Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
November 28, 2016 01:00 AM

20-somethings offer fresh take on old concept of pillboxes

Mary Ann Azevedo
Crain's Houston
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Crain's Houston
    EllieGrid works by allowing a user to store pills by type, rather than by time and day, so it takes seconds to refill the box. All a user has to do is dump a pill bottle into the section designated for that pill type – rather than divide a pill bottle up between multiple boxes based on time and day.

    Abe Matamoros came up with the idea for EllieGrid in 2015 after a family trip to Mexico to visit his grandfather.

    When they arrived at his grandfather's home, the elderly man was unresponsive, shivering and ill. The family eventually realized he hadn't taken his medications in three days. Part of the reason was that he grew frustrated that it took him between 30 minutes and one hour to organize his pills in weekly organizers printed with the days on the top and times on the side.

    The experience frightened 22-year-old Matamoros so much he decided something needed to be done to address the problem. He reached out to his friend Regina Vatterott, who was a student at St. Edward's University in Austin at the time and working for an advertising company serving independent pharmacies.

    The pair did some research and realized there were smart pill dispensers on the market – but they cost around $800 on top of a monthly fee.

    “That's just not realistic for most people,” COO Vatterott said. “Especially considering people spend so much money on medicines and healthcare already.”

    The budding entrepreneurs found that pillboxes are not just for the elderly. Adults of all ages who take supplements or vitamins as well medicines could use a more efficient way to organize their pills and remember when to take them.

    Taking action

    Both college students at the time, Vatterott and Matamoros – who are now both 23 – went to Radio Shack and Hobby Lobby and put together what Vatterott describes as “an ugly prototype” that was enough to show their teachers. There were a few factors behind the naming of the product. They chose Ellie (short for elephant), according to Vatterott, because elephants "have notoriously good memories." Ellie also means light and the company uses LEDs. Since Ellie is also a name, the team hopes that one day people will be able to speak to it by making requests such as "Ellie, order me a refill." Grid is for the grid-like design

    The duo teamed up with friends with engineering backgrounds and started doing business plan competitions. So far, EllieGrid has raised a total of $43,000 in cash from awards and competitions and more than $100,000 in resources such as materials and access to rapid prototyping. Awards include first place at the IBM Health Hackathon and at a Health 2.0 competition.

    Now their smart pill product, EllieGrid, is pre-selling on Indiegogo for $99 for a limited time. It will ultimately retail for $119. Pre-sales began Nov. 10 and by Nov. 23, the company had exceeded its funding goal of $40,000. The four-person team is all either still in school or recently graduated. The company has dual headquarters in Austin and Houston.

    Most of the team members live at home with their parents to save money to build the company. Although EllieGrid has had offers for funding in the $1 million range, the founders have chosen to wait before accepting large investments.

    “We knew if we could wait until we had our product polished and built out, we could get better terms,” said Vatterott. “We didn't want to have to give up equity in our company.”

    Recently the company did take some "a small amount" of outside money from Houston investor Robert Bobo, which they plan to put toward manufacturing the first batch of the product in the U.S.

    “We know it's more expensive than doing it in Asia but we want to be able to keep a closer eye on how it goes so if something's wrong, we will find out right away, rather than months later,” said Vatterott, who majored in entrepreneurship.

    “I can't picture myself doing anything but pillboxes now,” she said. “We see this not as a medical device, but as a health accessory.”

    How it works

    EllieGrid works by allowing a user to store pills by type, rather than by time and day, so it takes seconds to refill the box. All a user has to do is dump a pill bottle into the section designated for that pill type – rather than divide a pill bottle up between multiple boxes based on time and day.

    The pillbox is paired with a mobile app, into which users – or their loved ones or caregivers – enter prescription information, specifically times and days of the week when pills must be taken.

    When it's time to take a certain type of medication, an alarm rings and lights on the lid illuminate, indicating which pills to take and how many. A grid design on the lid lines up with the seven boxes below, so that the lights go on directly above the pills to be taken at that particular moment.

    Users get reminders every day via the mobile app. Loved ones or caregivers can also sign up for a text message whenever a user has not opened the pillbox as scheduled.

    Carolyn Rodz, founder and CEO of Circular Board, a Houston-based accelerator for women entrepreneurs, heard about Vatterott and EllieGrid through a mutual contact. She encouraged her to apply for one of Circular Board's accelerator classes.

    “One of the things that stood out to me is they have a really unique take on a simple product,” she said. “They're keeping it simple, which is particularly important when dealing with senior care, which can be complex.”

    Rodz also sees broad applications beyond senior care.

    “There's a younger generation that takes supplements for various reasons and this product helps users keep their checks and balances with their pills,” she said. “This is a very intuitive product. And this is very fresh take on a very old space.”

    Youthful advantage

    The team's youth gives them an edge, she believes.

    “This is going to appeal to far beyond the 60-plus market,” Rodz said. “What you're seeing is the innovation of pillboxes from a young team with a fresh take on design and technology.”

    Indeed, the internet of things – the connection of devices to the internet – is increasingly taking over a wide range of industries. Cisco Systems predicts there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020.

    Investor Bobo has known Matamoros since he was young and is impressed with his commitment to the company ability “to keep expenses to a bare minimum.”

    “It's hard to find people that committed,” he said. Overall, Bobo agrees that EllieGrid has broad applications.

    “I see a big fit with those in the sports industry taking supplements,” he said. “Both baby boomers and the younger generations will appreciate the simplicity in its technology.”

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Canadian pipe maker Soleno expanding to US
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    ExxonMobil weighing options for more chemical recycling capacity
    2
    Wilbert Plastic Services adjusts to changes with new owner, leadership
    3
    PepsiCo on a ‘multiyear journey' toward bioplastics
    4
    After years of challenges, can secondary sortation take off?
    5
    Biden sets US goal to replace 90% of plastics with biomaterials
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified