Interview with the Creator of ColdSnap™

I had a chance to interview Matt Fonte, President, Sigma Phase, Corp., creator of ColdSnap™. ColdSnap™ is a rapid freezing appliance that produces single servings of frozen confections and beverages in less than 90 seconds. The ColdSnap machine accepts shelf-stable, ambient temperature ColdSnap Pods, and then freezes and dispenses their ingredients with no preparation or cleanup needed. The company’s mission is to transform the way that ice cream and other frozen confections are produced, transported, purchased, and consumed. In under two years, the Sigma Phase team has been awarded 14 patents with another 40 patent applications pending.

1. How and why did you develop your technology?     Making ice cream at home is time consuming, inconvenient, and doesn’t produce a consistent product.  We figured there must be an easier, more convenient way that yields a repeatable product that tastes great! 

2. How do you aim to disrupt the traditional frozen dessert market?  The ColdSnap system eliminates the traditional ice cream "cold chain."  For decades, ice cream has been frozen in the factory, shipped in a refrigerated truck, stored in the frozen section of the grocery store, and then brought home to take up precious freezer space. The ColdSnap system, however, uses shelf-stable pods of liquid ice cream mix that may be shipped at ambient temperature - thereby eliminating the need to keep product frozen throughout its lifecycle. ColdSnap ice cream is frozen at the end of the supply chain - not at the beginning - at the exact time when the consumer is ready consume and enjoy. This saves costs, reduces carbon emissions, and creates a delicious, premium, soft serve ice cream on demand.   

3. Where can entrepreneurs get ideas for new inventions?  We are fortunate to have assembled an inventive and entrepreneurial team.  Our team members have over 80 issued patents. This is also our third company that we are building together; the previous two companies were built and successfully sold to larger firms. We find our ideas by seeking to identify and better understand everyday challenges and problems - and getting to the root of how these problems can be solved through products and services that are more effective, less expensive, and more convenient than the current state.  We would encourage budding entrepreneurs to think more critically about what are the problems that pain them and others, and brainstorm potential solutions. Additionally, we have found success taking a technology widely used in one industry and bringing it to a new application in a completely different industry. As a team, we read many technical white papers, trade magazines, and visit industry conferences - some that are not in our own industry - so that we can cross pollinate ideas and technologies.   

4. How can you inspire new generations of entrepreneurs? Begin to think critically on why things are being done the way they are. So often people do things because that is the way they have been done before.  However, there may be a more efficient process or method, and it might pay dividends to explore alternative options.  

5. Which are some predictions you have for future trends? The ability to capture and analyze data quickly is critical for our team; we need to understand quickly what is and isn’t working so that we can pivot or accelerate quickly. We see the acceleration of data acquisition and analysis as a future trend that can benefit all businesses. Today's diagnostic tools allow us to see a snapshot of what is happening in current state and, when coupled with past performance, allow us to better extrapolate future outcomes. As these data and diagnostic tools continue to advance, so too will the speed of innovation, which is extremely exciting. The future is bright!

Matt Fonte Bio:

Matt Fonte, a serial entrepreneur with over 50 issued patents in various industries ranging from oil/gas, defense, aerospace, orthopedics, metal forming, and consumer products, was searching for a new idea for his next business. So, when nightly bedtime stories grew dull for Matt and his two daughters, they decided to swap out magic tree house and fairytale princess books for a more creative past-time: invention journals. Topping the list of potential inventions: a more convenient ice cream machine for at-home use without all the hassle. His daughters envisioned a Keurig®-style machine that could generate ice cream immediately without a mess. This inspired Fonte, who saw great potential in the idea. In October 2018, Fonte founded Sigma Phase along with his close colleagues with whom he worked building other companies; assembling an innovative, can-do team with the entrepreneurial spirit required to develop and commercialize their disruptive technology.

Prior to Sigma Phase, Fonte was the Founder of MX Orthopedics (sold to Arthrex, Inc.) and Executive Vice President of Dynamic Flowform Corp (sold to Allegheny Technologies, Inc.). He has a M.S. and PhD in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a B.A. in finance from Boston College.