Embrace 01 ⇒

: A reusable pouch filled with phase-change material (PCM) —a wax-like substance that, when melted in boiling water, maintains a steady 98.6°F (37°C) for several hours.

The story of the infant warmer is a journey of "extreme affordability" that began in a Stanford classroom and grew into a global movement to save millions of newborns. The Spark of an Idea

In 2007, co-founder and her team were challenged in a Stanford Graduate School of Business course called "Design for Extreme Affordability" to create an incubator that cost less than 1% of a traditional $20,000 model. They realized that for rural families in countries like India, the problem wasn't just the price; it was the lack of electricity and the vast distances to urban hospitals. A Simple, Brilliant Design Embrace 01

: The final product cost between $25 and $100 , making life-saving technology accessible to the world's most impoverished populations. Saving a Million Lives

: To ensure it could be repaired anywhere, they replaced zippers with buttons and used durable, easy-to-wash nylon and vinyl. : A reusable pouch filled with phase-change material

Jane Chen eventually moved to India to launch Embrace Global , turning the prototype into a reality. By 2025, the organization had saved through partnerships like the Ujala Project.

The program also emphasizes , allowing for skin-to-skin contact between mother and child, which promotes bonding and essential warmth even when the warmer is in use. They realized that for rural families in countries

The team rejected the idea of a "cheaper box with a plug" and instead developed a portable, non-electric "sleeping bag".