Farhad Farahbakhshian makes a living at the intersection of technology, health, and wellness. “Health and wellness have helped me maintain balance throughout my life,” said Farahbakhshian, who is an avid cyclist and has competed in several 100-mile races. His passion for health coupled with his training in electrical engineering inspired Farahbakhshian to start his own company in 2015. The California-based startup, Naked Labs, recently launched its first product: a 3D body scanner for in-home use. And thanks to $14 million in capital investments it raised, Naked Labs began shipping the 3D scanners to pre-order customers in August 2018.
The scanner product, called Naked, accurately shows users how their bodies change over time. Naked is a full-length, Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-connected mirror that uses infrared light and a rotating scale to capture a 3D body image. It captures the user’s body fat, lean mass, fat mass, and total weight, and provides successive, side-by-side body-scan comparisons.
From the beginning, Naked Labs has been dedicated to helping improve the quality of peoples’ lives. Farahbakhshian says while many startups can successfully bring a product to market, most have the problem of figuring out what comes next. Naked Labs’ groundbreaking technology can not only be custom tailored for individual consumers, it has potential applications for industries related to health and nutrition, tailor-made clothing, ergonomics, and medicine.
Farahbakhshian’s journey toward starting his own company began after graduating from Oregon State in 2008. He started as a RFIC designer with Maxim, later taking a position in business management. Incrementally, he became responsible for Maxim’s entire automotive wireless portfolio, turning losses into huge profits. The six-year experience empowered Farahbakhshian to pursue his own dream.
“OSU gave me the best education in chip design and, more importantly, a level of confidence that I could go into any role and be successful,” he said. “That confidence has allowed me to pick what I want to do, and get it done by putting in the time, effort, and thought.”
Degrees
- M.S. Electrical Engineering, 2008