Mestrae Journey – Full Timeline

2015 – The Spark

Conceived the idea for interchangeable heels on your house porch.

Began early prototyping with no industry precedent to follow.

Selected for Stanford Go-To-Market Accelerator, refining business model and global pitch.

2016 – First Launch

Built Prototype 1, funded through Cradle CIP150 grant.

Formed a team of 4.

Launched internationally — reached 20 countries in first wave.

2017 – Scaling Ambition

Developed Prototype 2 with improved engineering and aesthetics.

Funded through Platcom Commercialisation Fund (RM 250K).

Expanded reach to 31 countries.

Set up a global supply chain for sourcing, production, and delivery.

2018 – In-House Manufacturing

Established own manufacturing facility to control quality and speed.

Team grew to 8 members.

Achieved faster turnaround on small production runs.

Won global and national awards.

2019 – Setback Amid Growth

Began global distribution partnerships.

Faced major setback when a government reimbursement grant was not disbursed, leaving us with debt from meeting grant obligations without repayment.

2020 – Crowdfunding High & Pandemic Low

Launched Kickstarter campaign, achieving 200% funding target.

Manufacturing was shut down; pivoted to OEM manufacturing.

COVID-19 disrupted OEM production, halting product delivery.

2021 – Disaster Strikes

Attempted to revive OEM production.

Severe floods destroyed remaining stock and raw materials.

Mestrae operations ground to a halt.

2022–2025 – Survival Mode

Took on alternative jobs and consulting to repay debt.

Applied startup lessons learned to help other founders and corporates avoid common scaling pitfalls.

Quietly redesigning Mestrae technology to take advantage of cheaper prototyping and better engineering solutions.

Planned an open-source version under OwnIt by Rangkai.Store to democratise innovation in the space.

Developing Tiga, a wearable line for underserved groups (elderly, pregnant women, autistic children, and pets).

End of 2025 – Reset Point

Target date to resolve financial struggles.

Begin preparing for official relaunch of Mestrae, OwnIt, and Tiga.

Start refunding early customers and re-engaging the community.

2026 – The Comeback

Relaunch Mestrae with new engineering, better fit, and expanded style range.

Launch OwnIt (Rangkai) — the open-source heel tech platform.

Introduce Tiga wearables to market.

Rebuild a global creative-tech brand rooted in innovation and openness.

Our Visual Journey

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