• Back

Section 3: Jun's Story

The Story Behind Junbell®From Friendship to InnovationJun was not only a best friend. He was a guitarist who never gave up.Born with debilitating polio, he walked with a limp his entire life. But he never allowed it to define the limits of what he could do. Music was the thread that ran through our friendship. In our university days, we tried to form a band; Jun’s guitar became both his voice and the instrument to express his passion.Then came the fateful day in March 2025. A stroke affected Jun’s speech and his ability to communicate with his spouse and their three children. Watching a close friend struggle to express even simple needs was heartbreaking. He turned to knocking and gestures. Those methods were functional, but they were also limiting and, at times, deeply frustrating, especially when something specific needed to be said.On 11 September 2025, while humming “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” the words shifted in mind: “While my guitar gently speaks.”That was the moment the question became clear: What if music itself could help people communicate? Music is the universal language. Perhaps there was a way to make music as a medium of assisted communication for those who are experiencing the same condition as Jun? We sought to answer these questions that could benefit a far greater number of people.What began as a solution for one friend quickly revealed a much wider need among stroke survivors and people with acquired speech disorders who want a more natural, music-informed way to be understood.Jun now uses Junbell® and his family actively encourages adoption. They have seen first-hand how the technology can be valuable, particularly during emergencies.Using Junbell® has become his daily practice. Habit change takes time. He is still building the routine. Even so, Jun is increasingly choosing Junbell® over knocking when he needs to communicate something specific.This early validation, including both the successes and the challenges we have faced together, is the reason clinical research is happening before any wider launch. Teaching a new communication system is not a one-tap solution. Families succeed when several things are present:
• Structured daily practice
• Family encouragement and participation
• Patient motivation and time to form new habits
• Clinical support for thoughtful implementationThat is why Junbell® is building relationships with speech pathologists in Melbourne and Manila: to learn what works, what does not, and how to help families use the tool with greater confidence.These early stories are only the beginning. They point toward a larger question many families are already asking: how do we give people their voice back in a way that feels like them?

Gerald's Story

Getting Back Behind the WheelJun's story is where Junbell® began. Gerald's story shows where it's going.Gerald Guevara is a 34-year-old cab driver from Cebu who experienced a stroke in August 2024. He lives with dysarthria and dysphagia. These are muscular motor and swallowing disorders that affect the area used for speech, but not the brain’s ability to understand or form language.He can understand everything. He can read and type. He now uses Junbell® to communicate verbally.“Pero pag nakilala mo ang panginoon everything will be fine.”- Gerald
(But when you know the Lord, everything will be fine.)After months of depression and frustration from his condition, Gerald found Junbell®. He is now testing Junbell® 4 (Bisaya version) with the JunType keyboard and JunReady, using it with family and others as he prepares to return to his cab.“Mas naging easier yung communication ko sa mga kasama ko sa bahay.”
(Communication with my housemates has become much easier.) — January 2026Gerald represents millions of younger stroke survivors who need affordable communication tools for real-world life: work, mobility, ordering food, correcting a mistake, being understood without someone speaking for them.He has used Junbell® to order food on his own at a fast-food counter. No one speaking for him and no one translating. It is a small everyday moment most people never think twice about. It is also exactly the kind of independence Junbell® exists to help restore.In June 2026, Gerald used Junbell® entirely on his own. There were no family members, nor any clinician nearby. This event was to sort out a mix-up at a local eatery where he had been shortchanged. In his own words: “buti nlng may Junbell® na explain ko”( “good thing I had Junbell® to explain it).”That is not a controlled demonstration. That is daily life. A situation anyone with Gerald’s similar condition might encounter. And Junbell® helped him get through it on his own. How many more could benefit from this technology?Currently testing: Junbell® 4
Stroke date: August 2024 (17 months post-stroke)
Location: Cebu, PhilippinesStories like Jun’s and Gerald’s are why this work continues. Progress is made carefully, clinically, and with their families at the centre. And it is to their credit that their experiences continue to guide how we build and refine Junbell®.If you are a speech pathologist, a family member, or someone living with an acquired speech disorder, there is more to explore: how music-based communication can sit alongside therapy, how early users are building new habits, and how this initiative is growing through research rather than hype.

• Back

Section 6: For Speech Pathologists - Design Partner Program

Join Our Clinical Design Partner ProgramWe're Not Looking for Beta TestersWe're seeking 3 Melbourne & Manila speech pathologists to become Clinical Design
Partners—active collaborators who shape Junbell's clinical features.

