Mark Champkins

Mark Champkins

Food For Thought Lunch Box

Mark Champkins (born 25 April 1977), is a UK designer and inventor, who gained public recognition after successfully participating in the BBC television show, the Dragons' Den.

He lives and works in London.

Background

Champkins studied Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Cambridge, and Industrial Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art in London.(citation needed)

There, Champkins designed a range of Self-Heating Crockery making use of the Phase Change Material Sodium Acetate Trihydrate. The crockery enable users to instantaneously heat plates, cups and bowls to sixty degrees Celsius, by pushing a button that started a phase change reaction within the crockery. The items could be recharged and reused by washing them in hot water or a dishwasher.

In 2002, the crockery design was Awarded British Invention of the Year and featured on a number of TV science programs such as BBC Television's Tomorrow's World, the Discovery Channels' 'Whats the Big Idea' section, and the CNN News.

After graduating from the Royal College of Art, Champkins worked at The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre as part of a twelve month research project, to investigate how good school design can improve standards of education in the UK.

In 2004, Champkins won a business Award from NESTA and founded Concentrate Design, a company that develops products intended to help pupils to concentrate at school children.

In 2007, on the Dragons Den, Champkins won investment of £100,000 from Peter Jones (entrepreneur) in return for a 40% stake in Concentrate Design.(citation needed)

Works

In 2008, he released a number of tongue-in-cheek products, including a Voting Ruler, with which pupils can vote 'yes' or 'no' by holding the appropriate end, coffee Mugs of Authority which allow teachers to silently communicate with their pupils phrases such as 'Put That Down' and 'Stop Doing That' as well packs of Pre-chewed Pencils, chewed by a real person.

The Pre-chewed Pencils caught the attention of bloggers, leading to an appearance on Chris Evans BBC Radio 2 drive time show to explain the invention.

Champkins also provided design input to Joshua Silver's Adaptive Spectacles and Imperial College's Body Sensing Network, both of which promote well-being and education.