Between classes, Georgia Tech student Sammie Hasen would research and develop healthcare products for women.
That's when she noticed a problem.
Her friends would consistently forget their birth control pills at home, which meant taking them at an inconsistent time every day — thus rendering them less effective.
As a biomedical engineering major, Hasen planned for her startup, Medsur Inc., to create much-needed healthcare products or women (such as leakproof tampons), but found they were often complicated by regulations.
When she realized a solution for her friends' problem, though, she changed course.
Hasen created BCase, a sleeve for birth control cases that attaches to the back of a phone, allowing women to subtly carry around their pills without worrying about forgetting them.
“You never forget your phone,” Hasen said.
She talked to more than 300 women and tested different designs to make a thin and easy-to-use case. Now, she’s at the end of her Kickstarter campaign to fund manufacturing and is a finalist for Georgia Tech’s Inventure Prize, an innovation competition for students and recent graduates.
With three days left in the Kickstarter campaign, Hasen has raised more than $4,500 — surpassing her $3,500 goal. That money will go toward a down-payment for manufacturing. She’s working with Product Quickstart, a startup founded by a Georgia Tech graduate that connects small companies with manufacturers.
The cases, which Hasen designed herself, are priced at $15.95, according to the website. Hasen said she hopes to start sales by June.
An innovative spirit
Ever since enrolling in Georgia Tech, Hasen knew she wanted to innovate. She founded a small t-shirt company at 14 years old and a nonprofit for children with autoimmune diseases at 15.
“I’ve been a very entrepreneurial person,” Hasen said. “I’ve just always loved creating — seeing problems and finding ways to solve them.”
Hasen went through Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X student accelerator program with Medsur before coming up with the BCase idea. That program taught her the basics about how to be a founder and opened networking opportunities in the startup ecosystem.
She plans to rebrand Medsur, a name initially chosen for medical products, as she continues down the consumer manufacturing path.
“My passion is innovating products for women,” Hasen said. “I really love consumer products and getting to interact with customers.”
