Potential Suppliers

Now, we want to discuss about some of the actors in the assistive industry. We divided them into categories that we, as a business, are going to be involved. Let’s begin with a few Potential Suppliers. Now, if you want more info. about them we’re glad to provide it in the Q&A section

Btw, these suppliers are considered to be “Mom/Shop”, since they’re not making products as a business:

• Prótesis Imbabura

It’s an organization that develops and manufactures prosthetic equipment in Imbabura Province, in Ecuador. They’re able to build their products with the help of key charity organizations and volunteers. Their few products are sold very cheap.

• Zottz

They manufacture a tech product that enhances motor skills. This is through sensorial feedback. They sell them through their website exclusively, at a very low price.

Now, Manufacturers:

• Proxtalker

This company manufactures and sells modular communication systems to help non-verbal people to communicate. They sell their products at a very high premium. They sell their products though their own website and retailers that are specialized in products for disabled people. Their products seem very simple and easy to copy, and we estimate that their marginal cost is very low.

• Action on Hearing Loss

They sell products for people with hearing disabilities. They’re actually a non-profit organization that also offers services, like access to job market, law advices, etc. Everything regarding hearing disabilities.

Let’s check some Marketplaces:

• Quirky

They basically transform an idea into a product and then they connect that product to buyers through their marketplace. They don’t sell assistive devices but it is a good way for sellers to develop those kind of products. In 2015 Quirky declared bankruptcy. Could be because there wasn’t necessarily a dependence from the users to the marketplace, since the business of the idea creators wasn’t to create ideas.