Ted Zipoy and Timothy Straus are two college students that have launched Homilink, a company on a mission to connect people more and more with the internet-of-things. Inspired by the future of the internet, Zipoy and Straus are targeting the medical industry with an implantable technology product called Me ID. “Homilink was created to connect technology from your hand to the cloud… our goal is to be the industry standard in implantable technology,” explained Zipoy.
Inspiration
Zipoy credits his grandfather for his entrepreneurial spirit. As a second generation American, Zipoy’s grandfather started a small business as a diesel mechanic. Along with this relationship, Zipoy grew up in Kimbell, Minnesota learning how to tinker with farm equipment and build an array of things. “I have always wanted to follow in the entrepreneur footsteps of my grandfather. My time at NDSU has sparked my interest and passion to create and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities,” said Zipoy.
As a current junior at NDSU, Zipoy competed in the Innovation Challenge as a freshman and sophomore as well as currently participating as a current Innovation fellow. “I had the privilege of learning under Dr. David Wells… He pushed me into pursuing the innovation challenge and seeing the application and impact it can have on peoples’ lives,” explained Zipoy. The entrepreneurial ecosystem of NDSU and Fargo made a significant impact on Zipoy and fellow co-founder Timothy Straus, leading to the start of Homilink.
Innovation
As an innovation fellow, Zipoy traveled to California to visit the Google Campus in the fall of 2017. While on campus, Zipoy heard Ray Kurzweil, a world-renowned futurist, share that as the world of technology progresses there will be more and more connectedness to the internet as a person. “When I returned to Fargo, I knew that innovation could be done connecting people to the internet… I joined up with Timothy and we made plans for the launch of Homilink with our main product being an implantable piece of technology that could be multifunctional in its use,” said Zipoy.
Although the ultimate goal is for the implantable technology will be across multiple industries, the Homilink team is focused on the medical industry as a launching point. “For now our goal is to securely transmit information from a patient to an EMT or doctor through the ME ID, but in the future, we see our technology utilized in payments, access cars, computers and so much more,” explained Zipoy. As a source of inspiration, Zipoy’s brother was diagnosed with diabetes. Zipoy hopes Homilink will help save lives by sharing health information quickly in life-or-death situations.
In 2018, the Homilink team began in Fargo, North Dakota because of their belief in their belief in the city’s ability to offer everything they need to create a successful start-up. “We are blessed with the culture in Fargo… The more we looked into the ecosystem, we were more apt to jump into starting this business,” said Zipoy. Although companies exist in the implantable technology market, Zipoy and Straus are seeking to create a universal implantable product that will extend into countless industries from their headquarters here in Fargo, North Dakota.
