Project Vive, the US-based developer of a speech generation device that allows people suffering from illnesses that prevent them from speaking, has won $100,000 in networking equipment producer Cisco’s Global Problem Solver Challenge.
The startup has created a device called Voz Box that uses sensors attuned to the physical needs of each user to enable patients with conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and cerebral palsy to speak.
Project Vive was founded by CEO Mary Elizabeth McCulloch while she was studying at Pennsylvania State University. It received the money by winning the grand prize at the Challenge, beating out 14 other finalists.