Nanodropper’s 2020 Year in Review
The year 2020 has been unforgettable for all the wrong reasons — the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted virtually every aspect of life for every human being on Earth. In the United States, the pandemic has shed light on the inequities baked into every aspect of the healthcare system, with millions of Americans losing their health insurance as jobs dried up and businesses were forced to close or reduce staff for extended periods.
These hardships have only hardened the Nanodropper team’s resolve. As a company, we decided to keep pushing ahead with our mission to help patients take back control of their eye health.
So as we reflect on a difficult year, we’re also reflecting on what a transformative time it has been for Nanodropper. Here are some of the moments that have helped the Nanodropper team get through the year 2020!
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After more than two years of prototyping, competing in competitions, tracking down funding and investors, we officially opened up pre-sales for the Nanodropper adaptor in January.
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In February, we graduated from the University of Washington Accelerator, where our company’s first prototype funding came from back in 2017.
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On April 9, we launched our NanoNews blog, focused on educating patients about eye health and sharing exciting updates about Nanodropper. Our first blog covered the Nanodropper adaptor and its amazing value proposition for patients!
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In June, the first patent for Nanodropper was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
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Despite delays in US medical device sterilization, pre-sales were fulfilled and we started shipping out Nanodroppers to patients and clinics in June — in the middle of the pandemic!
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Beginning in the summer, Nanodropper made its first hires, including Kristi Hargiss, Alena Rainsberry, and Robbie Spencer.
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On August 26, Nanodropper became a Phase II contractor with the Department of Defense through a United States Air Force SBIR contract.
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In October, we launched our Give the Gift of Vision Program that supplies free Nanodroppers to individuals who cannot afford their medications — a big step in our mission to ensure that everyone has access to vision-saving medication.
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Most recently, the four co-founders of Nanodropper, Allisa Song, Mackenzie Andrews, Jennifer Steger, PhD, and Elias Baker, were named to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in healthcare.
With 2021 right around the corner, we can’t thank everyone enough who have supported Nanodropper from the beginning. Each and every one of you, including those who are hearing of our company and its mission for the first time, have played a pivotal role in our success thus far. We pledge to hit the ground running in 2021 and continue trying to improve the world of eye health, one drop at a time.
From the whole Nanodropper team, we wish you a happy, healthy holiday season and a happy new year!
Author: Robbie Spencer
I understand the concept of a much smaller drop, with this device.
But– my concern is “what happens to the remainder of the 1 drop released out of the original eye drop container?
I am concerned of contamination left inbetween the main dropper and the nanodrop device.
Please help me understand.
Hi Coni, great question! The Nanodropper forms a fluid-tight seal with the original eyedrop bottle tip. By doing this, the Nanodropper can restrict the amount of fluid that comes out of the bottle, all of the extra medication that is normally wasted just stays in the bottle. Feel free to reach out to us at support@nanodropper.com with any more questions or clarification.