Belgium-based Moonbird raises €1.5M to help people calm, relax, and sleep better, simply by breathing; here’s how

Brussels-based Moonbird, a healthtech startup that claims to make the world’s first breathing tool that fits in the palm of your hand, announced that it has raised €1.5M in its growth round of funding.

After a successful rollout in Belgium, the startup is now also helping other European countries to relax, calm down, and sleep better, simply by breathing.

The proceeds from this round will help the company to expand internationally. The round saw investment from Akiles, ScaleFund, imec.istart, the Flemish investment company PMV, Buysse & Partners, and other private investors.

Why are breathing exercises important?

Breathing exercises, which have been known for centuries to reduce stress and anxiety, are also an effective self-help tool. They have the ability to increase our tolerance to carbon dioxide, which helps us to short circuit the experience of stress and panic.

Increased levels of carbon dioxide have been proven to calm the amygdala – responsible for our fight or flight instinct – and synchronise heart rate with breathing rhythm. All of this aids in quickly and effectively reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety. 

Stefanie Broes, co-founder of Moonbird explains, “After seeing more and more friends and family members struggling with insomnia, stress, and anxiety attacks, the truth is that these emotions are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives, and even more so amid the pandemic. While medication can sometimes be the answer, it is not always necessary and there are other proven techniques people can turn to.”

Here’s what Moonbird offers

The founders of Moonbird, brother and sister duo Stefanie and Michael Broes, saw a gap in the market to make the benefits of breathing more widely accessible and understood. They created a handheld breathing device that allows people to track their progress and manage their stress more efficiently.

Stefanie Broes says, “Moonbird is designed to be an effective, manageable, and discreet tool that goes with you anywhere and everywhere to nip anxiety and stress in the bud as and when it happens. Our technology is making a big difference already, as can be seen through the many customers already benefiting from it in their daily lives.”

The startup has created an innovative, sleek, and compact tool to help slow down breathing while monitoring heart rate through a handheld device that is connected to an app. Simple, short breathing exercises act as a reset button for the nervous system.

About Moonbird 

Founded in 2019, the young Belgian health tech wants to make the application of breathing techniques more widely accessible, to improve people’s overall well-being. Moonbird is a compact device based on scientifically proven principles and helps people to relax, become calmer, and fall asleep faster.