Introducing: The Coral Guardian

09.02.2022

The "Coral Monitor" measuring device: The coral monitor measures the alkalinity as well as the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, phosphate and nitrate. The measurements are chemical-based and optically evaluated. For the reagents we use cartridges - similar to printer cartridges - which are refilled by us. Thus, the user does not have to refill any reagents, but can exchange the cartridges.

Current status: Our very first prototype has successfully completed its first long-term test at the University of Giessen. For six weeks, it measured the alkalinity there and achieved very good results. It has reflected fluctuations in the system by a drop in the measurement results. Yesterday (18.01.), a second prototype that can measure calcium, magnesium and alkalinity went into a long-term test at Frankfurt Zoo for at least twelve weeks, where it is already connected to the app. In parallel, we are expanding the prototype to include phosphate and nitrate and plan to test the expanded prototype with further pilot customers in Q1 of this year. Initially, the coral monitor will be available to larger facilities such as zoos or breeding facilities, so that any necessary maintenance work can be carried out by us. For the final market entry, it is first necessary to establish suitable distribution structures, especially for our cartridge system. The timing of our market entry is difficult to predict at this stage, as we are still in the prototype phase. According to the current plan, the market entry will take place Q1 next year.
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Our app "Typus": Typus is the associated app of the coral monitor and will be available for iOS, Android and as a web version. Typus processes the measured values of the coral monitor and helps the aquarist to bring them to an optimum. Typus can also be used without the coral monitor by entering data manually. A beta test with 60 users is already underway. In Q1 of this year, Typus will leave the beta stage and be released in the app stores. We are currently integrating more features that have emerged from our testers' feedback, such as additional documentation options and to-dos with a reminder function.

What is important to us: We want to develop together with our future customers from the very beginning and bring products to the market that they like to use. In addition to the user-friendliness of our products, we also strive for sustainability, which we implement, for example, through our refillable cartridges and use as many recyclable materials as possible.

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How our start-up came about: The idea was born in Tim's living room at home when he was maintaining his saltwater aquarium and the weekly measurement of the water values was due. As an automation and measurement engineer with a Master's degree from RWTH Aachen University, he decided to automate the weekly measurements with a device for his own aquarium. As his girlfriend, I witnessed on a daily basis how demanding the maintenance of an aquarium can be. After the first loss of a tank inhabitant despite the best possible care, I thought that something had to be done, had to be developed, in order to be able to offer the fish and corals in the aquarium more stable and safe conditions and to make care easier. After talking to keepers, retailers and biologists and seeing the need in the industry, we decided to develop our idea into a start-up. I then took up the idea in my master's degree in communication and product design at Aachen University of Applied Sciences and worked on the concept and design of the app. To develop our entrepreneurial skills, we took part in the TRACE programme, a cross-university start-up support programme run by FH and RWTH Aachen University. This is also how we found our co-founder Michael, who is a mathematically technical software developer and is responsible for programming the coral guardian and Typus. To realise our idea, we applied for the EXIST Gründerstipendium, which we have been receiving since May 2021, making the realisation of the Korallenwächter and Typus possible.

Contact:
www.korallenwaechter.com
instagram: korallen_waechter
facebook: Coral Guardians
info@korallenwaechter.com

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