Spokane girl’s invention among 10 finalists in Microsoft contest
A web-enabled pet treat dispenser invented by a Spokane girl is a finalist in the Microsoft Small Business Contest.
The product, iCPooch, is a device that allows pet owners to video chat with their pets and deliver treats using smartphones or tablets. Brooke Martin came up with the idea for iCPooch when she was 12 and her father Chris Martin has helped bring it to fruition.
The product is one of 10 finalists in the Microsoft contest, which has a prize of $20,000 to invest in the winner’s company. The public is invited to vote for the winner on the contest’s Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/MicrosoftforWork/app_303561899745219. Voting will last until Jan. 30.
Brooke Martin said if she wins, she’d invest the money into development of a similar device for people — one that would allow a family member check in with an elderly parent, for example, and deliver medication remotely. Martin is now a sophomore at Ferris High School.
iCPooch is available online at www.iCPooch.com, on Amazon.com and Wag.com, and at Bed Bath & Beyond.