Brian Chen, Sloan School of Management MBA ’16, is the founder of Bluesmart, a new high-tech luggage company. Bluesmart’s carry-on suitcase comes with location tracking, a digitally controlled lock, a built-in scale, a proximity sensor, and a battery for charging electronic devices.
Bluesmart was founded in 2013. The company grew out of a conversation two Argentinian entrepreneurs had over coffee one day in New York. Chen knew one of the two from working at Endeavor, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs in emerging markets. He soon found himself on a team of five working to develop a smarter suitcase. Bluesmart launched a crowdfunding effort in October through Indiegogo and the company has already raised $1.7 million.
The company has built working prototypes and tested its suitcase at airports around the world to ensure it passes smoothly through security. The carry-on can be locked and unlocked from a cellphone using a patent-pending locking system approved for use by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. The bag carries a battery capable of charging a smartphone six times, and it weighs just 8.5 pounds. To date, Bluesmart has orders for 6,000 suitcases.
As a Sloan student, Chen has been able to take advantage of what the school has to offer him as an entrepreneur. He was able to join the Silicon Valley Pitch Trek, which gave him the chance to meet top venture capitalists. He has also been able to apply what he has learned in the classroom directly to his company. His Organizational Processes class has helped him to think about how to structure Bluesmart as it grows as an organization, and Introduction to Operations Management has provided insights into supply chain issues.
Bluesmart’s next milestone is to start shipping suitcases, which should happen in August 2015. Once manufacturing is underway, the co-founders (Chen, Tomi Pierucci, Martin Diz, Alejo Verlini and Diego Saez Gil) will consider expanding the company’s offerings.