Inventables + Keith Schacht, Zach Kaplan

Have you ever seen a squishy magnet, stretchable aluminum, or conductive Velcro? Inventables finds unexpected materials like these to help inspire new consumer products. Companies like Mattel, Nike, and Samsung pay to receive a quarterly subscription to samples of these technologies and to integrate them in internal innovation programs. Product developement, marketing and R&D departments of the world's top companies depend on this as a source of fresh ideas.

Inventables was founded by Keith Schacht and Zach Kaplan in 2002. Prior to this, the two started and sold Lever Works, a developed company the built custom web-apps. Currently Zach runs Inventables; Keith recently left to start a new venture.

Dimensions:  ~10 people x 4 years x $NDA
Funding: Founders + family
Customers: Consumer product companies
Location: Chicago [River North] + www.inventables.com