Professor Alher Mauricio Hernandez

Overview

GIBIC Tech-Hub has developed a Smart Bedding device, an easy-to-use tool for improving wellness and healthcare at home by monitoring and improving sleep quality. Smart Bedding is a comfortable, flexible device that goes directly on to the bed. It was originally developed to prevent bed sores in patients but has evolved into a device that monitors and recommends how to improve sleep quality. It measures variables such as pressure in bed, temperature, moisture in the environment, movement, and noise and provides feedback via an app on how to improve sleep.

Country of origin: Colombia

People in the team: 8

“This year I have been working on a project to produce mechanical ventilators in parallel with working on the LIF+ programme, so I was very busy, but the experience was very good. The mentors are very good, all the meetings are focused on results, and it was a very good idea to have this programme virtually, a great opportunity to work with my team here.”

“It has been great to make such good connections and to discuss difficulties or problems with the mentors and the fellows. We have worked on so many things as part of this programme – like Intellectual Property and customer development. We produced team profiles of my colleagues to understand how each part of my team is working and that has had huge benefits. We have made contacts in the Mexican and Indian market and it is very good to understand all these parts of our business. I would absolutely recommend this programme; it has changed the way we work completely.”

“We are still doing some technical improvements in our software and our product, and we will continue our ongoing customer market research. We plan to get the product into the mass market by selling via ecommerce, then seek out investment and pursue regulatory approval and expand into the medical market in Colombia.”