Supplyframe DesignLab Helps Launch Smart Handwashing Assistant

PASADENA, California — Supplyframe today came clean on its role as a launchpad for Hand IQ, which is bringing to market a smart handwashing assistant at a time in which handwashing is one of humanity’s best tools for combating the global coronavirus pandemic. Supplyframe DesignLab, a 4,900-square-foot research and development studio for entrepreneurs and inventors, provided Hand IQ with a wealth of professional-grade tools to facilitate collaboration in the startup’s art, manufacturing, product design, and technology.

“Without Supplyframe’s early support and resource sharing, Hand IQ would not be where it is today – ready to tackle a pandemic head-on by launching a product with the mission and vision to save 1 million lives in 10 years by building a culture of clean hands through the global use of our smart handwashing assistant,” said Sean Podvent, founder and CEO of Hand IQ. “We’re grateful to Supplyframe for its creative, technological, and financial support and expertise.”

“Supplyframe welcomed Sean into DesignLab back in 2017 to help make the mundane but vital practice of handwashing fun,” said Supplyframe CEO Steve Flagg. “Three years and one pandemic later, it has become clear that this is a partnership that both drives innovation and can save lives. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says one of the best ways to stop deadly diseases like COVID-19 from spreading is to wash or sanitize your hands frequently.”

The Hand IQ assistant, which attaches to soap or sanitizing dispensers, uses sensors and Bluetooth technology to anonymously detect an individual’s presence in a shared area, like a bathroom, kitchen, or conference room. It reminds people to wash their hands and guides them through the process of how to thoroughly do that. Hand IQ’s mobile app reinforces team and individual accountability through compliance data dashboards and real-time reporting. And businesses can leverage “clean hands verified by Hand IQ” signage and digital marketing materials, which are especially valuable resources for businesses such as restaurants. A recent Datassential study notes “safety trumps everything” when it comes to restaurant re-openings.

Hand IQ is in pilot tests and discussions with Kitchen United Mix, Del Taco, and other undisclosed quick service and fast-casual restaurant chains. The smart handwashing assistant is also suitable for healthcare, retail environments, and the consumer home. Hand IQ is now accepting orders for the devices, which will ship in volume starting in the first quarter of 2021.

“It has been rewarding to help Hand IQ develop and bring its solution to market,” said Flagg. “Getting involved in early product development by supporting companies such as Hand IQ provides us with valuable insight into market trends, what’s next, and what it means for the supply chain.”

About Supplyframe

Supplyframe aligns electronics demand with supply and brings new levels of resiliency to the global electronics value chain, with transformative, intelligence-based solutions to deliver insights at key decision points throughout the entire design-to-source product lifecycle. Leveraging billions of continuous signals of design intent, demand, supply, and risk factors, Supplyframe’s Design-to-Source Intelligence (DSI) Platform is the world’s richest intelligence resource for the electronics industry. Over 10 million engineering and supply chain professionals worldwide engage with our SaaS solutions, search engines and media properties to power rapid innovation and optimize in excess of $120 billion in annual direct materials spend. Supplyframe is headquartered in Pasadena, Calif., with offices in Austin, Belgrade, Grenoble, Oxford, San Francisco, Shanghai and Shenzhen. To join the Supplyframe community, visit supplyframe.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.