Sydneysider - 24 year old cancer survivor Nikhil Autar knows the hardship of being interned in a hospital room. After being diagnosed with leukemia he saw firsthand the consequences and complications faced by weakened patients falling while they tried to get out of bed. After he left the hospital, Nikhil set out to make a difference in their lives and founded the company Get To Sleep Easy.
Nikhil and a team of engineers develop the first ever Walking Frame “Walker” which comes to you, and a $200 hospital bed alternative, called the “Adjustable Wedge Pillow” that can alert caretakers when someones’ fallen or stopped breathing at night.
According to Get To Sleep Easy falls are the most common cause of hospitalisation outside of pregnancy, and as many as 35% of seniors will have a fall every year, estimates put the rates of those in aged care facilities between 50 – 75%. As stated by Get To Sleep Easy they account for over a quarter of all emergency department presentations, and of those who have a serious fall, 25% will go on to die within a year of falling.
“What inspired the hospital bed, and the falls reducing functions of the bed were my own experiences in the hospital, and my knowledge as a medical student of just how deadly some of the complications of hospital stays can be. I fell 3 times in the hospital, twice during chemo into my father's arms, and the other, when getting up from a wheelchair which made an emergency worse”,explained Nikhil.
The idea to make an animation of the prototype came at a crucial moment in the company, wanting bring to life the product on order to attract interest from the general population as well as possible investors, Nikhil searched in different design agencies trying to find a reasonable price. “Agencies were limited and we had a minimum rate of $ 3.000 from an agency, and a maximum of $12.000, It was way too high, and their timelines not timely either”.
While looking for a graphic designer for a logo on Google he found Freelancer.com and entered the contest feature. By specifying his needs in the Public Classification Board Nikhil was able to see what were the freelancers impressions of the project prior to committing to one. It also allowed him to have discussions and negotiations with contestants.
Over 30 participants entered their bids providing previews of not just quality and dedication of our future work, but also their understanding of what the hospital bed was.
Nikhil ending up selecting graphic designer Mohammed from Dhaka, Bangladesh who is a full time freelancer that specializes in visual effects, 3D modelling, rendering and visualization. His profile had five stars scores.
“Freelancer.com is perfect for startups like us who need to keep costs low in early stages of our business to ensure we can make important missions and products like ours a success”, stated Autar.
Having a demonstration video early on offered Get To Sleep Easy legitimacy as they worked on getting a prototype. Get to Sleep Easy is a social enterprise that donates 100% of its profits to charity, so using a platform like Freelancer.com offered Nikhil a way to make his dream come true with a limited budget.
Get to Sleep Easy is generating traction fast. In the near future they are organizing numerous crowdfunding campaigns based off products which fix #FirstWorldProblems to increase their social presence. Clips from this animation will be used in our campaign videos.
“We’ve accomplished much in our first 6 months. We’ve gotten interest from nursing homes and international NGOs for our product. We’ve won a startup pitch competition at Sydney’s premiere startup hub, Fishburners. We’re currently partnered with international organizations like Engineers Without Borders and Random Hacks of Kindness to make our products better”, concluded Nikhil.
Freelancer.com is happy to be able to contribute to Nikhil’s dream of saving thousand of lives and is proud that NGOs have taken an interest in his innovation and hopes it can continue providing solutions in the near future.
Get To Sleep Easy and Nikhil have a bright few months to come, they are looking forward to further innovations and keep making a difference.
