In the latest development, LIOF, a regional development and investment company in Maastricht will finance Limburg medtech startup through the Limburg Business Development Fund (LBDF) for the development of a virtual reality application in psychological care, which is being developed at the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen.
Based out of Maastricht, the Netherlands, Dutch startup Psylaris wants to make psychological help more efficient and accessible with the aid of Virtual Reality (VR).
Tys van Elk, director LIOF, said, “Psylaris has a unique, innovative concept that we gladly support with knowledge and financing. The concept has growth potential and can thus contribute to the growth of employment in Limburg “.
What is EMDR?
For the uninitiated, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy that mainly treats traumas and negative memories. The company has developed an EMDR-VR app, an e-health tool for offering a more intensive EMDR trajectory and is used as an extension of the therapy.
Peter Verkoulen, CEO of the Brightlands Smart Services Campus: “This is a textbook example of how digital applications can improve our lives.”
Can be used independently and cost effective!
This EMDR-VR app can be used independently at home, where therapists can prescribe a more intensive treatment without being present in person. With this app, clients can also select the times and locations where he wants his treatment to take place – under the responsibility of the therapist.
Benefits of EMDR-VR app?
According to the Dutch startup, the waiting times will be shorter and the therapy can be applied more often within a shorter period. The effectiveness of the therapy and reduction of costs would, therefore, be the advantages. Psyralis has raised total funding of around €110k in a seed round so far.
Blended-care solution!
For GGZ Nederland, e-health is one of the important pillars for keeping mental health care affordable and accessible to a broad target group.
LIME supports Psylaris by, among other things, connecting with the right and necessary experts and facilitating a valid implementation of the product within the healthcare sector. LIME is a Brightlands innovation program with the aim of improving care by measuring smarter and collecting data more efficiently.
Mike Verhiel, CEO of Psylaris, said:
In the GGZ there are high costs, long queues and increased pressure on faster results. We, therefore, started to allow virtual therapy without direct influence from a therapist. By not needing a psychologist immediately after the intake, the costs of mental health care can be drastically reduced and queues can be resolved.
It is a so-called blended-care solution in which a psychologist is needed as the main treatment provider who oversees the process. The Brightlands Smart Services Campus is our partner in the field of data science and smart services. LIOF has helped us to tighten up a business plan and supports us financially in the further development of our concept.
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