Peak of success for Dr Kam’s idea (From York Press)

Peak of success for Dr Kam’s idea

11:00am Tuesday 31st August 2010 in

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HOPEFULLY, there will be no cap on the profits that an invention devised in York, the iiCAP, will now make, thanks to help from the York Management School at the University of York.

Dr Kin Kam’s patented peak cap will make life easier for sportsmen and women who wear glasses.

The product, which was featured on BBC 2’s Dragon’s Den, has special support systems to secure spectacles or sunglasses to the peak of the cap, eliminating discomfort for the wearer and allowing them to be steady-eyed as they strike a ball or even jog.

Now Dr Kam, a University of York graduate who runs Inclusive Innovations Ltd, is being helped by the York Management School to create a higher quality product with better profit margins. Through a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) initiative, Dr Kiran Fernandes and Jordan Horsman, provided Inclusive Innovations with a clear business strategy.

This has given Dr Kam a set of operational and strategic procedures and helped it to secure a conduit to high-profile venture capital.

Dr Kam, whose invention recently won a prize at the China UK Entrepreneurship Challenge at the University College London, said: “This collaboration has enabled my company to be significantly better prepared for upcoming investment rounds.”

Dr Fernandes said: “This is an example of how small and medium-sized enterprises can work with us to develop their business strategy and bring about a change in their working practices.”

Jordan Horsman said: “Bridging the gap between academic and practitioner studies is an interesting and valuable experience, especially when it involves a local business that offers innovative products to improve everyday life.”

The team is now working with a Manchester company with sport product development expertise to launch new branded iiCAP accessories in October.

The company is also working with the researchers to develop two sets of products, one for prescription spectacle wearers, and the second for helmet wearers such as climbers, construction workers and the police.