Facebook isn’t the only business Mark Zuckerberg has created: he also invented a device to help his wife sleep better, which just might help many others.
Months after Zuckerberg, 35, shared his “sleep box” invention on social media, a team of engineers launched a Kickstarter campaign to develop and produce the prototype of the Facebook CEO’s device, dubbed the Zucklight. (Zuckerberg is not affiliated with the Zucklight.)
“Being a mom is hard, and since we’ve had kids Priscilla has had a hard time sleeping through the night,” Zuckerberg wrote of his invention in April. “She’ll wake up and check the time on her phone to see if the kids might wake up soon, but then knowing the time stresses her out and she can’t fall back asleep.”
Zuckerberg — who shares two daughters, Maxima “Max,” 3½, and August, who turns 2 on Aug. 28, with Chan, a 34-year-old pediatrician and philanthropist — said the dilemma led him to create a small wooden box to sit atop Priscilla’s nightstand and put out a dim light between the hours of 6 and 7 a.m.
RELATED: Mark Zuckerberg Shows Off Invention He Created to Help His Wife Sleep Better: ‘Being a Mom Is Hard’
One month after Zuckerberg shared his device, the team of engineers had a first prototype created on May 18, and on June 13, the Kickstarter campaign was launched, according to the campaign timeline.
In fact, two hours after the Kickstarter was launched, the Zucklight project was fully funded, according to a spokesperson for the company, who spoke with CNBC Make It.
With an expected delivery of the Zucklight — which comes in light oak, mahogany or white aspen — scheduled for November, the Zucklight team surpassed its $5,000 goal with over $140,000 raised.
Added features (for extra costs) include the wireless charger function and air quality control sensors.
The expected retail price is $60, but early-bird pricing offers the basic Zucklight for $29. Package selections range from the $39 Zucklight Plus, which includes wireless charging, to the $47 Zucklight Pro, which includes wireless charging as well as environmental sensors for humidity, carbon dioxide and temperature.
“Mark [Zuckerberg] is not affiliated with Zucklight in any way. We loved his idea, developed it even more and brought it to life,” a spokesperson told CNBC.