengagement. Hi, I’m Gary, iVocab CEO. After seeing my own son struggle with the current market offerings. iVocab is about reinventing the AAC paradigm by providing a highly personalised, contemporary, and intuitive communication experience driven by AI. Imagine a world where AAC users project their own personalised voice, effortlessly crafted through iVocab’s AI-enabled predictive modelling technology. With every interaction, the AI learns, refining its suggestions and responses based on context and location and more. But it’s not just about innovation, it’s about impact. With over 100,000 users in Australia alone and millions worldwide, iVocab has the potential to transform lives and bridge communication gaps across diverse conditions, ranging from autism to cerebral palsy to motor neuron disease. Our next step is to participate in the Stoen and Chalk’s AI Sprint competition and further develop our MVP in preparation for taking it to market. To learn more, please visit our website at ivocab.com.au. [46:29] Pete Horsley from Remarkable Certainly, some more incredible pitches there. Launcher is part of a suite of global programs and initiatives that Remarkable runs. We’re a division of Cerebral Palsy Alliance, and for more than 75 years, we’ve been working with great minds from around the world to create impact and create a world of opportunity, particularly for people with cerebral palsy. But we knew to do that, we had to open up the world of technology. We’re relying more and more on technology today, and sadly, the benefits of technology aren’t distributed evenly to the human population. We wanted to start to shift the dial on that. We also acknowledge that throughout history, people with disabilities have been some of the greatest innovators we have seen. They have been problem-solving for a world that wasn’t created for them. So, we partner with the disability community and acknowledge that they have an absolutely key role in all of the work that shapes our futures. Since Remarkable began, we’ve now supported over 120 startups who have gone on to create lots of jobs, served over 186,000 customers so far, and attracted over $63 million in capital. This is a growing market, and we keep stressing that to investors that this is one to watch. We’re proud to say that we play just a small part in that. Launcher is just one of the programs we run, and we now have a pathway of support of programs and initiatives from idea all the way through to scale. Today, tonight, wherever you are around the world, you are the first to hear that we’re opening applications for our 2024 Accelerator program, which will have cohorts based out of Australia and also the US. Those applications will be opening next week, Tuesday the 2nd of April 2024. They are only open for a few short weeks, though, so applications close on the 29th of April. So, if you’re ready to accelerate your disability tech startup or know someone who is, please share our website with them, remarkable.org, and I will now hand back to Emma. [49:04] Emma Earley from Remarkable Thanks, Pete. So, this is the third and final section, sadly, of some seriously impressive elevator pitches. You’ll hear solutions for Smarter Homes and Communities, some ways to Enable Education and Employment, and then bringing us home are some tech solutions in the world of Recreation and Inclusive Play. [49:23] Jason Woelfi from Button Hi, my name is Jason Woelfi. I’m a white male with a beard, wearing glasses and a black baseball cap. I’m the founder of Button, and we are on a mission to make the future accessible. In today’s world, public transport remains a challenge for millions of people living with a disability. Simple tasks like boarding a bus or requesting a stop can be stressful, unsafe, and inequitable. At Button, we’re tackling this problem head-on. Our app Button allows users to hail a bus and request to stop using their mobile device. Button can then learn a user’s preferences and behaviours using machine learning and AI, resulting in automated journeys that are seamless and personalised. We’re currently collaborating with industry partners to test pilot our MVP, and we’re excited about the emerging possibilities. We’re on the lookout for connections, whether you just want to say hi, share your insights, or find out more. We would love to hear from you. Join us on our mission to make the future accessible. Thank you. [50:28] Şafak Akinci from Facial Gesture Recognition System Imagine you can’t speak or move your body and you need help at night when everyone is asleep. In such a situation, you will have to wait for 8 to 10 hours until morning. People who have motor neuron disorders can control their computers with facial movements during the day to express their needs. However, at night, their devices are turned off, and there is usually no one with them. By detecting with just a few predetermined facial gestures at night, their loved ones or caregivers are alerted instantly, reducing wait times from hours to seconds. Our system requires no calibration and adapts to changes in facial movements over time. Also, it can be integrated with other smart home devices. This innovative system functions seamlessly in daylight