Engineering student, Arik Shukhman, who invented the world’s first automatic cable organiser graduated Bristol University on Thursday 10th July with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Arik co-founded the company Pebbl. Innovations with girlfriend Holly Brown during his final year at university.
The Pebbl. is pocket-sized, produced using plant-based PLA and, in its newest magnetic collection, stackable.
As CEO and Product Engineer, Arik said: “I discovered my love for product design and fabrication during my third-year project. I had this idea for a cable organiser I needed myself. When I saw it didn’t exist, I knew I had to try building it.”
Co-founder Holly graduated from Bristol last year with a BSC in Childhood Studies and now works as the Brand and Marketing Lead for Pebbl. Innovations.
Having identified a gap in the market, the startup received support from the University. The pair received business training and mentoring and went on to win £8,000 funding at the University’s New Enterprise Competition, run by the Basecamp Enterprise Team in the Careers Service.
Arik also made use of purpose-built university facility, the Hack Space, to 3D print his prototypes. After 30 tests of the first iteration and 100 more for the second, the Pebbl was finally ready for production.
All stock was produced and assembled in Arik’s student house where he had transformed his living room into a mini manufacturing lab.
The Pebbl. targets students and remote-workers. Arik said: “Being surrounded by other students was a huge advantage. We were able to conduct informal interviews across campus, shaping the final design around real user needs.”
Moving forward Arik and Holly hope to expand Pebbl. Innovations, embracing a global customer base and offering a wider range of innovative technology accessories.
Elizabeth Cameron, Senior Enterprise Advisor and Programme Lead for Enterprise and Start Up Support commented: “It’s inspiring to see a student take an idea from prototype to product, even more so when that journey leads to an award-winning start-up.”
“As a student inventor, Arik has shown remarkable creativity and ingenuity. We’re proud to have supported him and Holly through the New Enterprise Programme and look forward to seeing where they take Pebbl. next.”
