Spreading Warmth to Save Lives

What started as Hsia Haberl’s materials science capstone project at Michigan Engineering soon blossomed into Warmilu™, a company she co-founded and based in Ann Arbor, dedicated to providing innovative warming solutions to vulnerable infants.

Warmilu’s flagship product, the IncuBlanket, harnesses the power of a reusable, non-electric InstaWarmer pack. With a single click, the pack heats to a gentle 102°F, keeping babies warm for up to eight hours—a vital resource in clinics and hospitals where electricity can be unreliable or unavailable. The warming pack can be used up to 100 times.

Incubator shortages aren’t limited to rural clinics these days. “Even top-tier teaching hospitals can be overwhelmed,” Hsia Haberl notes. “When complicated cases are transferred, the number of babies and mothers is very high.” She has made it her mission: to ensure every baby—everywhere—receives the warmth they need to survive.

Inspired to Innovate

Hsia Haberl’s entrepreneurial journey is deeply rooted in her student experience at U-M, where the classroom became a launching pad for real innovation.

“You learn all these great theories from these world-class professors at U-M, who many times are not just talking the talk in terms of theory, but they have been there in the real world—whether it’s in industry, government, or consulting. They’re pulling rich insights into the classroom,” she shares.

After earning her bachelor's degree, Hsia Haberl embarked on a journey that would blend her technical expertise with entrepreneurial savvy to fully develop Warmilu—skills honed through Michigan Engineering and the Master of Entrepreneurship program at Michigan Ross.

Over the past 14 years, she has transformed from a self-described shy student into a global networker, field tester, and expert in supply chain, neonatal health, and textiles. Warmilu blankets are now being used in 117 health care systems in 25 countries and a dozen U.S. states to warm 11,000 babies annually.

Originally driven by her father’s influence—himself a senior engineer at GM—Hsia Haberl has always been captivated by the process of development. “He would bring home things like crankshafts and pistons and engine blocks and blueprints of cars that were 5 or 8 years in the future of making. I just loved that,” she explains.

It was this spirit of creation and problem-solving that drew her to U-M, where hands-on learning and encouragement from faculty helped bring her vision to life. “Professors would say, ‘Here’s a pitch competition, here’s a funding opportunity,’ and pushed me to try new things,” she smiles. “In our first year or so, we raised over $60,000—something I never imagined was possible coming from a very humble middle-class background.”

She also credits U-M’s unique ecosystem—the intersection of engineering, business, and healthcare—for enabling rapid innovation.

“The blanket got into clinical trials within a year and a half of our capstone project because of this environment,” Hsia Haberl says.

Coming Full Circle

Through all her global travels and hospital visits, it took Hsia Haberl 12 years to finally meet one of the babies who had benefited from her work in Kenya. Adrian Jr., born too early, needed advanced care and warmth. Thanks to Warmilu’s IncuBlanket, he survived.

“Meeting Adrian and his mother, Edna, was one of the most beautiful moments of my life,” she recalls.

As a mother herself today, this encounter now resonates even more deeply.

“It is moments like that where you are looking into the eyes of someone whose life has been saved because of your medical device, where suddenly everything comes full circle, and you remember, this is why I do what I do. All of those long nights and hours of work and the blood, sweat, and tears—everything was worth it to finally meet him.”

Today, Warmilu’s impact extends far beyond warmth. The company empowers communities by creating local jobs, and Hsia Haberl has dedicated herself to educating both U-M students and Detroit high schoolers.

Through Warmilu’s nonprofit arm, she also writes grants and helps clinics afford blankets, ensuring care for those most in need. She currently serves as a lecturer at U-M’s Center for Entrepreneurship, teaching students and coaching small businesses through programs like U-M’s NAF Future Ready Scholars program and the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program Accelerator in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“I want to share not only my knowledge and experiences, but also pass along the meaningful encouragement and support that I received when I was a U-M student,” she explains.

For engineering that saves lives and entrepreneurship that uplifts communities, Look to Michigan—bringing warmth and innovation where it’s needed most.