The Purple story began in 1989 when brothers Tony and Terry Pearce developed a line of carbon-fiber wheelchairs and sporting goods. Responding to their wheelchair customers\' pleas for better seating, the Pearce brothers developed Floam, a lightweight cushioning fluid. In 1996, the brothers invented Hyper-Elastic Polymer, which is the material now used in Purple beds and pillows. The first Purple bed was made in 2013, and this company has now sold millions of beds worldwide.