AlterG: Keeping Sporty People Healthy and Well

AlterG is a health and wellness company that pioneers the use of innovative technologies to keep a healthy and active lifestyle. The company aims to reinvent rehabilitation by providing technologies for quicker recovery from injuries, surgeries, and disabilities. AlterG helps athletes and sports enthusiasts reduce the frequency of injury.

AlterG has acquired a patent for its differential air pressure technology. It offers the most precise unweighting benefits. This technology was first developed at NASA to help American astronauts in their unweighting programs.

Earlier this year, the US FDA approved the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill®, the first of its kind. The device is used by hospitals, physical therapy centers, fitness centers, and colleges and universities, as well as by professional athletes in their fitness programs.

The US FDA has also cleared AlterG’s applications for a precise partial weight bearing. In the application, AlterG included rehabilitation of disabilities in any lower body part, neurological retraining, geriatric strengthening and conditioning, weight control, and programs for specified sports.

Skolkovo Moscow School of Management: Honing Russia’s Entrepreneurs

The Soviet state understands the need to prepare its capitalists to brace with the rapidly changing technologies today. Every day, emerging markets are launched and entrepreneurs have to be on the cutting edge of the rapid changes. The Skolkovo Moscow School of Management was established to provide Russian entrepreneurs with a scholarship program that would ready them to become DIY wealth creators.

Inspired by the artworks of Russian abstract artist Kazimir Malevich who is known for doing things that have never been done before, Skolkovo sends a strong statement that Russia is ready for takeoff. The school, with its hypermodern cylindrical structure sheathed in gray, red, and blue-green glass, standing in a rectangular complex, and resembles the Battlestar Galactica, says breakthrough is imminent. Skolkovo is located just across the “Inograd” or innovation city, Russia’s Silicon Valley.

Skolkovo and Inograd provides young and savvy programmers, engineers, physicists, and mathematicians with a high-tech sector that is capable of generating billions of dollars, giving alternative income sources other than gas and oil. According to Steven Geiger, the CEO of Skolkovo foundation which oversees Inograd, Skolkovo is “the most exciting technological initiative in the world – full stop.”

When Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the plans for Inograd in March 2010, Russia’s legislators have amended more than 200 laws in order to encourage investments in Skolkovo. When done, Inograd will house meeting spaces, computer labs, and a graduate university modeled after Stanford, which can accommodate around 1,200 students.

Skolkovo was established to build synergies and develop ecosystem. Geiger believes that innovation can be top-down. The only setback for Skolkovo is its location – it’s in Russia, which is not known for a place to study business management or to launch a startup.

In 2010, the World Bank ranked Russia in the 123rd place in the Ease of Doing Business report. As a business school, Skolkovo offers seed capital to help startups begin. If the startup shows promise, the funding may be raised to as much as $8 million. This shows how Skolkovo can indeed become Russia’s Silicon Valley. No sooner, the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report would list Russia in a position relatively higher than where it is today.

Black Milk: From a Sewing Machine and a Few Dollars to a Retail Company Known Worldwide

Black Milk is an Australian clothing company with an inspiring story that started with just one sewing machine and a few dollars for some fabric. Today, Black Milk is listed as one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies in retailing.

Broke and was taking odd jobs to make ends meet, James Lillis lived in his yellow house in Brisbane, Australia. He got bored on day, so he decided to do something. He bought a sewing machine out of the proceeds of a CD player he pawned. He did not know how to operate the sewing machine. He just figured out he wanted to learn.

Apparently, he needed some fabric so he bought some nylon lining with the $6 that’s left in his pocket. He sewed for himself a tight shirt. It was short. Everything was wrong, just as he expected.

He continued with odd jobs while saving for his newly found passion. He enrolled in a sewing class and thereafter, he sewed his first pair of leggings. A friend volunteered to model his leggings who then bought those leggings.

Because somebody was willing to pay for his work, he decided to establish a retail company that would sell his goods online. Thus, the founding of Black Milk in 2009.

