Shubham Banerjee, the 13-year-old CEO of Braille printer manufacturer Braigo Labs, knew nothing about them until last year.
The idea formed when he happened to see a fundraising flyer for people with visual impairments and wondered, “How can blind people read?” Like other 7th graders, he went home and asked his parents. Their answer was: “Go on Google and ask it.”
While researching online, Banerjee discovered that Braille printers were very expensive, often costing as much as $ 2,000. He learned more about Braille, the tactile writing system used by people with visual impairments.
“When I discovered the cost of a Braille printer, I was shocked,” Banerjee said. “I only wanted to help visually impaired people. I already had a Lego Robotics kit, so I wondered, Why Not Give It a Try?”
Built from Mindstors EV3 Lego blocks and small parts from Home Depot (Braigo combines Braille and Lego), the Braigo Lab printer works very well. It brought Banerjee several awards, including the 2014 Technology Award and an invitation to the White House for an event honoring student entrepreneurship and innovation.
Most importantly, young Banerjee believed it could solve a decades-old problem and help many people with visual impairments worldwide: the excessively high cost of Braille printers.
He believes his printer can significantly reduce the price of a Braille printer to below $500. According to his website, there are 285,000,000 visually impaired people worldwide, 90% of them in developing countries. Obtaining a printer is not easy for them, even by developed-country standards.
“I want to tell (the large company’s manufacturers) to stop taking advantage of the disadvantages faced by blind people,” he said.
Impressed by his product and vision, Intel called him in September last year to say it would invest in his company. Last week, that investment was officially made at the Intel Capital Global Summit, where Braigo Labs was named among 16 high-tech startups Intel invested in this year. Although the exact amount was undisclosed, it was reportedly potentially more than six figures in US dollars. This makes Banerjee the youngest technology startup entrepreneur ever to receive funding.
“I never thought such a large company would invest in my company. It is wonderful!” he shared.
With Intel's funding, Braigo Labs plans to build a newer prototype resembling a conventional printer and bring it to market next year, 2015. Banerjee says he has no plans to expand into other product types at this point, but the Braille printer seems only part of a bigger dream he has in mind.
“I want to become an engineer in the medical field when I grow up,” he said. “And I also want to complete my university education.”
Read more at here
Translated by YUP.EDU.VN
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