A fun night out with friends should never be dreadful. Yet according to new research by LADbible Group and Stamp Out Spiking, 70 percent of young adults ages 18–24 have either experienced or witnessed drink spiking, with more than half of those cases involving women.
That alarming statistic inspired Joseph Flodman, a UNL computer engineering major, to act. Flodman is the founder of Sip Buddy Inc., a startup that’s developing a patent-pending device to help prevent drink spiking and make social outings safer.
“It’s not uncommon in college, even in high school,” said Flodman, a graduate of Lincoln East High School. “Fraternities are given nicknames because they’re known for spiking—that’s how common it is, unfortunately.”
Flodman’s innovation, Sip Buddy, uses technology to keep a literal eye on your drink. The small, portable safety device clips onto the rim of a cup, glass, or mug and features a 360-degree night-vision camera that activates with the help of object detection sensors. Once triggered, the device connects to a mobile app to record any suspicious activity in and around the drink.
“The idea was to recreate the feeling of being able to watch your drink all the time,” Flodman explained. “If something doesn’t look right, it can confirm your suspicions.”
In addition to drink spiking prevention, Sip Buddy technology has other safety feature capabilities, including safeguards at swimming pools or waterparks. With an autistic brother, A.C., who doesn’t know how to swim, Flodman hopes Sip Buddy technology can be used to keep A.C. and others safe.
“It’s the same technology, albeit on a larger scale, but it’s designed the same way for cameras to keep an eye on the pool and its surroundings and save kids from drowning,” he added. “A pool’s just a bigger cup.”
Flodman’s entrepreneurial drive has been supported by several mentors and opportunities at Nebraska. He raised seed funding through a matched NDED prototype grant, finished third in a pitch competition to earn $333, launched a website to solicit preorders and received $50,000 from a group of angel investors to help with next steps. Additionally, he plans to host a campus lemonade stand to raise awareness.
He also credits inspiration from California Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, who has authored legislation aimed at preventing drink spiking, and mentorship from Lance C. Pérez, Fred Hunzeker Dean of Engineering; Brian Ardinger, Nelnet’s Director of Innovation; and John Wirtz, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Hudl.
“Just looking at the Hudl building and seeing what that company has done—it’s incredible,” Flodman said of the Lincoln-based tech giant that started as a student project at UNL. “They could’ve gone anywhere, but they kept it here. That’s my dream. To keep it here. Go Big Red.”