Update: As of April 14, 2023, Somnox has exceeded its crowdfunding goal of €750K and has received a total of €1.1M in funding from 590 investors.
Rotterdam-based Somnox, a sleep technology company that has developed a Sleep Robot that helps bad sleepers get a good night’s rest, announced that it has secured €534K (at the time of writing this article) through crowdfunding on Oneplanetcrowd.com.
Somnox launched the crowdfunding campaign with a target of €750K. So far, 305 investors have contributed to the funding.
Poor sleep is a prevalent issue
Sleep is a fundamental component of human health and well-being. However, poor sleep has become a prevalent issue globally, affecting millions of individuals.
In the Netherlands, for example, approximately one in five people suffer from sleep problems, with insomnia being a leading cause.
Additionally, the consequences of poor sleep extend beyond individual health to affect road safety, work productivity, and the economy.
Addressing the global sleep problem requires a sustainable and natural solution.
Birth of Somnox
When a family member of Dutch entrepreneur Joep Jagtenberg was suffering from the effects of sleeplessness, he decided to take action to help her.
Jagtenberg was determined to find a natural solution that didn’t involve sleep medication.
He delved deep into the scientific literature and consulted with sleep experts. Through his research, he discovered that breathing is a powerful technique for calming the mind and reducing stress, which are common causes of sleeplessness.
With that knowledge, Jagtenberg started working on the first prototype of the Sleep Robot with a team at the Delft University of Technology.
It didn’t help his family member: it was too big, heavy, and noisy.
“I translated [all of my] findings into multiple prototypes and tested them with insomniacs. After many iterations, we struck gold. A technology that helps users slow down their breath, calm them down, and guide them into a peaceful slumber, Somnox was born,” Jagtenberg tells Silicon Canals.
Science-backed sleep companion
Somnox is on a mission to help 100M worldwide achieve better sleep by 2030.
The company’s patented technology provides users with a science-backed sleep companion to relieve feelings of stress and anxiety, resulting in deeper, more restful sleep.
The device simulates calm breathing, allowing poor sleepers to fall asleep naturally using sensors.
In 2019, the first generation of the sleep solution, the Somnox 1, was launched and since November last year, the second generation was on the market.
Meanwhile, 20,000 poor sleepers at home and abroad have already benefited from the innovation, claims the company.
OnePlanetcrowd: What you need to know
Founded in 2012 by Coenraad de Vries, Laura Rooseboom, and Maarten de Jong in Amsterdam, Oneplanetcrowd was one of the first pioneers in the Netherlands with a crowdfunding platform.
The Dutch platform connects innovative entrepreneurs to future-oriented investors to jointly accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy.
With over 43,000 investors and nearly 300 fundings, Oneplanetcrowd passed the €100M capital threshold for social and sustainable companies and projects in September 2022.
Among these 300 companies are leading players, such as VanMoof, Fairphone, and Seepje, as well as the solar park Bomhofsplas, Europe’s largest floating solar park.
Oneplanetcrowd was initiated by StartGreen Capital, one of the largest impact fund managers that have financed over 300 sustainable entrepreneurs and energy projects.
