For the past year, Jorge Garcia and Fernando Ramirez of G Innovations have been working on a great project, their invention the EZ Baby bottle washing machine.  G Innovations was awarded an innovation grant of $10,000 for its invention of the baby bottle washing machine last June by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.  The grant provided them additional funding to pursue two major steps in the inventing process: the patent and the prototype. “The McAllen Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental in the progress of our endeavor,” commented Ramirez.  “They provided the much needed funding for us to proceed to the next level.  And the best part of it – this was not a loan; we don’t have to repay these funds.”

The first step for G Innovations was to conduct a patent search and apply for a U.S. patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). During the process, the inventors found many aspects of the idea that required refinement and definition. They worked with an intellectual property lawyer on their application and currently are waiting on approval by the USPTO.

To work on the prototype, G Innovations partnered with the UTPA Rapid Response Manufacturing Center to develop a finalized prototype for the EZ Baby bottle washing machine. The center will provide the engineering solutions for the invention and the first tangible prototype of their project. “The prototype design has changed many times over since its beginning stages,” said Garcia.

 G Innovations’ project is a great example of how the McAllen Innovation Grant award encourages inventors to pursue their ideas. The grant not only provides funding for the selected projects, but also helps with guidance, public awareness and networking opportunities to move their ideas to reality.

For more information, please contact Eduardo Millet at the McAllen Chamber at 956-682-2871 or emillet@mcallenchamber.com.