French start-up Wefight has raised €1.8 million to accelerate the development of their virtual companion technology, which aims to combat loneliness in those with chronic diseases.
The technology, named ‘Vik’, has already been made available to patients living with breast cancer, depression, asthma and migraine, however many more patients may benefit from the technology.
One third of adults in European Union member states are living with a chronic disease, and studies show feelings of loneliness are high in patients living with such conditions. Loneliness has a significant negative impact in chronic disease and can lead to poor disease management, depression, as well as higher and longer rates of hospital admissions.
Dr Kurt Höller, director of business creation at EIT Health, said: “Loneliness in chronic disease is a significant concern as it has a huge impact on those living with such conditions; as well their families, health systems and society as a whole.
Want to publish your own articles on DistilINFO Publications?
Send us an email, we will get in touch with you.
“We have an overwhelming number of people living with chronic diseases in Europe, and this is continually growing in line with our ageing population. In order to help people with chronic diseases live as well as possible, we must be smart about how we approach disease management. Artificial intelligence has the potential to meet the needs of patients without adding further burden to already struggling health services, and we are proud to support WeFight in their ambitious vision for their technology.”
Wefight was created in 2017 by Benoît Brouard and Pierre Nectoux, who combined their knowledge of healthcare and technical expertise to create Vik – a virtual companion who answers patient questions related to their condition, treatment and care pathway. The Wefight team aims to take ‘Vik’ to 30 more disease types by 2020; and will use funds raised, in part, through the EIT Health Investor Network to help them achieve their goal.
Benoît Brouard, co-founder and director of Wefight, said: “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. 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.”
Date: September 10, 2019
Source: Digital Health Age