What Design Partners Do:
✓ Test with 5 patients from your caseload (with consent)
✓ Shape clinical training materials based on real feedback
✓ Influence which features matter most to SLPs
✓ Co-author research case studies for publicationWhat You Receive:
- Free MIDI keyboard devices ($120 value each)
- Free software access during pilot
- Co-authorship on published case studies
- Listed as "Founding Clinical Partner" on our website
- First access to commercial partnerships
- Your insights directly shape the productTime Commitment:
- 30-minute initial call
- 15-minute weekly check-ins (phone/email)
- One 60-minute debrief after pilot
- Total: ~5-7 hours over 3 months

Why Partner With Us:✓ Clinical Credibility: Founder is ISAAC Australia and AGOSCI member—
we're building WITH the AAC community, not disrupting from outside✓ Real User Validation: Gerald uses Junbell daily, and Jun's family is actively building the habit with him—this works, we're refining how to scale it✓ Research Opportunities: Pilot findings submitted to International
Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and ISAAC conferences✓ Solve Real Problems: Address device-dependence frustrations and
high abandonment rates✓ Filipino-Australian Community: Direct access to underserved
population seeking affordable AAC solutionsCurrent Status:
Current Status: Building our clinical partner network for 2026–2027. If you're a speech pathologist or music therapist curious about Junbell, we'd love to hear from you.Ideal Partners:
- Treat stroke survivors with aphasia
- Curious about music therapy and communication approaches
- Based in Melbourne or Manila
- Want to contribute to AAC innovation"Express Interest in Design Partnership"

• Back

Section 7: Professional Credentials

Professional Affiliations

ISAAC Australia Member
International Society for AAC

AGOSCI Member
Australian Group on Severe
Communication Impairment

ARATA Member
(Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association)

Poster Presenter — Australian Assistive Technology Conference 2026 (AATC), Melbourne, 11–13 November 2026, hosted by ARATA (Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association)

Founder: Julius Caesar "Julz" Maramba"As an ISAAC and AGOSCI member, I'm committed to developing Junbell WITH
AAC professionals, not in isolation. Being part of the community helps
ensure Junbell truly serves those who need it most."- ISAAC Australia Member
- AGOSCI Member
- 20+ years engineering expertise
- Filipino-Australian entrepreneur

• Back

Section 8: Validation & Support

Building Junbell with Industry Recognition

Remarkable Launcher 2026
Selected for Global Disability Tech Pre-Accelerator

Junbell has been selected for Remarkable Launcher 2026, a 12-week
pre-accelerator program for early-stage disability and health tech
startups.Program Highlights:
✓ Cohort of 42 disability tech startups globally
✓ Masterclasses led by industry experts
✓ One-on-one coaching from Remarkable specialists
✓ March-May 2026 development intensive
✓ Showcase Day: May 26, 2026Supported by:
Cerebral Palsy Alliance | TPG Telecom Foundation | LaunchVicWhat this means:
Independent validation that Junbell addresses real needs in the AAC
and disability tech space. We're building with support from experienced
mentors who understand assistive technology.

• remarkable.org

TechDiversity Awards 2026 — Merit Award Recipient and Campaign of the Year FinalistJunbell® received a Merit Award at the TechDiversity Awards 2026 Gala Dinner, held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on 31 July 2026. The company was also named a finalist in Campaign of the Year, recognising work that puts diverse voices and lived experience at the centre of technology.The TechDiversity Awards celebrate organisations using diversity, equity, and inclusion to build stronger technology and a more capable Australian tech workforce. In 2026, the program moved to Sydney for the first time under the theme Influence Redefined: Power in Every Voice. Judge Adam O’Donnell said he was “fascinated” by a video of Gerald independently ordering food using Junbell. He described it as a moment that “probably touched everyone on this call”.Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards 2026 — Dual Category FinalistJunbell® is a finalist in two categories at the 2026 Startup Daily Best in Tech Awards:
• Best New Idea
• The AI GamechangerThe awards drew more than 265 entries from across Australia and New Zealand. Finalists were selected for innovation, measurable impact, and the potential to change how people live and work. The Gala Dinner was held at The Ivy Ballroom in Sydney on 10 September 2026, where the winners were announced.

Academic Research Interest
Building Clinical Validation PathwayMusic therapy and stroke rehabilitation researchers have expressed
interest in potential collaboration on Junbell validation studies.Potential Research Areas:
✓ Clinical effectiveness with stroke survivors
✓ Ethics-approved testing protocols
✓ Grant-funded validation research
✓ International partnershipsCurrent Status:
Early discussions in progress. Research collaborations to be formalized
when academic schedules and appropriate funding align.Why this matters:
Academic research validation would provide evidence-based foundation
for Junbell's effectiveness across diverse stroke survivor populations.

Together:
Industry development (Remarkable) + academic research interest
= commercially viable AND clinically validated solution.