Mass-production of the “Mobile Recharger,” Supported by the LINC Foundation
The Enlighten Co., social ventures, which has founded by the School of IDE’s Alumni developed an up-cycling power pack, “BETTER RE”, which is made from used cellphone’s batteries and the Enlighten Co. has plans of mass-production ahead. The Enlighten Co. planned funding through American crowed funding web-site, Kick Starter, and the funding will progress for about a month from May 11. The mass-production will be decided as per the result of funding.
* Crowd Funding: the method of investment which means raising funds from the general public through internet or social media.
The business progress details of Enlighten Co.’s crowd funding can be found at:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/betterre/better-re-upcycling-power-pack-reusing-smartphone
School of Industrial Design Engineering, IDE, is the only a major in the country which concentrates on art education mainly with practical exercise. Now the alumnus of IDE who are organizing Enlighten Co., CEO Ki-yong Shin, Jeong-yeon Sung, Jung-sik Kim, were educated by this education system for four years. They designed the products how they imagined, developed physical mock products, and have plans of mass-production ahead.
The Enlighten Co. received supports from the business support center of LINC foundation and KOREATECH’s company support infrastructure the last January, and it also received marketing support from enrolled students’ company support center of LINC foundation.
Below is interview of the CEO Ki-yong Shin.
Q1. Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I am the CEO of the Enlighten Co. makes brighter world, Ki-yong Shin.
Q 2. I heard your graduation project “W-bike” received a lot of attention.
I majored the Industrial Design Engineering. From an early age, I have concerned about a design supporting disadvantaged people and social renovation. Consequently, I designed the rehabilitation bike, which both disabled and non-disabled people ride together, for my graduation project. Looking back, I have learned the ability of integrated thinking with design and engineering through my school’s curriculum.
Q3. Could you explain foundation of the Enlighten Co. and the “BETTER RE?”
Since the time of designing the project I was concerned about the world’s energy problem and hoped to solving it. Therefore, I founded the company which develops sustainable energy solutions, Enlighten Co. However, it was too difficult to start out of field business. So, I looked around and I found an energy problem when we are using mobile devices even we are living in a world which has plenty of energy. It became a motivation which led me to start the business up-cycling power pack, “BETTER RE”.
Q 4. How did you develop the “BETTER RE?”
First of all, I produced a multi-clip which is compatible with various sizes of batteries for the BETTER RE and applied an expansion-pack for expanding the capacity of battery. I developed the design of the product and prototype in the past year. I also made a website and released the brand name. Furthermore, I won the Red Dot global design prize on the design process. We are now in the step just before mass-production and preparing for launch through Kick-Starter, the biggest American funding platform.
Q 5. What is your future plan?
Enlighten Co. will grow to global social-venture, and we have vision to the third world countries. We hope to light up the dark areas of the world for impoverished people and make a brighter world.
School of IDE Alumni Jeong-yeon Sung (1st), Ki-yong Shin (3rd) , Jeong-sik Kim (4th)
Development process of BETTER RE and winning a concept field prize at Red Dot Design Award of Germany
