Entrepreneur Mike White is currently working with a number of C4DI community members to develop a range of applications, software and hardware for a very unique - and fluffy - niche: hatching and breeding.
The idea for a chicken hatching app sprang to Mike's mind after being closely involved with his family's incubator business: The Incubator Shop.
In 2012, he was required to come up with an entrepreneurial project as part of the final year of his Business and Enterprise Management degree.
“My dad set up an incubator store twelve years ago and we quickly saw the rise in popularity of hatching as a hobby,” Mike explains.
“You’d be surprised how many families are into hatching all sorts of birds, from chickens to quails. It’s a great way to introduce your children to the natural world, as well as establish lifelong bonds with these beautiful animals.”
The app shows users the fascinating hatching process via colourful and eye-catching animations.
You can enter your batch details, including where you sourced your eggs from and the breed of bird - then sit back and watch your chicks are developing throughout the process.
However, with the Apple App Store update last year, iHatch Chickens was unfortunately removed from the market. It was at this point that the appeal of the unique application became clear to Mike.
"People were getting in touch with me demanding we put the app back on the Apple Store. They had been using it for years and had grown to love and rely on its features and functionality," Mike reveals.
Mike has been working with Mark Bucknell, software developer and founder of C4DI's monthly CodePen event to give the app a new lease of life. But from this, a number of other ideas have, well, hatched!
"It was through CodePen that I became acquainted with Mark and since then, our ideas have flourished. In fact, I am now looking into designing a puppy breeder application of a similar nature, as well as a piece of hardware called the Smart Egg."
Mike enthuses that the C4DI has given him access to a whole pool of talent who are willing to help him make his ideas happen. He's looking to a future of being an engaged member of the community, as well as working with some of the software developers, engineers and creative talent based in the building.
You can find out more about iHatch Chickens via the Apple App Store. In the meantime, if you would like to find out how you can turn your tech ideas into reality, please get in touch with our Community Manager via dr@c4di.net.