Founded by Zaw Thet Aung and Dr Ngo Tung, WaveBoost aims to enable long-range wireless power transfer for Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. They are motivated to create something more sustainable to power IoT devices in our technologically-driven world. Additionally, the current power method of using battery and power cable is unsustainable. With their product, possible hassles involving complex wired infrastructure or frequent battery replacements could be reduced.
So how did WaveBoost come about? While working in a research lab setting, Zaw and Dr Ngo had a lot of time to develop and test the technology. Results of their tests highlighted potential benefits of bringing such a technology to the real world. Their hard work bore fruit when they were selected for the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP). Through this they were able to commit a large proportion of time to their start-up.
WaveBoost Co-Founders Dr Ngo Tung (left) and Zaw Thet Aung (right)
WaveBoost is currently undergoing pilot trials with customers in the area of facility management, asset tracking and logistics. This is because wireless sensors are commonly used in these areas and will become more prevalent in the future. Whilst these are just starting points, WaveBoost hopes to expand into other areas and industries eventually.
Long-range wireless power transfer technology is still a new concept and not many organisations in the world are focusing on such technology today. To increase accessibility, WaveBoost is developing their own approach and technical solution to bring the technology from a lab setting to our daily lives. Zaw and Dr Ngo have also adopted a holistic philosophy when it comes to problem-solving – looking at all factors such as market requirements, product functionalities, customers’ pain points and many more to improve on and adapt their ideas.
“As an early-stage startup, we are thankful for all the support we can get. We are very fortunate to be welcomed into the NUS Enterprise community, starting with having an office space that is surrounded by many other start-ups. We are able to draw inspiration and learn from them whenever we are at the office.”
- Zaw Thet Aung and Dr Ngo Tung
Since the start of 2020, NUS Enterprise has been actively working with WaveBoost. WaveBoost has been awarded the Startups GoGlobal and Tough Love grants, which provide them with financial support and collaborations with skilled master engineers from NUS Enterprise’s MVP studio to further support their product development. Zaw and Dr Ngo are also grateful for NUS Enterprise’s support in connecting them with potential customers and investors, along with the much-needed space provided for hardware development, prototype testing and small-scaled trials.
To date, WaveBoost has won the Weston Robot’s 2019 Deep-Tech Startup Competition, represented Singapore at The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Education Alliance of China Annual Conference 2019 and attained a Silver Award, along with being awarded with Enterprise Singapore’s SG Founder Grant.
As for WaveBoost’s future, Zaw and Dr Ngo are aiming to complete their product design and certification process by the end of 2021 and carry out successful pilot trials with customers. They are also always on the lookout for like-minded, passionate and talented individuals to join their team.
WaveBoost is currently incubated at the NUS Enterprise @Singapore Science Park facility.
To find out more about WaveBoost, visit https://www.waveboost.net/ or their LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/waveboost/. You can also drop an email to Mr Zaw at zawthetaung@waveboost.net.