A start-up has successfully raised £3 million to promote healthier lifestyles using artificial intelligence (AI).
The investment will be used to enhance and develop programmes aimed at addressing significant unmet needs both in the UK and overseas.
New Funding for Promoting Health
A start-up focused on promoting healthier lifestyles through AI has successfully secured £3 million in new funding. This funding round was led by a Netherlands-based investment group, Shift Invest, and included renewed investments from existing supporters Tate & Lyle Ventures and the North East Innovation Fund.
Initially, the company was founded in August 2016 as a spin-out from Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by Professor Mike Trenell. Combining evidence-based psychological tools with technology, the start-up aims to help individuals improve their lifestyle habits.
Utilisation of Funds
The recently secured investment will be pivotal in developing both existing and new programmes designed to meet substantial unmet needs. The funding is also expected to fuel the company’s growth within the UK and internationally.
According to CEO John Grumitt, the investment will allow the company to support more individuals in innovative ways, enhancing their lifestyle through accessible formats.
Widespread Adoption in Healthcare Systems
Presently, the company offers its digital behaviour change programmes to both private and public healthcare providers, along with insurers. Significantly, thirty NHS organisations across the UK have adopted these programmes to aid individuals with Type 2 diabetes in making positive lifestyle changes and better managing their condition.
Users engage with a series of app-based learning modules to gain a better understanding of their health. Subsequently, a professionally trained lifestyle coach in health psychology is assigned to mentor users through regular phone calls and digital interactions for up to twelve months.
Florentine Fockema Andreae, investment partner at Shift, highlighted that the company exemplifies how digital innovation can reach large numbers of individuals in dire need of lifestyle change. The team combines academic expertise with commercial acumen, converting over nine years of scientific research into products that significantly impact lives.
Future Plans: AI Platform
In the coming year, the start-up plans to launch a pioneering AI platform for its UK and international partners, designed to offer a personalised experience for each user. The platform will utilise big data to proactively identify social, environmental, or demographic factors influencing users’ lifestyle behaviours.
By providing tailored interventions, the new AI platform aims to maximise the impact on users’ health and wellbeing.
Impact and Reach
The start-up’s innovative approach has already garnered significant attention from health experts who recognise the value of promoting lifestyle medicine. The company’s platform is structured to be accessible to a wide audience, aiming to help people live longer, healthier lives.
With the new funding, the company is well-positioned to expand its reach and introduce its programmes to even more people, thereby making a substantial impact on public health.
The recent funding marks a significant milestone for the start-up, enabling it to further its mission of promoting healthier lifestyles through innovative AI-driven solutions.
With its proven track record and ambitious future plans, the company is set to make a substantial impact on public health.