Idea Machine Journey - Month 7

My seventh edition of idea sharing from my “Idea machine journal”.

Disclaimer:

I want to reiterate the fact that “Ideas are easy, and execution is everything”. Being an entrepreneur myself now, I experience this every day. The current global pandemic situation might make a few ideas irrelevant. There might be a high chance that some of these ideas are already in the market – if I’m aware of them, I will include them in the reference. If I’m not aware of them, please feel free to post them in the comment section.

Idea 1:

Problem: Vaccines are typically stored under refrigerated conditions (2 to 8°C) to limit the potency and efficacy loss. In several developing countries, the limitations of existing cold chains make it hard to transport the COVID vaccine to every nook and corner. Around 20 - 65% of vaccines prices account for maintaining the vaccine cold chain. Making it possible to transport vaccines at ambient temperature can transform the vaccine distribution.

Solution: The use of a solvent with a lower melting point can facilitate vaccine storage at ambient conditions. Few thoughts:

• A natural deep eutectic system (NADES) is emerging solvents that are mixtures of two or more compounds that when combined at certain molar ratios become liquid at room temperature. These solvents can be used to store the vaccine's active ingredients.
• These solvents use very low levels of water thus helping in extending the shelf life of vaccines at a non-refrigerator temperature
• The vaccine active ingredients would be encapsulated and can be freeze-dried into powder making it possible to store it at ambient temperatures. When these powders are mixed with NADES they can form into the active vaccine solution to be injected.

Reference:

https://bit.ly/3rZbR4e

https://bit.ly/3AJMwPV

https://bit.ly/3AAoxCA

https://mck.co/3r26UZo

Idea 2:

Problem: In India, there are more than 400 million blue and grey collar workers. They majorly work in manufacturing, logistics, caretaker, and retail sectors. There are several challenges faced by these workers and employers. Many industry experts have been finding it hard to find skilled blue-collar workers in one single platform. On the other hand, the workers don’t have the resources to upskill themselves and scout for the right opportunities.

Solution:

There are several industrial disruptions such as automation, robotics, Artificial Intelligence, etc that the blue-collar workers have to be adapted for. A platform where the right opportunities with resources are presented to the workers could solve this problem. Few thoughts:

• A platform that curates all the industrial changes that can impact the blue-collar workers and aggregates industries/ companies that seek both short-term and long-term employment requirements.
• The platform can provide vernacular-based learning modules with pictures and videos to upskill the blue-collar workers with STEM skills, especially technology skills. This could also help these workers to move up the ladder fast.
• Companies such as Ola, Swiggy, Zomato, etc can sign up for this platform to potentially upskill their blue-collar workers to move them towards white-collar jobs such as coders and developers. This could be a huge motivation for new blue-collar workers to join these companies and aspire for career growth. On the other hand, this could help these tech companies to find high skilled talents in-house rather than finding them from the external competitive market.
• The platform can use hiring algorithms to match the workers with the right set of skills with the company that is looking for them based on geo-location.
• The platform can generate revenue by providing educational content, and supporting with hiring the right talent.

Reference:

https://bit.ly/3II5zwR

https://bit.ly/3H6thT5

https://bit.ly/3IJFptu

https://bit.ly/3rVUGkb

https://bit.ly/3o0B2SP

https://bit.ly/3IOd71f

https://bit.ly/3AzrSSB

Idea 3:

Problem: By age of 35, approximately 40% of men are suffering from visible hair loss. There are many causes for hair losses such as hormonal imbalance, age, hereditary, etc. Several solutions are addressing the issue from the surface level but not looking at it from the root cause.