and in complete darkness at night, thus empowering those having such conditions to live more independently and safely both day and night. Your support is more than just an endorsement. By advocating for our mission, you are making a tangible difference in the lives of those facing profound challenges. Let’s unite to ensure that everyone can communicate. Thank you. [51:59] Bahar Ramazanova from Altogether Imagine a world where justice is a fundamental right for all, yet millions of persons with disabilities are left navigating a complex and inaccessible legal landscape. Laws and legal services are often difficult to understand and unaffordable. My name is Bahar, I have black long hair, I’m wearing a red dress, and I am the co-founder of Altogether. This is an AI-powered mobile application which aims to provide accessible disability law information, simplify reporting to responsible bodies, offers affordable legal assistance for persons with disabilities, and disability compliance services tailored for businesses and institutions. After engaging with hundreds of members of the disability community, our findings discovered a clear demand for our product. We are the winners of the Global Be Changemaker 2023 competition with funding. I invite you to join us as co-founders, partners, and investors to make the world a more equitable and accessible place for everyone. Please scan the QR code, visit the website, and contact me for more details. Thank you. [53:28] Rafael Anselmo from Vinculo.app Hello, I am from Vinculo.app, a Brazilian Tech of social impact. Did you know that 1,2% of the Brazilian population have some type of disability, and enrolled in public school? Have you ever thought about the challenges faced by teachers? Using technology as a foundation, we assist teachers in identifying the specific education needs of students with disabilities and develop a pedagogic strategy using AI. This provides a more effective and personalised learning experience. Our recently used case at Rock School in North Brazil led to the transformation of the education of over 75 students with various disabilities. During this period, we achieved school enrollment of 97.2% providing quality and available education for all. Come be part of this transformation. Thank you. [54:43] Christina Chang from Geshido Corporation Hi, I’m Christina Chang, CEO and co-founder of Geshido. Geshido is the AI Focus Assistant that saves entire teams from being busy for nothing. You may know that feeling of being busy Monday morning, you’ve got a nice list of priorities. 10 minutes in all you can see are Slack messages, emails, calendar invites, all those notifications that eat up your focus. While this is a frustrating experience for many tech workers, it especially burns out workers with neurodivergence, from ADHD, autism, anxiety to workplace stress, and these workers are composing a larger and larger portion of the workforce. Now, imagine having clear priorities with only relevant interruptions at every time. Geshido achieves this for the entire team with a secure Chrome extension. First, it aligns managers and their direct reports on shared priorities that stay up to date. Second, it cuts out noise or notifications across apps that do not relate to the priority being worked on right now. And unlike Slack, Microsoft Teams, or even Jira, it helps the worker focus 100% on doing real work, not mining for information in search of that work. We’ve already received positive feedback from multiple team leaders at our early customers at Aspiritech and Lyra Health. If you believe your team could benefit from Geshido, please email me at christina.chang@geshido.com for an introductory teamwork workshop and please join our waitlist by visiting geshido.com. Thanks so much. [56:24] Lee-Anne Reuber from Second Skin Society My name is Leanne, and I’m the founder and CEO of Second Skin Society. I’m a white woman with long brown hair worn down to my shoulders, black framed glasses, and a black top. So, you know how working out with partners, family, and friends creates more accountability and fun in your fitness routine? Well, what if your partner uses a wheelchair and you don’t? Are they supposed to adapt to the instructor rather than having the instructor speak to their needs? Our accessible fitness app provides multiple versions of each class and gives users the opportunity to follow up to two instructors simultaneously so people with and without disabilities can work out together. You know how you’re participating in an online fitness class and sometimes you got to crank your neck to see in order to understand what the instructor is asking you to do? Well, our app provides enhanced queuing so you don’t have to watch the instructor the entire class and so people who are blind or have low vision can also participate. You know how turning on captions provides a better user experience? What about your friend who’s deaf and relies on American Sign Language for communication? Our app provides classes taught with American Sign Language, and we have captions too. Our fitness app has been created with and by people with disabilities to provide an end-to-end accessible solution for those