On April 10, three tech startups competed in front of a panel of high-ranking Miami venture capitalists for a chance to secure investment and grant opportunities. The event, called TAMID TANK, is modeled after ABC’s “Shark Tank” and gives university students a chance to connect with investors and mentors.
Oren Andiroglu (BSCpE ’20) and Ricardo Munoz (BSEE ’20) – with the assistance of Diego Palacios (BSEE ’19) Mark Ciappesoni (BSEE ’14, PhDEE) and Rony Kashem – finished in second place for their startup called Brailli. Cofounders Andiroglu and Munoz launched Braille to serve as a new form of communication with smart technology, specifically, as a means to help people with sensory disabilities to communicate with world.
Their main product is a portable module that can be integrated with any smart device and imitate braille with text, helping people with sensory disabilities.
Specifically, Brailli technology will be able to assist people with visual impairments read text from their phone. “This product has the capability of changing the lives of millions of people worldwide as it gives the visually impaired a way to access digital information,” says Andiroglu, who leads Brailli. “We want to provide the tools so that they can learn Braille and access everyday information through their fingers, which is the goal of Braille literacy.”
Additionally, the technology can be used as a heart rate sensor, speaker, microphone as well as an alarm clock. The team also is in the process of developing learning program.
Munoz along with a group of College of Engineering seniors, is working on a similar product for his Capstone Project, called Vibrated Alarm, that will help the hearing-impaired wake up on time. The product is designed to send electrical signals to users to inform them that it is time to wake up and would also be synchronized with a microphone to detect and alert the user of any security alarms that go off in the surrounding environment.
Munoz’s team will present their product at the 2019 Senior Design Expo, an event for undergraduate engineering students to showcase their innovative projects from across all five departments: biomedical; civil, architectural and environmental; electrical and computer; industrial; and mechanical and aerospace.
TAMID Tank is open to all students or recent University of Miami (UM) graduates who have tech startup with traction and value. Participants applied through an online application and the top three startups were to compete for a $2,000 cash grand prize. The three startups also received advice and mentorship from the panel of Miami venture capitalists.
The TAMID Group has chapters on 46 college campuses, including UM. Founded in 2008, this student-led initiative aims to pioneer the next generation of American commitment to Israel by connecting students at top universities with the Israeli economy. The organization offers more than 1,700 student members a range of opportunities to combine their passion for business with the dynamic Israeli landscape. These opportunities include: experiential business learning through interactive classes; consulting with Israeli companies; internship experiences in Israel; managing investment portfolios with Israeli companies; and more.
