A blend of romance and technology has put a Dundee University graduate in the running for a top business award.
Joanna Montgomery (23) developed Pillow Talk, which aims to keep couples connected when they are apart, using sensors to monitor their heartbeats and transmit them wirelessly to a device that is hidden inside a pillow case.
That way both can have the comfort of hearing their partner’s heartbeat as they fall asleep, even though they may be thousands of miles apart.
Joanna has been awarded £1000 in a competition backed by energy giant Shell to help her develop Pillow Talk, which has been an internet hit with hundreds of thousands of views of a clip explaining the concept.
She said, “When I saw the number of views of my video on YouTube rapidly increasing, read a review of Pillow Talk in a top technology blog and watched my email inbox filling up with requests to buy a Pillow Talk product, I realised I’d come up with an idea that had global, commercial potential.
“I plan to start selling on Valentine’s Day and the £1000 award will allow me to put the online shop in place on my website.”
Joanna, who now runs Edinburgh-based Little Riot, will now be considered as a potential finalist for Shell LiveWIRE young entrepreneur of the year award.