Mac alumni returning to campus to discuss Nix Color Sensor

Spectrum

McMaster alumni Matthew Sheridan (left) and Zachary Strong, developers of the Nix Color Sensor. Version 1 of the product was funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised $70,000 towards the commercialization of the product. They'll be back on campus Feb. 25 for a Spectrum event at TwelvEighty Bar & Grill. 


On Feb. 25, Spectrum will host a pair of McMaster alumni and their innovative new product, the Nix Color Sensor.

The Nix Color Sensor, created and developed by Matthew Sheridan and Zachary Strong, is an innovative way to detect colour on virtually any surface. Version 1 of the Nix Color Sensor was funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised $70,000 towards the commercialization of the product.

Spectrum is an extracurricular program encouraging, developing and supporting all McMaster entrepreneurs, including students at all levels of learning.

Register here for the Feb. 25 Spectrum talk, which will take place at TwelvEighty Bar & Grill from 6-8 p.m. Admission is free.

Read a joint interview with Sheridan and Strong about the Nix Sensor below:

Give us a brief background on what Nix is and what you do.

The Nix Color Sensor is a real-life colour eyedropper that you can simply touch to any surface in order to have an accurate colour reading sent to your smartphone in seconds.

  • Scan any surface and instantly view the colour co-ordinates in multiple colour spaces.
  • Save color swatches to your smartphone and organize them into palettes.
  • Share your scanned colors on social media or email them to clients, family, and friends.
  • Compare between colors to ensure quality and accuracy.

The Nix Color Sensor was invented in 2012. Version 1 of the Nix Sensor was funded by a Kickstarter campaign that raised $70,000 towards the commercialization of the product.

To date, Nix Sensor Ltd. has sold thousands of sensors to color professionals in over 30 countries worldwide. Nix has also been featured on international news media such as the Discovery Channel and the Washington Post.

Who or what inspired your team of entrepreneurs? Did your team have an ‘ah-ha’ moment when you got the idea to start your business?

We first came up with the idea for Nix while working with a few interior design friends. They thought that lugging around tote bags filled with paint decks was an unnecessary hassle in the 21st century! We didn’t think it made any sense that you should have to pay hundreds of dollars for a big bulky paint deck system that only worked with one company’s paints.

To make the situation worse, this expensive “solution” was still greatly affected by ambient lighting conditions and human error. We discussed the idea of a product that could solve all of these problems. Everyone we spoke to in the industry thought it was a great idea.

At the same time, another colleague of ours was doing incredible work at a local hospital with burn victims and patients with other severe skin disorders. Her business was to consult with patients and create custom makeup that perfectly blended with the patients’ natural skin tones.

Interestingly enough, at that moment she was actually looking for an accurate and inexpensive color sensor to remove the costly manual color matching routine from the procedure. It would revolutionize her business model while allowing her to help patients from all over the world.

What has been Nix’s greatest accomplishment so far?

Discovering a genuine problem and creating a solution for it that people are willing to pay for.

What has been Nix’s most challenging experience so far?

Developing the prototype version of the Nix was the easy part! However, managing a global supply chain for the components of the Nix is a full-time job in and of itself, not to mention the Nix team is also responsible for product troubleshooting, customer service, driving sales, investor relations, securing patents, and remembering to eat at least every other day.

What is the best recognition Nix has received?

  • Winning a booth at CES2013 in Las Vegas
  • Being invited to The Next Web Conference in Europe
  • Being featured in The Daily Planet, TechCrunch, and the Washington Post
  • Nominated for an Ernest C. Manning Innovation Award
  • Nominated for Hamilton’s Young Entrepreneur of The Year

How has McMaster helped your team with your entrepreneurship venture?

Nobody on the Nix team would have had any practical skills if it weren’t for the incredible extracurricular opportunities available at McMaster. Working in leadership positions with the McMaster Solar Car Project and MARS Apprentice are just two of the experiences that honed our entrepreneurial skills. 

If you could narrow it down to one piece of advice, what would you tell young professionals and students who are pursuing entrepreneurship?

Always be closing.

Just for fun, what is your favourite hex colour?

Matthew’s is #696969 and Zachary’s is #990033.

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