4 Start-ups That Save Lives

Did you know many entrepreneurs start businesses not driven by money or power? Yes, it is hard to believe there are successful business owners who want to create enterprises that save lives. Who are the entrepreneurs doing good and giving back to society? In the health industry, there are many examples of business heroes turning around the lives of vulnerable people. Plus, startups help to prevent dangerous situations and help people create safer environments for themselves. Below are 4 modern examples of startups that actually save lives.

Sober Steering

Sober Steering is a start-up company that certainly saves lives, as it helps stop drunk drivers. It’s led by a daughter-father team, Catherine Carroll and John Carroll. Sober Steering developed an advanced biosensor technology that non-invasively diagnoses the body’s condition to see if you are sober enough to drive.

Sober Steering has developed the world’s only touch-based alcohol interlock. Once you get behind the wheel and start your car, you simply place a hand on Sober Steering’s biosensor pad in the wheel, which detects alcohol by touch. The vehicle is immobilized if alcohol is detected and exceeds a pre-set limit. If you pass, you can drive, but random re-tests ensure that the driver maintains sobriety while en route.

This company is preventing drunk drivers from hurting themselves or others and preventing legal repercussions of drunk driving such as DUIs. Many people don’t understand the serious consequences of getting a DUI. This is one more reason not to get behind the wheel when you’re under alcohol.

Suncayr

Suncayr is a startup team of intelligent engineers and scientists on a mission to save lives and spread awareness about skin cancer. Skin cancer is one of the fastest and most preventable (greater than 95%) forms of cancer. The key word here is that it’s preventable, which is why Suncayr is committed to changing the way we protect ourselves from ultraviolet exposure.

The problem with sunscreen is that you can’t see when it’s working. It’s invisible. And, you can’t see or tell when your sunscreen has stopped working, either. How are you supposed to know if your sunscreen is still protecting your skin? How can you tell for sure when it’s time to re-apply sunscreen? Suncayr’s SPOT UV Stickers help you to see when your sunscreen has stopped working.

SPOT UV Stickers change to purple color with UV light, letting you know how effective your sunscreen is all day long. SPOTs color-changing designs that are easy to understand. SPOTs are designed to stick on your skin all day long, even when you’re swimming in the ocean at the beach or playing beach volleyball.

The UV index changes throughout the day, so you’ll see different shades of purple as the day goes on. If your sticker changes to any shade of purple, it means your skin is no longer protected, and you need to apply more sunscreen. We can help prevent skin cancer by using SPOT UV Stickers, and staying safe in the sun.

LifeStraw

Unsafe drinking water causes countless illnesses and deaths in developing countries. LifeStraw purifies water as it is sucked through the straw, filters, and a chamber imbued with iodine. Travelers love it, because it’s a portable straw that keeps them healthy and safe during their travels. If a traveler is unsure whether water is safe or unsafe, they can simply use the LifeStraw just in case.

You could drink straight from a muddy puddle and still be alright if you’re drinking through a LifeStraw This invention does give the water a slightly bitter taste, but that’s better than ingesting parasites and bacteria from unsafe water. Each LifeStraw can purify 700 liters of water before needing to be replaced.

They also have a water bottle with a built-in LifeStraw. LifeStraw Go uses award-winning filtration technology to remove bacteria, parasites, and chemicals found in water. It lasts up to 1,000 gallons. It’s straightforward to use: simply fill up the water bottle with any water source you see on the go and drink through the water bottle’s built-in straw.

LuminAID

When architecture graduate students Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta were asked to design a product to assist post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, they thought about the human need for food, water, shelter – and light. They considered how much more dangerous the conditions are at night if one is without light.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster or an unexpected emergency, you might be left without light, making a dangerous situation even more unsafe. This is especially true if you’re stranded at sea, and the water damage ruins any sources of light you may have had. Anna and Andrea invented an inflatable solar light that packs flat. This emergency light is called LuminAID, and that is their startup company’s name.

In their startup phase, Anna and Andrea made the first 50 prototypes by hand, and they traveled to villages in India to field test these prototypes of their solar-powered, inflatable light.

Now, more and more people are using LuminAID to stay safe. Hikers, backpackers, and emergency workers worldwide are using LuminAID as a reliable light source to light their way.

LuminAID was even featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, and they landed a deal with Mark Cuban. LuminAID has helped thousands of sufferers. 1000 LuminAID solar lanterns were distributed in Haiti as part of the Give Light, Get Light program after Hurricane Isaac, and LuminAID plans on continuing to help people stay safe.

Summary

Social enterprise businesses like these four startups are hugely exciting and thus attract a lot of interest and following from everyday consumers, philanthropists and business entrepreneurs.