Part 4/10:
The development journey was fraught with obstacles. The team faced technical, financial, and emotional hurdles, especially during the initial phases. Back in 2017, a significant milestone was receiving a $250,000 NSF grant, which helped fund prototype development. However, the grant quickly depleted—a common hurdle in hardware startups—leading to a prolonged period of no funding, nearly 18 months long.
During this drought, Keith and Kevin taught classes and provided consulting services to make ends meet, all while relentlessly refining their product. This period of scarcity tested their resilience, but it also reinforced their core motivation: a desire to create something meaningful and a belief in their technology’s potential.