What started in a Massachusetts garage with two high school friends has grown into a promising startup. Arav Tyagi (ENG’27) and his co-founder Antonio Marzoratti are revolutionizing mobility solutions for wheelchair users through their company Technotonin, which provides Portable Affordable Wheelchair Enhancers (PAWE) that motorize standard wheelchairs in seconds.
Their inspiration came from observing the challenges faced by two wheelchair-using friends. “We saw the struggles they had, including needing to buy a new wheelchair every couple of months, or needing to have some sort of wheelchair-accessible vehicle just to transport their electric wheelchair,” recalls Arav. This observation led to a simple yet powerful question:
“Why aren’t electric wheelchairs easier to use, cheaper, and lighter to transport?”
Neither Arav nor Antonio, who studies Robotics Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, had much engineering experience when they started. “I knew almost nothing about building things or engineering whatsoever before beginning,” admits Arav. Their learning process involved countless nights watching YouTube videos, reading articles, and applying their newfound knowledge the next day in Antonio’s garage.
“From really early on… we just had an understanding that no matter how hard it’s going to be, and what it takes to do it, we’re going to get it done,” reflects Antonio on their journey.
Through Innovate@BU’s Summer Accelerator program, Technotonin transformed from a promising idea into a viable business.
“The Summer Accelerator program was possibly the best thing that could have ever happened to Technotonin,” Arav shares.
“We learned how to do proper customer discovery, rather than what we were doing before. During the Summer Accelerator, we did over 100 customer interviews.” The program also connected them with other entrepreneurial students and mentors who helped shape their business strategy.
“Being around other entrepreneurs was huge… being around other people that think the same way we do, and have that same sort of drive and ambition,” Arav shares.
Their innovation, the Portable Affordable Wheelchair Enhancer (PAWE), can transform any standard manual wheelchair into a motorized one in just three seconds. Unlike traditional electric wheelchairs that often require specialized vans with hydraulic lifts for transport, their solution is portable and adaptable. The device features hot-swappable batteries for extended use and a modular control system that can be customized to accommodate different disabilities.
The impact of their work became clear during testing at senior centers, where both users and caretakers expressed immediate interest in purchasing the device. “Some people were willing to buy it off of us right then,” Arav notes. The device not only provides independence to wheelchair users but also offers relief to caretakers who typically spend significant time pushing manual wheelchairs.
Their participation in Innovate@BU programs has helped fuel an impressive string of achievements. The team has won WPI’s Demo Day pitch competition ($25,000 grand prize), secured first place at the CEO’s Club National Competition in Florida from approximately 1,000 applicants, gained acceptance into the VentureWell accelerator program, and most recently won the BU Hult Prize competition.
“It was heartwarming knowing that the work that we were doing is actually going to be affecting people,” says Arav.
The impact of Technotonin’s work extends beyond their technical innovations. “It’s really a big community rather than a small team,” explains Antonio. The company has grown to include Ivan, their head of engineering, and benefits from mentorship from impressive figures like Scott Harris, co-founder of SolidWorks and Onshape, along with various other industry experts and advisors.
As participants in Innovate@BU’s Innovation Pathway program, Arav and Antonio continue to develop their wheelchair enhancer while actively seeking connections with wheelchair users for further feedback and testing.
Those interested in learning more about Technotonin or getting involved can visit their website at technotonin.com or wheelchairattachment.com, or reach out via email at info@technotonin.com.
