A Perfect Fit: How TISCs Helped Two Colombian Entrepreneurs Step into the Market
From problem to prototype to patent, two young Colombian entrepreneurs are revolutionizing high heels with the support of a worldwide network of Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs).
María Almanza grew up watching women in Barranquilla, Colombia, suffer when wearing high heels for extended periods, especially during nights out. By the end of the night, she often saw women holding their heels in their hands, unable to bear the pain any longer.
In 2015, María decided, with the help of her classmate Luis Miguel Segovia, to tackle the problem. The two collaborated to create a line of comfortable yet fashionable high heels – which they were able to develop, protect through a patent, and bring to the market with help from one of the hundreds of Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) established around the world with support from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The TISCs offer digital tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) to help local entrepreneurs in developing countries prepare winning proposals and obtain globally recognized patent protection.
An invention is born
The idea of designing a new line of high heels took shape when Luis and María were undergraduate students. As part of a business marketing class, they decided to work together to address the problem of foot pain caused by wearing high heels for extended periods.
“I knew that if I was able to come up with a design that looked good but also any woman could wear without feeling pain, we were going to be able to sell it,” explains María.
They researched existing shoe designs to understand pressure points on the foot − aiming for something more comfortable.
Luis and María started working with an orthopedist on a design. After some tests and experiments with different materials, they were able to create a prototype for an orthopedic pair of high heels and developed a business plan to bring a line of such high heels to the market, which earned them first prize in their business marketing class.
From invention to real-world product
Their professor, seeing the potential of the project, encouraged María and Luis to pursue their business plan outside of the classroom and suggested they contact the local patent office for support in registering and protecting their idea.
In parallel, María and Luis approached the local TISC at the Chamber of Commerce in Barranquilla for guidance on their patent application.
An intellectual property (IP) expert at the TISC introduced María and Luis to WIPO’s free digital patent search system, PATENTSCOPE, which contains over 100 million patents and patent applications from different countries and regions of the world.
The system also incorporates advanced AI features to simplify the task of finding, analyzing and obtaining useful information from those documents.
An in-depth analysis by the IP expert at the TISC assured María and Luis that their invention was indeed new and likely eligible to receive patent protection.
Based on this guidance and with support from the expert, they drafted and filed a patent application.
“Filling out a patent application was not easy,” María adds. “We had to learn how to write in a specific way, given that patents require technical language. Luckily, we always received the support we needed at the Chamber of Commerce.”
Along with helping the young innovators collect vital information and seek patent protection for their invention, the TISC also enabled them to apply for seed funding for their venture, which they trademarked under the name ‘Calzado Almanza’.
“We have started showing our first designs knocking on our neighbors’ doors and selling our first shoes to our close friends,” Luis says. “Most tell us the shoes are very comfortable and that they would like to buy a second pair. We also ran a survey to improve the product.”
Today, María and Luis are waiting for the patent to be granted while they refine their market strategy and look for potential retailers.
“In the short-term we want to sell our first line of shoes by partnering with local stores,” says Luis. “In the longer term we wish to come up with more ideas to design new products. We are dreaming big.”
Background
María and Luis are part of a growing community of innovators benefiting from a combination of human insight and expertise with state-of-the-art technologies and tools provided through the WIPO-backed TISC network.
Every year, TISCs worldwide receive over 2 million inquiries from researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs, helping them unlock their innovative potential and successfully protect, manage, and create value from IP.
The TISC program was launched as a WIPO Development Agenda Project in 2009, with the first TISCs established in 2010. TISCs are hosted in institutions such as patent offices, universities, research centers, and science and technology parks. They operate under national networks coordinated by a designated national focal point, with support from WIPO.
Projects to establish TISCs are launched at the initiative (request) of interested member states.
Today, more than 1,500 TISCs operate in 93 countries, helping innovators like María and Luis move from idea to impact. WIPO supports TISCs in further strengthening and expanding the services they provide to better serve the needs of local innovators.