Nikki Lamb shows the new design of the instant infant formula dispenser she has been developing. Concentrated formula or juice will come packaged in the small cups, at left.

Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

By: Tracy Frank, INFORUM

Babies by nature are demanding.

A West Fargo couple has come up with a product that caters to their demands – and parents’ sanity.

Inspired by the experience of caring for their own children, Nikki and Aaron Lamb came up with FormulaNow, a machine that produces infant formula with the right temperature and consistency, and is made with filtered water, in a matter of minutes.

“The main thing with our machine is the convenience,” said Nikki Lamb, FormulaNow CEO.

Dealing with formula the traditional way is a mess and measuring formula incorrectly can mean stomach problems for the baby, she said.

People are enthusiastic when they hear about the product, the Lambs said.

“For most people, it has that ‘wow’ factor,” said Aaron Lamb, FormulaNow chief operating officer.

Douglas Snider, a Chicago architect who attended North Dakota State University with Aaron Lamb, designed the machine. He is FormulaNow’s chief information officer.

They entered Innovate ND, a state program to support and encourage entrepreneurs, with a business plan and a lot of research, Nikki Lamb said.

They are working on a prototype and plan to have a product for sale in June.

FormulaNow was one of five winners of Innovate ND this year.

“What Nikki and Aaron Lamb did in their team was brilliant because it’s one of those, you hit your forehead and go, ‘I wish I would have thought of that,’ ” said Bruce Gjovig, entrepreneur coach and director of the Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota, which provided operational leadership to the program.

“They found a real need, a real market opportunity and I think they’ve just done a superb job,” he said.

Winning the competition took FormulaNow from obscurity to being on the radar, Aaron Lamb said.

FormulaNow has also moved into an office in the NDSU Technology Incubator in the Research & Technology Park.

“Being there has put us shoulder to shoulder with individuals who have that level of experience that we need,” Aaron Lamb said. “It puts us smack-dab in the middle of a community, where it seems the only option is to succeed.”

Readers can reach Forum reporter Tracy Frank at(701) 241-5526