UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast features Birgitt Boschitsch, co-founder and CEO of spotLESS Materials. SpotLESS is an advanced materials company and Penn State spinoff commercializing highly repellent anti-fouling coatings. The startup is currently offering to consumers a toilet coating that repels sticky waste.
In this episode, Birgitt shares the original inspiration behind the toilet-coating product, as well as the challenges of transitioning from lab work to startup life. She also shares the impact of media exposure on sales following the recent New York Times Wirecutter feature on spotLESS Materials.
In addition, she discusses other industries that could benefit from the super slippery coating technology.
“I was really just not satisfied with the idea that this technology that we’d spent so much of our time on would just end with a paper. I want to see humans having a better life because of something we made,” Birgitt said during the podcast interview.
She graduated from Princeton University with a BSE in mechanical and aerospace engineering. She received her doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Penn State College of Engineering.
Listen to Birgitt’s story on "Dare to Disrupt."
At the end of the episode, Viswanathan Ganesh, a current doctoral candidate in the department of architectural engineering at Penn State, joins the conversation. He is the entrepreneurial lead for NexDCCool, a Penn State research-based startup that aims to revolutionize data center efficiency with AI-driven solutions that optimize IT expansion, enhance thermal management, and reduce energy consumption.
The startup team recently participated in both the Invent Penn State regional NSF I-Corps short course and the NSF I-Corps National Teams program. Viswanathan and Birgitt reflect on the customer discovery process, and Birgitt offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Students interested in being featured on the show can apply or be nominated.
About 'Dare to Disrupt'
Dare to Disrupt is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Past episodes include interviews with Garry Gilliam, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner. New episodes are released monthly. Subscribe on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.