Azumio: Developing the Next Generation Mobile Health Technology

Azumio is a mobile health technology company known for creating a biofeedback health application that runs on Android and iOS platforms. To date, Azumio’s mobile app called “Instant Heart Rate App” has been downloaded over 10 million times.

Azumio was founded with the humblest of intentions: to improve people’s wellness by promoting healthy habits through innovative mobile apps that provide users with personal health data. Azumio believes that once users are well-informed, they can develop a healthier lifestyle.

The people behind this Silicon-based company are scientists, researchers, clinicians, and professors at the University of California and Stanford University. Azumio also enjoys technical backing from established leaders in the technologies industry, especially those involved in mobile health.

The Instant Heart Rate App fits anyone that goes through a regular fitness routine. It provides real time heart rate reading. By simply placing a finger over a smartphone camera, the data is provided anytime, anywhere. The Instant Heart Rate App works by tracking the changes in color in the light that pass through the finger. The whole thing takes only 10 seconds. Before a work out, in the middle of training, or after a long run, the Instant Heart Rate App provides these important data.

Azumio believes that the Instant Heart Rate App is still the most accurate heart rate monitor app in the world. For CEO Peter Kuhar, the app is a wellness tool that can be carried 24/7. He added that tracking the heart rate would help determine the level of exertion before and after workout which are essential in knowing the optimal heart training zone.

The Android app Pro version is available at $2.99 aside from its free version. The iPhone app can be acquired at $0.99. Azumio is based in California. It has financial backing from the world’s most dynamic investors like Felicis Ventures, Accel® Partners, and Founders Fund.

Get Heads Up on the Road Through Waze

Waze is a mobile app development company with venture capital backing. The company is known worldwide for creating a social traffic and navigation app that is used by the largest community of drivers in the world. The app shares real time info and up-to-date notifications. Waze visitors contribute to the traffic and other data. Users can actively get involved by sharing conditions on the road like accidents, hazards, and police traps. Others in the area are warned early about potential road obstructions.

Ehud Shabtai is a software engineer who received a PDA equipped with an external GPS with pre-installed navigation software. However, he became frustrated when he was caught in heavy traffic because the PDA did not reflect the real conditions on the road.

Using his expertise in open source development and experience in social services, Shabtai built the first ever dynamic traffic platform that integrates open source software with GPS and a community of drivers. His goal was to provide an accurate and reflective traffic condition by providing relevant information at any given time.

Shabtai launched his software in 2006. When he had enough financial backing, he partnered with Amir Shinar and Uri Levine and established Waze.

A Massachusetts Construction Industry Presence for Two Decades

Active in the construction industry since the mid-1970s, Kevin Craffey leads a number of Plymouth, Massachusetts, based companies. He established his first firm in 1988 with more than a decade of leadership experience behind him, including as foreman of Cape Cod Lathing and Plastering, Inc. and as superintendent/carpenter steward of Quinn Construction. Through attention to detailed workmanship and high levels of customer service, he quickly developed K & J Interiors, Inc., as a leading provider of carpentry installations throughout New England. Meeting the diverse needs of construction clients in the commercial, retail and institutional sectors, his firm achieved a milestone of approximately $80 million in contracted work over its first five years.

Mr. Craffey’s next entrepreneurial endeavor involved the establishment of Craffey & Co., Builders, Inc., as a respected general contractor. Over the past 18 years, the company has provided commercial retailers with quality, competitive services that encompass retail store, big box location, and shopping mall expansions nationwide. The firm has managed approximately 150 employees in undertaking projects of diverse size and scope.

Despite the nationwide breadth of his corporate undertakings, Kevin Craffey maintains a firm focus on the local Massachusetts community. As head of KJ Realty Trust Corporation / Court Street Trust Corporation since the early 1990s, he has led a number of local real estate development projects in towns such as Hanover and Avon. Among successfully completed projects was the renovation of the historically significant Buttner building in Plymouth.

Teladoc: Teleheath and Telemedicine Services Right at Your Doorstep

Teladoc Inc. is a healthcare services provider established in 2002 for the purpose of tackling three of healthcare’s most pressing issues: access, cost, and quality.

