Great Achievements: Smart Shoes and an Important Invention Get inspired by these recent wins for the entrepreneurial community.
By Nina Zipkin
Looking for inspiration? Here's look back at some of last week's most impressive achievements from a slate of game-changing entrepreneurs.
A pair of smart shoes
A New York tech startup called Technologie is developing a pair of smart sneakers called ShiftWear. The customizable shoes come with video displays on both sides, and link up with a mobile app to change the designs on the shoes whenever the wearer wants. The company has taken to IndieGoGo to crowdfund the project, and has exceeded the initial goal of $25,000 to more than $400,000 with the help of over 1,600 backers. The shoes are expected to ship in Fall 2016.
Related: These Awesome Video-Playing Sneakers Have Raised More Than $300,000 on Indiegogo
A significant valuation
Home-share startup Airbnb raised $1.5 billion in a funding round this summer, which makes the company valued at $25.5 billion. This is the third highest valuation for a currently operation startup, with Xiaomi valued at $46 billion and Uber at more than $40 billion and climbing as of June 2015.
Related: Airbnb Is Now the Third-Highest Valued Startup After Massive $1.5 Billion Funding Round
Dignitana is a medical technology company based out of Stockholm, Sweden that has developed a device called the DigniCap®, a patented system that cools the scalp, constricting the blood vessels therein, in an effort to decrease the hair loss in patients that occurs when they are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. It is the first system its kind to be cleared for marketing in the US by the FDA, but so far only female breast cancer patients are permitted to use it.
Related: 3-D Printing Points Way to Smarter Cancer Treatment