Innovative veterinary device takes 1st place at 2019 Raymond Ideas Challenge

SKYPaws, LLC, founded by Stephanie Young ’21 and Brianna Armstrong ’20, was awarded first place and $3,000 at the 2019 Raymond Ideas Challenge. The idea behind SKYPaws came to Young while she was working at a Veterinary Clinic in her hometown. “We had a dog named Charlie that came in for a routine procedure and passed away shortly after due to improper monitoring. The entire mission of SKYPaws is to equip Veterinarians with the accurate information that they need to know about their patients when they need it most” said Young.

Veterinary clinics must visually monitor patients post-operatively as animals will often chew through wires and tubing, or remove other monitoring devices. Unfortunately, this means that veterinarians and their staff don’t receive accurate information regarding a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital signs that typically alert physicians of critical issues during recovery. SKYPaws provides veterinary clinics with a wireless monitor that provides them with accurate, real-time data to better monitor patient recovery. “Right now, SKYPaws is in the process of working with a professional engineering firm. This prize money will allow us to continue our discussions with them until we get Angel investment in the next 4-6 months” stated Young. Young encourages students who are interested in entrepreneurship to “take the plunge” and get involved with campus resources such as McFerrin Center, Startup Aggieland or Aggies Invent. “These resources will gradually allow you to get your feet wet in a structured way, so you don’t feel lost or helpless! Entrepreneurship is a major portion of my life and I feel as if my college experience would be lackluster without it” she added. Young is a sophomore Animal Sciences major and Armstrong is a 4th-year student in the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Professional Program. SKYPaws is a client of the Startup Aggieland Business Incubator.

Over 130 industry professionals judged this year’s 40 finalists. Recent Texas A&M graduate Rhett Bruck competed as a finalist at the 2018 Raymond Ideas Challenge and returned in 2019 as a judge. When asked why he decided to serve as a judge he commented on the impact that McFerrin Center programs had during his time at Texas A&M and his desire to help aspiring student entrepreneurs. “I thought it would be fun and I wanted to give back,” said Bruck “Startup Aggieland and the McFerrin Center put me on this amazing track where I can use the skills I developed everywhere.” The 2019 Raymond Ideas Challenge awarded $10,000 in prize money to student entrepreneurs at Texas A&M University. Second place winner Luke Raglin of SimpleSeat is the first Texas A&M Corpus Christi student to place at a Raymond Ideas Challenge. In addition, Axle Box Innovations has awarded all 40 finalists with access to their brand new “Fab Lab” that will open in January 2020. Raymond Ideas Challenge is held annually each fall semester. For more information visit mcferrin.tamu.edu.

2019 Raymond Ideas Challenge Winners

• First Place: Brianna Armstrong, Stephanie Young; SKYPaws, LLC.
• Second Place: Luke Raglin of Texas A&M Corpus Christi; SimpleSeat
• Third Place: Shreedevi Arun Kumar, Kaivalya Deo; 3D Bio-Printed Pancreas

Best Video

• Bruce Kelly, Stephen Lorenzen; Lit Seating

Honorable Mentions

• Daniel De Clute-Melancon; Changing the World by Providing Local Access to Urban Air
• Seth Polsley; Accessible Fitness Tracking for People with Disabilities or Injuries
• Mary Chandra, Molly Coon, Elizabeth Matthews; G-Sense
• Hassan Anifowose; Chronos 360
• Nash Porter; Kisby Virtual Lifeguard

AXLE BOX Award

• Nash Porter; Kisby Virtual Lifeguard