This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
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1. THE BEGINNING
This innovation initially came to life when…
When Australian soldier Lee Batey lost two defence force colleagues in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in 2006 off the coast of Fiji, he was inspired to invent a pair of convertible sunglasses which may have saved their lives. Lee bought a 3D printer and taught himself to use CAD software, and now almost a decade later had a fully functioning prototype. Lee met his co-founder Rafael last year at Ignition, a program run by Curtin Centre for Entrepreneurship, where Rafael was volunteering as a facilitator. From there they decided to go into business together under the Sealz brand.
2. WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
The glasses can be converted to sealed goggles at the push of a button, enabling the wearer to quickly activate them in an emergency, or when taking part in extreme, snow or water sports.
It does this by…
When activated (by pressing a button), the glasses tighten around the head, and an effective yet comfortable silicone seal is formed around the eyes. The glasses can be instantly released by pulling the lens piece forward, returning them to the loose sunglasses mode — in order to ventilate the lenses, or just to generally increase the level of comfort.
3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Sealz provide versatility by combining two existing products into one: sunglasses and safety/swimming goggles. No other products exist that can offer this. The closest competition comes from wrap-around sunglasses with a strap, or tinted safety goggles.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
The glasses allow the wearer to be equipped with a single device (rather than two), which provides the convenience and functionality required by their sport, environment, job. Also, there are many scenarios where the speed of activation offers safety benefits.
4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
In H&S context (resources, military, emergency services): by carrying multiple types of eyewear and switching when required.
In sports/recreational context:
- by carrying two types of eyewear: snowboarders (sunnies & goggles), triathletes (swimming goggles & sunnies);
- by foregoing adequate protection: surf lifesavers or surfers who wear no protection, police who wear inadequate protection (i.e. sunnies aren’t adequate against saliva).
Its predecessors/competitors include…
Predecessors/competitors would consist of:
- carrying multiple sets of eyewear;
- using protective eyewear considered unfashionable for the context (e.g. protective goggles in water sports);
- products with some but not all the attributes offered by Sealz (wrap-around sunnies).
5. TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
…Military – Industrial health & safety – Emergency services – Sports & outdoor recreation (water sports, extreme sports, snow sports, triathlons, etc).
It is available for sale through…
It is currently available for pre-sale through crowdfunding (at time of writing it is 97% funded). Subsequently, it will become available through our distributors, and online sales through sealz.com.au.
Our marketing strategy is to…
Phase 1: build awareness through social media and PR to support the crowdfunding campaign. This includes featuring Sealz on the Discovery Channel’s flagship show the Daily Planet!
Phase 2: build on that existing traction post-campaign to not lose momentum during initial production.
Phase 3: increase marketing reach and PR when product is available for traditional retail sales.
FINE PRINT: This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
