WIMTACH brings Kookken one step closer to commercialization

As people live longer and the population of seniors in Canada continues to increase, innovative solutions are necessary to a successful adjustment to this reality. The digital health industry is showing incredible promise – there are disruptive technologies, ground-breaking management systems, numerous commercialized products and revolutionary ideas on their way. With over 90 companies assisted and over 55 new products and technologies developed, WIMTACH is proud to do its part to partner with and encourage small to medium-sized businesses and enterprises to continue to contribute at a local and national level.

WIMTACH has recently completed a project with Kookken, a Brampton-based start-up that creates computer-assisted cooking solutions, under the College and Voucher Technology Adoption (CVTA) program. The CVTA program connects eligible Ontario for-profit and incorporated companies with Ontario colleges with the expertise and resources to solve their business and innovation challenges. WIMTACH was awarded 15 vouchers, each worth $10,000, and the ability to choose its collaborators. Kookken, founded by retired engineer Shah Husain, was selected by WIMTACH for its investment in innovation in the digital healthcare industry.

Kookken’s proprietary product is the Kookken System, which allows users to record and save critical parameters of cooking – temperature and timing – in the cloud. Afterwards, it can be downloaded via Bluetooth technology and the cooking method can then be adopted. “If you can capture it on the internet, then you can reproduce it. Now the temperature in this product is captured every second,” explains Husain.

For Husain the challenge was showing potential clients about the feasibility of his idea because of one missing item – a prototype. “I had an idea that I was trying to make work. I was very lucky to find WIMTACH to make it into an actuality. The idea is now working,” says Husain. After Kookken became an industry partner through CVTA, WIMTACH provided concept design and feasibility tests as well as product development and validation services to ensure that the product was in the best position to be commercialized.

Husain is looking forward to that day, and hopes to continue his partnership with WIMTACH:

“I was very pleased when I came to WIMTACH. The experience has been excellent. [WIMTACH’s] technical expertise, especially which was shown by the students, was first-grade. The professors were very cooperative. I have nothing but praise for the service I received.”

For more information about this project, please visit the Kookken website here.

WIMTACH proudly recognizes funding to support this work from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the College Voucher for Technology Adoption (CVTA) program of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).