The Art of Collaboration

It’s a smart world. The new rule is “anything that can be connected—will be connected.” With today’s products talking with each other more and more through the Internet of Things (IoT), it’s inspired countless of bright new ideas for entrepreneurs to explore. Just as the IoT is intimately connected, the path to a successful product development requires interconnectedness. An organization that helps IoT startups develop their ideas from ideation to production is Seamless Accelerator based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Seamless Accelerator is a coalition of world-class companies who contribute and collaborate their business expertise to assist these organizations. Seamless connects startups to the resources they need to take their ideas into the market.

This past spring DISHER participated as a resource partner with a promising IoT start-up, we will call Co. A*, in the Seamless Accelerator commercialization program. Before A* could be accepted into the Seamless commercialization program, A* needed to create a working proof-of-concept for their IoT device. That’s where DISHER came in. Product development can be a significant hurdle for startups of any kind. The key is collaboration— a significant strength for DISHER. Companies that master the art of collaboration between all functions involved in product design and development will increase the likelihood of a successful launch. A* benefited from DISHER and other West Michigan based companies who together helped move their unique product from the initial concept phase into the pre-production phase.

Throughout the 12-week program, DISHER provided A* with countless hours of support in industrial design, engineering, prototyping, electronics and software development. In addition, DISHER held several Whiteboard Extreme brainstorming sessions. To better serve A*, DISHER also worked with other resource partners throughout the program. Faurecia helped with product design. SpinDance assisted with app development plus Cloud and Bluetooth connectivity. Magnum Engineering created the circuit layout and prototyped the breadboard. Amway provided prototyping support and 3-D printing services. It was a beautiful team effort.

By the end of the program, A* had a working prototype and was able to raise a round of funding. A*’s founder was grateful to the advances he was able to make through the program and stated, “DISHER and the other resource partners provided indispensable experience and knowledge in arriving at a working prototype. The smooth collaboration between these companies sped up our progress tremendously.”

Written By: Laura Anthony with Angela Hosbein |
Laura’s enjoyed a variety of marketing roles as a business owner and employee. She’s supported companies from floor cleaning equipment to retail to business services. Laura’s passionate about creating marketing tools that delight. Time with family & friends, watching her kids’ sports, walks, art, coffee, & summertime make her smile. Laura has a BS in Business – Mktg/Mgmt from Cedarville University and an MBA from Western Michigan University.

Angela is heading into her senior year at Northwestern University and is pursuing a BS in Mechanical Engineering & Design. She is thrilled to be working on Disher’s Discovery Team for the summer. Angela loves to read, travel, explore new places, and run. Her favorite book is The Kite Runner or anything by Khaled Hosseini.