Combining a Passion for Robotics with an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Antonio Marzoratti ’27 is on a mission to translate his love of robotics into marketable products that will make a difference in people’s lives. Using resources available through The Business School, he and Ivan Zou ’27 are pursuing what they consider a promising idea—an affordable adapter that will convert a manual wheelchair into one run on electricity.

That idea grew from brainstorming sessions of Marzoratti and his high school best friend and business partner, Arav Tyagi, now a sophomore at Boston University. At the time, the two were co-presidents of the Franklin (Mass.) High School Robotics Team and they were itching to take their robotics knowledge to the next level in an entrepreneurial way.

“We knew people who use wheelchairs—a few of our friends have muscular dystrophy—and we knew they have big issues with portability and cost of their wheelchairs. So when we were thinking about what we could make, we said, ‘Let’s think about something wheelchair-related,’” he says. “Of all our ideas, it was the most promising and could have the most impact. And it’s been really nice to meet people who have tested out our prototype.”

The high-energy robotics major discovered a like-minded compatriot in his first-year roommate Zou, and the two quickly bonded over late-night work sessions. To start figuring out the viability of the wheelchair adapter idea, they joined WPI’s Tinkerbox program, which provides seed money, mentorship opportunities, and educational workshops for entrepreneurial students. Former Senior Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Kristie DeJesus introduced them to the Business Development Lab’s Goat Innovator Summer Accelerator, an eight-week program to assist early-stage start-ups in navigating the foundational stages of their business journey. That experience proved to be transformational for the young entrepreneurs.

“We learned more this summer than in the last year about running a business,” says Marzoratti. “We are engineers at heart and we just like to build stuff. We learned from the first day that before you start building you need to talk with people and see if they actually want what you are building.”

Zou agrees that the summer program changed their approach. “We learned about how businesses work, and about marketing and business strategy. It gave us kind of a different mindset. Instead of being product-oriented, we realized we need to be more goal-oriented—why are we doing this?” says Zou. “We’re asking ourselves: what problems do our customers face with their current wheelchairs? And then we are redesigning what we have to suit what the customer needs.” As part of that customer research, the team interviewed more than 100 wheelchair users and caretakers—including some at the Franklin Senior Center—to gauge interest and discover other opportunities to improve the product.

Marzoratti’s interest in robotics began at a young age, building small projects with his father, a chemist with robotics skills. By middle school, he was teaching robotics classes to other kids; in high school he competed on the robotics team at the First Tech Challenge and the First Robotics Challenge. After they became co-presidents of the team, he and Tyagi co-founded Technotonin LLC, which they describe as “a start-up designed around rapid product development for novel products.”

He knew about WPI from his brother, Alex ’21, and appreciated the signature hands-on project-based approach to learning, as well as the emphasis on teams.

Zou, a robotics and electrical and computer engineering double major from Quincy, Mass., also competed at First Robotics Challenges as a member of his robotics team at North Quincy High School. WPI attracted him due to its focus on project-based learning as well as its seven-week terms. “I like the fast-paced classes,” he says. It keeps us focused on everything we need to do.”

The two admit that juggling their academics while working to bring their business idea to life can be overwhelming. “It means a lot of staying up late at night,” says Marzoratti. “It helps that Ivan joined the team; it makes everything so much easier.” The two also share an appreciation for motivational speaker and endurance athlete David Goggins, whose inspiring messages remind them that nothing is impossible as long as they put in the effort.

One of the most valuable elements of the Goat Innovator Summer Accelerator experience was the advice received from more experienced entrepreneurs, he says. Marzoratti and Zou are particularly grateful for the continued guidance of Rosanna Garcia, Beswick Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Ardian Preci, director of the Business Development Lab; and Scott Harris ’82, co-founder of Solidworks and Onshape, who served as their mentor.

One important lesson they will never forget: “Sometimes it’s OK, if something isn’t working, to change it,” says Zou. “That totally flipped our minds.”

The team plans to continue to work on their wheelchair adapter with the ultimate goal of creating a product that will succeed in the market. “We want to make sure that we keep it affordable while helping people in wheelchairs to have greater mobility,” says Marzoratti, describing the effort that will involve more customer research and perhaps investigating venture capital funding. “Eventually we want to make it into a bigger company.”