Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. Monday Properties remains firmly committed to the health, safety and well-being of its employees, tenants and community. This week, Monday Properties is proudly featuring 1000 and 1100 Wilson (The Rosslyn Towers).
On hot summer days, Alex Ordonez’s kids and their soccer team, which he coached, had a hard time cooling down. The players were being sprayed with water, but Ordonez figured there had to be a better way.
Thus, the Spritz Cap — or an early concept for it, anyway — was born.
“While coaching for both teams in the summer, the heat became too much, and there were limited breaks,” Ordonez said. “When the kids became exhausted, they would run near our sidelines and we would spray them with water, and with time, I was able to modify a product to allow for any water bottle to turn into a portable multiuse bottle that allows for water conservation and several functions for user use.”
Ordonez, who also works as a real estate investor, is working on a prototype for a multi-use bottle cap he hopes to produce at affordable levels to adapt any water bottle into a spritzer.
“With our product, consumers will be able to save water and utilize water bottles for alternate needs, such as rinsing, cleaning, camping needs, etc,” Ordonez said on a Kickstarter campaign. “Spritz Cap is a two-part replacement that replaces an existing water bottle cap, made out of plastic and will be packaged in 1, 3, and 10 quantity packages.”
A video Ordonez put together for the product said the idea is to design a cap that could turn a water bottle into a tool to wash hands or cool down after a workout without wasting water.
Taking the Spritz Cap from an idea to a product is no easy feat, and one Ordonez is still working through. A Kickstarter for the project was launched but cancelled in January after getting only four backers and $28. Ordonez said he took down the Kickstarter because he wanted to work on the product some more. He’s now nearing the end of the prototype phase and hopes to re-launch soon.
“There were prospective investors but most wanted to see me with a product vs. a virtual design,” Ordonez said. “I decided to remove the Kickstarter, while I finalized the product and possibly come up with additional features that could increase additional interest. I hope to re-launch within a few weeks.”
Ordonez said the goal is to keep the product affordable, with several package options and individually packaged at 99 cents.
While development of the product has faced setbacks — including Ordonez’s limited access to funding, in part due to self-admitted “imperfect credit” as the result of an injury — he said one of the greatest sources of help in the development of the Spritz Cap has been Arlington Economic Development.
“They were able to assist with several factors as well, but the biggest struggles that any company has or will find is finding the available capital,” Ordonez said. “I spoke with several entities such as the [Small Business Administration] and other government institutes, and every single one was a dead stop… However, Arlington Economic Development was extremely helpful, not with funding, but the information and assistance that they provided was and is still outstanding. They took the time to listen to my ideas, provide feedback and were able to assist with making the right connections.”
Image via Kickstarter