During the COVID-19 pandemic, a couple of Polytechnic graduates thought about how to make money by selling disinfectants and sanitizers they made themselves, but they realized that people were looking for other necessary cleaning products and considered a way to capitalize on a range of products for various uses, thus Withlaboratories was born.
The initial idea came from Luis Alfonso Velázquez Martínez, a graduate of the Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas (ESFM), who, while working on creating a molecule that mimics the properties of a surfactant, made his product more effective than those already on the market.
Moreover, he used his knowledge of pure and applied mathematics to create the artificial intelligence "Minerva," a neural network architecture that mimics the physicochemical properties of the chemicals they need, supported by a comprehensive formulation involving biotechnology and nanotechnology to develop very specific formulas for everyday products that greatly reduce the percentage of chemicals used by commercial brands.
To develop the business model, the sales approach, and make it attractive in the market, Alfonso partnered with Luis Roberto Arias Treque, a graduate of Commercial Relations from the Escuela Superior de Comercio y Administración (ESCA), Santo Tomás Unit, who has a knack for marketing and finance, thanks to his professional training.
The graduates built an independent laboratory, where 5 molecules emerged, and their first commercial product from Withlaboratories called "Alchemy," an effective detergent for cleaning stains, dirt, grime, and unpleasant odors from clothing.
At a time threatened by drought and environmental pollution, cleaning products made with biodegradable enzymes through artificial intelligence from Witlaboratories are an excellent option for human health and the environment.
"The biomolecules and nanoparticles used in the formula, in addition to washing and disinfecting garments, also soften them, and since it does not produce foam, it only requires a single washing cycle, which greatly reduces excessive consumption of water, electricity, and time, as well as chemicals that "Alchemy" is an effective detergent for cleaning stains, dirt, grime, and unpleasant odors from clothing contaminate the environment because it is biodegradable and hypoallergenic," highlighted Alfonso Velázquez.
For this technological development, the young entrepreneurs were awarded the ILAN Prize for University Innovation IPN 2023; they also succeeded in the Projects Catwalk of the Directorate of Technological Business Incubation (DIET); in Climathon, a contest organized by the European Union, in its Mexico edition, as well as in the Climate and Biodiversity Initiative Contest, organized by the Climate Alliance of Germany.
Selección Gaceta Politécnica #170. (January 31st, 2024). IPN Imagen Institucional: Read the full magazine in Spanish here.
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