In the current scenario, everyone is almost constantly stressed about one thing or the other in their lives, making it difficult to relax. Though there are many ways to relax your mind from everyday stresses, music is something almost everyone turns to. This is where Eindhoven-based startup AlphaBeats can help you.
The company has come up with a new technology that can quantify if you really are relaxed and if not, it can help you wind down. The new technology aims at enabling stress management and is based on neurofeedback.
The funding
In a recent development, the health-tech startup AlphaBeats has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from LUMO Labs, an early-stage investment fund. The startup has exclusive rights to a technology developed by Philips that combines biofeedback technology with music to drastically reduce the effects of stress.
Use of the raised capital
AlphaBeats will use the funds for market validation and market introduction, which is expected within 18-24 months. In addition to the funding, the startup will be also be included in the two-year LUMO Labs program.
LUMO Labs founding partner Andy Lurling, says, “In addition to seeking a financial return for our investors, we invest in startups that have substantial social impact. It would be great if we can realise this. As stress is considered THE health epidemic of the 21st century, we contribute by investing in AlphaBeats. It fits perfectly in our health and well-being focus.”
Everything about AlphaBeats
Founded in 2019, AlphaBeats enhances the relaxation effect, so you can really relax, even when experiencing high-stress levels. Using technology developed at Philips, the startup combines music augmented with neurofeedback. Simply put, AlphaBeats amplifies the relaxation effect of music.
As the company claims, using AlphaBeats regularly over a period of time changes your brain’s reactions to the world around you. “Using our patented biofeedback solution, you learn to guide your brainwaves to the desired state – relaxation – by listening to your own favourite music.”
Strategic collaboration with several German parties enables the Dutch AlphaBeats team, among other things, to measure heart rate variability on a cell phone in addition to breathing.
The startup’s ultimate goal is to help people relax easily and quickly in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and come back to themselves, wherever and whenever they want. Businesswise, the company’s aim is to partner up with Spotify and Apple Music and wearables like Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Muse.
The technology
The product measures real-time brain activity with an electroencephalogram (EEG) that analyses brainwave patterns associated with stress. Also, biofeedback through heart rate variability or breath can be used. As you listen and relax, AlphaBeats measures this activity, gently increasing the quality of the music enticing you to relax a little more, and the process continues doing the same. Combining the two enables you to slow down and quickly reach a state of deep relaxation.
The startup claims that this solution has been scientifically validated in four years of PhD research by Marian Dekker at Tilburg University.
Explaining the technology, Dr Jur Vellema, co-founder and surgeon, says, “AlphaBeats uses this solution to analyse your real-time brain activity. The patented algorithm then adjusts your favourite music to bring your brain into a relaxed state – “alpha mode.” This adjustment is done very subtly to prevent users from being annoyed by the changes in their favourite music. And best of all, you don’t necessarily have to invest in a nice wearable one. You can just use your cell phone and headphones. This means we don’t have to develop any hardware ourselves.”
Collaboration with HighTechXL
The startup was part of HighTechXL’s deep-tech venture builder program and is currently located in High Tech Campus Eindhoven. On the other hand, LUMO Labs is located just about 200 meters away, “so they won’t have to hire a moving van,” says LUMO Labs founding partner Andy Lurling.
John Bell, CEO of HighTechXL, says, “Our collaboration with LUMO Labs on AlphaBeats is a great example of connecting the innovation chain for startups in the Brainport region. HighTechXL builds deep-tech ventures that solve societal challenges, whereas LUMO Labs takes over the baton from us and develops AlphaBeats further on its growth curve.”
HighTechXL is an initiative of the Eindhoven Startup Alliance. It scouts advanced technologies developed at research centres such as CERN, European Space Agency, TNO, and Philips, and recruits tech and business talent to build companies focused on tackling grand societal challenges the world faces today.
About LUMO Labs
LUMO Labs, founded in 2016 by Andy Lurling and Sven Bakkes. It creates opportunities for impact-driven software and smart hardware startups. The current LUMO Fund II is a €20M impact-driven multi-stage capital fund (pre-seed up to and including Series A). It includes a two-year venture builder program to support its portfolio companies in gaining financial success as well as social traction and impact.
The company funds startups that align with at least one of the three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
- Sustainable Cities & Communities
- Good Health & Well-Being
- Quality Education
It invests in sectors including Artificial Intelligence/Data, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Robotics and Drones, and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality.
01
Job board for modern workforce: How Remote Talent helps jobseekers find truly remote, distributed work