Send your smartphone to med school
Smartphones can do a lot of things, but did you ever think that being able to measure your current health state would be one of them? Today’s featured California-based startup is letting you do just that.
Scanadu is a small handheld device that will work with your smartphone to tell you the state of your health. Have a symptom that you’ve never had before? Scanadu will tell you what it means and what to do about it.
Scanadu also sends alerts to your phone about illnesses in and around your area so you and your family can be prepared.
Find out more about how Scanadu can help you are your family stay healthy from COO, Eri Gentry.
What inspired you to start your company?
The vision of Walter De Brouwer, our founder, is to take the technology of doctors and the medical industry and to bring it home to consumers. Google changed the way we search for information--what will it look like when we can index our health and our bodies?
Tell us about your product or service
Scanadu has built a small, handheld device that works with the smartphone to give users a snapshot of their current health state in just a few seconds. These devices are wireless and connected to other users, giving you insight into not only how you're doing, but how look compared to the population. We're relatively quiet about what we do but that will all be changing in a few months. We'll be demo-ing our prototypes soon and in the big, open public at CES in January, thanks to Startup America.
Tell us something unique about you and your co-founder.
Like it says on his scanadu.com bio, Walter is or has been many things, including a professor, a publisher, and an internet entrepreneur. Now, it's time to use everything he's learned to help others lead healthier, more empowered lives. Something unique about Walter: he once co-authored a book by tape recording a conversation between him and friends, and subsequently having it typed and published.
What problem does your product or service solve?
There is a period of anxiety between noticing something is wrong and seeking treatment, whether it's a nurse, doctor, ER, or drugstore. There is massive information related to general health conditions and treatments, but it's not personalized to someone's current health state. Scanadu has built a device to tell you how you're doing--paired with personalized health information, we lessen anxiety and help you decide what are the next best steps to take.
What are your startup's three biggest challenges to growth?
The obvious ones: Speed to market, Money (raising), Money (sales)
How has the Startup America Partnership helped you overcome these challenges to growth?
We are proud to be among the members demo-ing at Eureka Park at CES in January 2013. Some of the best products in tech made their debuts at CES. We hope to blend in some health into the tech and get the same kind of adoption as consumer electronics--presenting at CES is a great start!
What Startup America Member Benefits have you used?
We love the access to events, and the learning webinars are great.
Why should startups join Startup America?
Startup America is an excellent way to connect to entrepreneurs in your neighborhood and experts around the globe
What is the startup culture like in your City/State?
We are in Silicon Valley. Need I say more?
Learn more and connect with Scanadu here:
www.scanadu.com | facebook.com/scanadu | @scanadu
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