Based on hard evidences, patients wait for long periods of time—days or even months—just to make a doctor’s appointment. That’s why many patients take advantage of the out-patient services in hospitals to gain immediate access to healthcare services through the emergency room. Teladoc was founded to engage the problem and provide 24/7 access to healthcare services anytime, anywhere.

It is also noticeable that healthcare premiums, medical expenses, and costs of medicines are rising up to twice as much as the inflation rate. Teladoc recognizes this problem and offers affordable healthcare, even for urgent cases through ER visits.

Quick access to low cost healthcare usually translates to lower quality of service. Teladoc is using the highest quality processes and clinical protocols through a strong network of certified physicians.

The results of Teladoc’s efforts have been amazing. According to the company’s figures, 95% of its 4.5 million members are satisfied with its services and 96% of physicians are satisfied, with the average consultation duration of 134 minutes per patient. Average call back time is recorded at 24 minutes. Ninety percent of patient issues were resolved with zero malpractice claims.

All physicians associated with Teladoc are board certified. Otherwise, they are not allowed to provide healthcare services, even through telephone or online video consultation. These doctors use electronic health records in making diagnoses, treating ailments, and prescribing drugs. The quality processes employed by Teladoc are according to the standards of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Teladoc physicians renew their credentials every three years.

Now that telehealth and telemedicine is slowly integrated into the mainstream healthcare industry, Teladoc is in a very strategic position. It has pioneered the most convenient, most affordable, and most accessible telehealth and telemedicine services.

Copilot Labs: Helping Restaurateurs Analyze Data

Modern technological advancements have also changed the way guests find restaurants. From advertisements in the local papers and word of mouth as channels of discovery, the fundamental shift came with the introduction of hundreds of services the bring guests right into a restaurant’s doorstep.

This increases the restaurant’s workload. Running a restaurant business is not only about making delicious food but also about marketing strategy. Other restaurant operators resort to apps that fill the restaurants’ seats.

This is where Copilot Labs come in as the restaurants’ champion. Copilot Labs was founded to provide marketing analysis for restaurateurs. It analyzes historical POS data and anonymously compares it with other restaurants. It automatically identifies growth opportunities.

Unlike other services, Copilot Labs is not a third party for Yelp, Opentable, or Groupon. It deals with independent restaurateurs with a deeper understanding of what really moves the needle. Analysis of data can now be made by simple review of what Copilot Labs provides.

Stripe: Online Payment Made Easy

Stripe offers the newest way to accept payments online. It was founded by Patrick and John Collison. It has financial backing from Sequoia Capital, Redpoint Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, SV Angel, Andreessen Horowitz, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel. The total funds raised amounted to $40 million.

To demonstrate its commitment to transparency, Stripe utilizes the website Chilling Effect Clearinghouse to act on third party requests to stop doing business. For every successful charge, Stripe is charging a fee of 2.9% plus $0.30. This rate may be higher than the fees charged by conventional credit card processors. However, Stripe believes that this will result to lower total costs because Stripe does not charge setup fees, minimum charges, monthly fees, validation fees, card storage charges, and late payment charges.

In an article that world renowned author Paul Graham wrote, he cited that online payments is “one of the most important component of the world’s infrastructure” but it is also one of the most “painful” experiences. He praised the perfect timing of Stripe’s founding as an appropriate fix to the problem.

Stripe is becoming popular because it is arguably the simplest and most developer-friendly way for online payment. Stripe understands that the root of the problem in enabling online transactions is not the finance but the code. The dullness and the complexity of online payment processing have been the hallmark of similar transactions and Stripe is committed to fix the problem.

Using Stripe does not require a gateway or merchant account because Stripe handles everything – subscriptions, card storage, and direct payout to the user’s bank account.

Stripe is also composed of developers who have extensive experience in handling problems related to online payment acceptance. Its team is dedicated to building the simplest but the best payment solution.

Stripe is used by a number of large and established companies, emerging startups, side projects, and all kind of institutions in between. Among the businesses that have enjoyed Stripe are Mockingbird, Lala, GroupSpaces, Auctomatic, Observer, and Encyclopedia.