"Hi. I'm Domen Trontelj, still a student, and I've done Spectrometer."

But can we admit that at least half of us on the mentoring panel started Googling what exactly a spectrometer is?

A spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure the spectral components of a physical phenomenon. Optical spectrometers display the intensity of light as a function of wavelength or frequency. Different wavelengths of light are separated by refraction in a prism or by diffraction with a diffraction grating.

And this student not only knows in detail, but even - he is developing and has even developed a device, a spectrometer? We knew immediately that we had someone special, a real acrobat. We were not wrong ...

Domen Trontelj was already in primary school when he started a research project where he needed a spectrometer. Since the school didn't have one, he thought, "How is a spectrometer made? Maybe I can make one myself..."

If I could make a sextmeter that was multifunctional and easy to use, but also more affordable, I could even offer it to all schools.

He showed his idea and first prototype in a business incubator, where he was referred to Catapult. At the first presentation, we stood amazed at what this student knew. "But can I ask you something else," Jure said at the end, "where did you learn all this?"

"Google and Youtube. You don't need a lot of literature nowadays, because everything is on the internet."

Since the first prototype, there have been many revisions and upgrades. He has always been looking for ways to simplify use and reduce the cost of production. The biggest challenge has been with optics. Then with cheap components, which often turn out to be unreliable later on. Then the sensor overheated. How to solve this? After many trials of different sensors, they finally decided to build in a system to cool the device. Again, tests and adjustments, fixes and upgrades ...

They say it takes several times longer to develop a product than you first think. Domen was no exception.

When he started to develop the mobile app, he realised that he couldn't do everything himself. "It's hard for an individual to do everything. Been there, done that, never again." He was aware of his strength - hardware - and invited the team to Year Level and Tilna Sketa, which are more powerful on the softver. But then it was ...

They have created a spectrometer that is easy to use and affordable for everyone. You don't need a computer or any special knowledge of the equipment - everything can be done via an app on your phone.

Why Paxia? "In primary school, I used my method to extract values from colours such as brightness, contrast, hue, etc. The name Paxia is a derivative of the Greek word axia, which means value - I was extracting values/data from colours."

What about longer-term goals?

"We want to make science accessible. That's why we want to have a company that develops and produces very affordable laboratory instruments. That way, we could equip every school in less developed countries that cannot afford what, for example, Western countries can afford. Unfortunately," they add, "our schools do not have many of these either. So we will clean up at our own doorstep first."

Domen is also one of the selected people we have offered Acrobat Scholarshipbecause his knowledge, creativity and proactive approach to developing ideas make him stand out from the average of his generation. What message can you send to others to encourage them?

"You have to dare. You have to start somewhere. As they say - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Once you have taken the first one, only then can you find a way forward. And then on. And on. You don't need to perfect a product before you show it to the world. It's only when you show it that there are people who can help you. For me, it's the Catapult. These connections in entrepreneurship open up a million things. The mentoring and, of course, the initial financial support meant a lot to us. We couldn't have started without that."

To date, they have produced the first functional, easy to use and affordable spectrometer. Now they are developing further ...

They want to make science accessible - we support it!

(One year later: PAXIA is on sale! More at this link >>)