Solution:

Every hair on a person’s head has a growth cycle. Hair follicles do not produce hair constantly, but rather by cycle between resting and growing phases. With male pattern baldness, this growth cycle is weakened and the hair follicle shrinks. Addressing the problem by fixing the hair follicle and the growing cycle would be critical. Few thoughts:

• Blocking enzymes such as Janus Kinase in the hair follicles could potentially regain hair growth. This slow-down of enzyme activity can help produce shorter strands of hair. Natural Janus Kinase inhibitors in a liquid form or oral form can help regenerate hair growth.
• Doing DNA and other genetic testings to understand the root cause for the hair loss. Based on the DNA information, providing more personalized solutions for every individual
• Use of 3D printed hair cap that uses low-frequency electric pulses which entice dormant hair follicles to regenerate its hair growth.

Reference:

https://bit.ly/32BlbTo

https://bit.ly/3gjF84B

https://bit.ly/33RtUSe

Idea 4:

Problem: Consumption of rice can be significant exposure to organic and inorganic arsenic – which is a group 1 carcinogen (cancer-causing compounds). The rice cultivation method is one of the major reasons for this contamination. Rice during the growth phase absorbs high levels of arsenic from the irrigation water. Long-term exposure to arsenic can form huge health concerns.

Solution:

Changing the direct exposure of arsenic during grain growth is very critical to minimize the arsenic levels in the grain. Few thoughts:

• The use of bioremediation (contaminants removal using microbes) can limit the arsenic levels in the irrigation water to minimize its access to crop growth. Bacterial strains such as Bacillus flexus and Acinetobacter junii can reduce, oxidize and bioaccumulate the arsenic levels, these microbes also act as a growth promoter for plants.
• The current flooding irrigation method for rice cultivation is one of the major reasons for the high uptake of arsenic in rice. The use of new rice cultivation methods such as System Rice Intensification (SRI) with intermittent irrigation promotes the use of lower levels of water use. Research has shown that this reduces the arsenic levels significantly in rice.
• Use of water filters such as granular ferric hydroxide to remove arsenic from the water to use for irrigation.

Reference:

https://bit.ly/35tYX70

https://bit.ly/3H1UKFr

https://bit.ly/3rUEoIq

https://bit.ly/3II1vMZ

https://bit.ly/3G6GBFy

https://bit.ly/3AA9jOd

https://bit.ly/33WTPb4

https://bit.ly/3H9muYT

https://bit.ly/3ADdI2O

https://go.nature.com/34fZ4CA

https://bit.ly/35tZaXQ

Idea 5:

Problem: In a recent survey, about 94% of the participants agreed that garment fit is a problem in retail and manufacturing. On average about 70% of the garment returns happen because of poor fit. Fast fashion and erratic clothing sizes have been a great contributor to the cloth waste crisis.

Solution:

• A physical store that measures our body profile using 3D scanning and uses AI to predict potential size changes over the next few months. Use of 3D printing such as 3D Knitting and printing using biodegradable plant-based ingredients. This could also enable the customer to recycle or biodegrade the clothes after use.
• Deploying highly engineered materials that can alter their behavior with different environments into a 3D printer can unlock new dimensions within the fashion industry. One example is incorporating highly stretchable elastomer gel hybrid materials. Also, potentially embedding digital sensors into the 3D printed fabric to track and monitor health or other physical activity better.
• Getting inspired from nature to find self-healing and robust materials can be a value add. Biological cartilage acts as the right example to find ultra-robust, self-healing, and biodegradable materials. This could help in achieving a zero-waste fashion industry in the near future.
• These walk-in stores can be contact-less and be experience stores to discuss the challenges with fast fashion. On top of providing the right fitting clothes – educating the end-consumer to alter their buying pattern would be critical to make the right change in this ecosystem.

Reference:

https://go.nature.com/3KHHkR8

https://bit.ly/35nJWDv

https://bit.ly/3r6bkyp

https://bit.ly/3IMBrk3

https://bit.ly/3IL1rfk

https://bit.ly/34cR854

https://bit.ly/3H9PpMb

https://bit.ly/3G6b9Hy

https://bit.ly/3rZfYNO

https://bit.ly/3u5Nyof