who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, hard of hearing, wheelchair users with and without lower body mobility, and their social circles. Our fitness experiences will leave you feeling empowered, valued, and included. Join our society today. [57:59] Anthony DeVergillo from Our Odyssey Hello, my name is Anthony DeVergillo, and I’m a white man sitting in a black wheelchair, using a non-invasive ventilator to breathe. Have you ever felt alone? When I was diagnosed with a muscle-weakening rare disease, I struggled with severe social isolation. I lost the ability to play video games with friends, I lost eating out with friends, and like so many of us, I lost connection with everyone during the pandemic. The pandemic may have ended, but my social barriers still remain. So, I partnered with Our Odyssey. This vision is to be a socially inclusive virtual platform that connects young adults living with a rare or chronic condition. We host virtual social meetups, develop software for accessibility, and raise awareness through our live stream network. Through Our Odyssey, I gained the ability to play video games again with the Overjoyed Accessible Controller. I gained the opportunity to socialise with people who understand what I’m going through at our social meetups. And most importantly, I gained a community that I can advocate for through gaming, music, and cooking live streams. If you have ever felt alone, I invite you to join the Our Odyssey community by sharing our social meetups, participating in our streams, and using our accessible controller in the #NoControllerChallenge. Thank you. [59:37] Emily Drennen from Erge Toys Hi, I’m Emily Drennen, founder of Erge Toys. I’m a 50-year-old plus-sized white woman with long red hair and chunky glasses. Erge Toys is a sexual wellness company that centres the needs of people with disabilities. Too often, we make do with products that aren’t meant for our bodies, or if we do find something that might work, it’s likely to be too expensive. We’re going to change that. Using ergonomic principles and input from disabled folks, Erge’s innovative designs will offer everyone the chance for radical embodied joy. Sex toys are wildly popular among American adults. Did you know that approximately 82% of American women own at least one sex toy? By 2028, the US sexual wellness market will surpass $10 billion, marking a substantial increase from $6.5 billion just two years ago. In the US, 13.3% of people identify as having a disability, while almost all of us will experience temporary or permanent disability at some point. Together, these point to a strong market for what Erge Toys is all about. We believe that everybody deserves sexual wellness. I’m excited to share that we’re prototyping our first product, a design I’ve wanted to create for over 20 years. Join our waitlist by visiting tinyurl.com/ergetoys or send me an email at ErgeToys@gmail.com. Thanks. [1:01:18] Jay-Dee Pitcaithly from Sound Clusive Hello I’m Jay-Dee, and I’m a female wearing a white button-up shirt. I’m the founder of Sound Clusive, and we want people living with disability to access and enjoy events just like anyone else. With over 10 years of experience in the events industry, I noticed just how many barriers people living with disability face when wanting to go to events. Sound Clusive is an online hub partnering with venues, promoters, and ticketing agents to provide accurate and consistent access and ticketing information, backed up by reviews from people with lived experience. With this, we hope to increase the confidence of the disability community and provide an opportunity to just have fun and create lasting memories with their families, friends, and carers. As we continue our development and trial phases, we would love to connect with people living with a disability as well as venues and event organisers looking to increase their accessibility at their events. If this sounds like you, please scan the QR code or visit soundclusive.com.au and join the Sound Clusive community. [01:02:33] Emma Earley from Remarkable Thank you so much for sticking with us as we ran a few minutes over time, but please join me in congratulating all of our teams and, in whatever way is available to you, well done everyone. And to our teams, thank you again for trusting us to work with you. To everyone else in the audience, thank you for being here to support our Launcher 2024 teams. Please reach out to them and connect them to your network to help launch them to their next stage of growth. Next week, we’ll be sharing a blog post with the recording, alongside handy links and each of their ‘asks’ for support, to make it so simple for you to connect with them. And that’s it for our Launcher Customer Showcase, but please don’t let it be the end of our time together. Are you working on an innovation that impacts people with disability, or do you know someone working on a disability tech solution? Depending on the stage of the journey, express your interest in Launcher 2025 or apply to our Accelerator program, which opens next Tuesday, the 2nd of April. Please share with anyone you know who may be interested. Head to remarkable.org. Thank you so much for joining us. Goodbye.