In the European Union, studies show that one-third of adults suffer from chronic diseases. It is proved that feelings of loneliness are high in patients who live in such conditions. Basically, loneliness leaves a significant negative impact on those suffering from chronic diseases and leads to depression, poor disease management, and long periods of hospital bound treatment.
In 2017, Wefight was founded by Benoît Brouard and Pierre Nectoux in Paris to eradicate loneliness with its virtual companion called ‘Vik’ that will answer patients’ queries related to their condition, and treatment. Now, the French startup has hit the headlines as it raised funding to develop its product.
Secures €1.8M funding
Wefight has just raised €1.8 million to accelerate the development of its virtual companion technology, which combats loneliness in patients with chronic diseases. The funds secured through the EIT Health network were provided by Investir&+, Angels Santé, Business Angels des Grandes Écoles, and MELIES Business Angels.
Aims to support more patients
This technology is already available for patients with asthma, migraine, breast cancer, and depression. The company intends to help more patients enjoy the benefits of using its technology. The investment will be channelled to accelerate the development of its virtual companion technology to serve those suffering from a total of 33 chronic diseases by 2020.
“Our team is proud to have convinced investors who share our values and who will bring their expertise to help us increase Vik’s social impact,” said Benoît Brouard, Co-Founder and Director of Wefight. “We wanted to meet the needs of patients and address caregivers’ needs. To achieve this, we included patient associations in the development of Vik from the very beginning. This allowed us to understand the daily concerns of patients and tailor Vik to their needs,” Brouard continued.
What Vik does?
Vik facilitates and automates outpatient follow-up via its conversational interface. The virtual companion alerts when the threshold is crossed and understands how the patient lives with the illness on a daily basis. It is easily available to patients via Messenger, Web, iOS or Android.
EIT Health Investor Network
EIT Health Investor Network is now accepting applications from new startups. It is a pan-European network connecting promising healthtech startups with private and institutional investors. Startups seeking early-stage private equity funding above €500k can benefit through the network. To apply for funding via EIT Health Investor Network, startups can visit www.eithealth.eu/investor-network.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more European technology news.
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