Queensland innovators sort sunnies

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GOLD COAST innovator Jim Richards wanted to tackle a particularly Sunshine State problem: safe yet accessible in-vehicle storage of sunglasses. It was a persistent problem dear to his heart, as he has made a career in the eyewear industry.

However, after getting Brisbane industrial design firm, Involve to assist in the products development, he found he had a far more versatile in-vehicle item storage solution on his hands. 

The Vyza Grab Strap began as a car visor-mounted storage solution to hold sunglasses, but during the rigorous testing phase the team realised it could be used to hold a multitude of other items such as mobile phones, garage door openers, wallets, pens and paper, credit cards, documents and more.

Mr Richards joked that the results of the Vyza development showed the simplest solution to a problem works the best.

“After 20 years in the eyewear industry, people kept telling me how they damaged their sunglasses in the car by sitting on them, or leaving them in the glove box or console, and I couldn’t believe that no one had attempted a product to remedy this,” Mr Richards said. In early testing, the product proved especially popular for people who spent a long time in their vehicles, such as drivers of courier vans, buses, taxis and trucks, as well as emergency service workers and sales representatives.

“Not only are customers using their Vyza to hold an assortment of goodies in the car, they’re also finding alternative uses for it including keeping documents, iPads and mobile phones held together when travelling, holding snow skis together when walking with them, and one has even been used as an emergency dog collar,” Mr Richards said.

He said the Vyza grab strap is adjustable to fit all cars, and incorporates three innovative silicone ‘grip strips’ on the inner surface to ensure that whatever is needed to stay in place will.

Like so many Australian inventors, cash to scale up production and new research and development have been hard to find.

To help fund further production and introduce Vyza to a global audience, the team behind it has decided to use the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.
“Our cash reserves are exhausted after spending more than a year getting the project to this stage, so we really need a little bit of help to get to the next level of seeking international agents, especially in the USA where we have already had some interest,” Mr Richards said.

“We’re offering Vyza Grab Straps to anyone who helps us reach our goal of $8000, and orders placed during the campaign will be delivered in time for Christmas.” 

Vyza Grab Straps are currently priced at $15 and Mr Richards said he hoped the exclusivity of the units as gifts would help to accelerate the capital raising.

www.vyza.com.au

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