Where PAIR began: the 7th Gear Challenge
A US$ 25,000 prize that opened the door to everything that came after.
Before this, PAIR was a prototype that worked on one site and an idea of where to take it. Gearbox’s 7th Gear Challenge was the first time we presented the project to a jury, and also the first time somebody from outside decided to bet on it.
The US$ 25,000 prize came with angel investment and with a place in Fusen World’s acceleration programme. For us it meant much more than recognition: it was the first external backing for an idea that was still under construction, and the push we needed to start turning the prototype into a company.
From there a completely different stage began for PAIR. We entered an environment where we could work with people who had already built companies, get feedback on the product and, above all, face questions we had not yet asked ourselves. What started as a tool built to solve one specific problem in the field began to take shape as a product with far wider possibilities.
It was also the beginning of our relationship with Fusen World, which over the following months would be an important part of PAIR’s development. Many of the conversations, decisions and lessons that came later have their origin in that first opportunity.
The 7th Gear Challenge did not mark the end of a stage, but the moment PAIR stopped being only an idea in development and started becoming a company.
The first prize was US$ 25,000. What really began that day was much bigger.