April 10 marked the three-year anniversary of OxiWear. What started as an idea to help me monitor my oxygen levels in an accurate, unobtrusive and stylish way, has led to a journey of founding a startup company, learning to pitch in a multitude of competitions, networking across the globe, and becoming a female entrepreneur and CEO . My passion for OxiWear not only stems from the idea that it will help me (a pulmonary hypertension patient), but it remains steadfast from the support I have received from people around the world, wishing for the success of the company, so they can use the product themselves or recommend it to a loved one or someone they know.
In the beginning, as I was searching for financial backing for an oxygen monitoring device, oxygen monitoring was not at the forefront of people’s minds. I had to explain the importance of why fluctuating oxygen levels could be a risk for cardiac arrest and stroke. Then came COVID-19. Unfortunately, as the disease spread globally, one of the main outcomes was the renewed focus on the importance of knowing your oxygen levels to ensure that your heart and pulmonary system are working correctly.
As I built my team from a dedicated few software and hardware engineers, the product design and programming began to come together. By the end of 2021, we’d closed our pre-seed funding round, finalized our design for manufacturing and participated in two accelerators that helped us to continue to refine our go-to-market strategy. In 2022, we started the FDA application process and signed a memorandum of understanding with an elite, high altitude racing organization. More partnerships are in the works and will be announced in the coming months.
As we continue to grow and plan to launch our product in 2022, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on the journey so far – to thank my supporters, to thank my team, and to thank everyone who has inspired me to continue on this often challenging, but more rewarding, life experience called a startup. Thanks for taking time to read this and again, please know that I sincerely appreciate your support and encouragement throughout this entire process. Stay tuned – 2022 will be the most exciting year for OxiWear to date.
