Vitalera

The problem we are addressing is the significant global burden of chronic diseases, particularly the disparities in access to diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care, which exacerbate health inequalities. Currently, more than 5 billion people worldwide are affected by chronic conditions, with approximately 50 million annual deaths attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases not only pose a considerable challenge to individual well-being but also strain healthcare systems and economies worldwide.

Within this context, health disparities in chronic diseases are glaringly apparent, with certain demographics and regions facing greater obstacles in accessing specialized care. Rural and underserved communities often lack the necessary healthcare infrastructure and expertise, leading to delays in diagnosis and suboptimal treatment. Additionally, the high costs associated with chronic disease management present a formidable barrier, particularly in regions with limited healthcare coverage or high out-of-pocket expenses. Health literacy and awareness gaps further compound the issue, contributing to delayed diagnosis and inappropriate management strategies.

In the United States, minorities are disproportionately affected by these disparities, facing obstacles such as inadequate access to healthcare services and limited resources for disease management. This highlights the urgent need to address systemic barriers and promote equitable healthcare access for all individuals, regardless of their socio-economic background or geographical location.

Moreover, the shift towards home hospitalization necessitates innovative approaches to care delivery to optimize available resources and address the challenges of an aging population, increased chronicity, and geographical barriers. Digital transformation offers a promising avenue for disrupting traditional care models and enhancing accessibility and efficiency in healthcare delivery.

Our solution, Vitalera, aims to democratize healthcare access by leveraging digital technologies to optimize health systems and empower patients. By facilitating effective data access in an ethical and secure manner, we strive to bridge the gap between patients and providers, ensuring that individuals receive timely and personalized care irrespective of their location or socio-economic status. Through multidisciplinary care approaches and patient engagement initiatives, we seek to improve health outcomes and enhance the quality of life for individuals living with chronic diseases.

Furthermore, Vitalera promotes the optimization of health systems by streamlining care processes, breaking down geographical barriers, and harnessing the potential of telemedicine and remote monitoring technologies. By embracing a holistic approach to healthcare delivery and prioritizing patient-centered care, we envision a future where access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right for all individuals, fostering healthier and more resilient communities globally.

To address these disparities and inequalities, we have developed a cutting-edge remote care system for chronic diseases that revolutionizes healthcare by leveraging ground-breaking AI technology. In real-time, it continuously monitors patient health status and promotes their empowerment through tasks and content. Patients' vital health parameters such as heart rate (HR), daily physical activity metrics, exercise patterns, SPO2 levels, and stress indicators are monitored through integrated devices and a smart alarm system. This real-time monitoring ensures an in-depth understanding of each patient's health status, allowing immediate intervention or adjustments to be made as needed. Besides, it enables the patient to report the PREMS & PROMS for a better understanding of patients health status. In order to promote and equitable access to healthcare, we also use AI in computer vision to read measurements from the devices and thus allow patients to use their own devices if needed. 

By harnessing the power of predictive analytics, our system goes beyond mere monitoring. It analyzes vast amounts of data to detect subtle patterns and trends, predicting potential health deteriorations or exacerbations before they occur. This proactive approach enables healthcare providers to intervene early, preventing complications and ensuring better health outcomes for patients managing their disease.

The heart of our system lies in its ability to personalize care. Through AI-driven analysis, it generates individualized care plans tailored to each patient's unique health profile. These personalized plans encompass specific treatment recommendations and lifestyle adjustments, optimizing disease management strategies. This not only enhances patient adherence to treatment but also ensures that care is precisely aligned with each individual's needs.

Moreover, our system prioritizes ease of use and accessibility. Patients can seamlessly engage in continuous health monitoring, making proactive management of their disease simpler and more intuitive. This approach fosters patient empowerment, encouraging active involvement in their own healthcare journey.

By integrating AI technology into remote care for chronic diseases, we're not just addressing disparities; we're revolutionizing healthcare delivery. Our system aims to elevate patient outcomes, personalize care strategies, and pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable healthcare landscape for individuals managing chronic diseases worldwide.

Vitalera primarily serves individuals living with chronic diseases, especially those facing barriers to accessing quality healthcare. This includes underserved populations in both developed and developing regions, with a particular focus on addressing the disparities prevalent in the United States healthcare system. These individuals often struggle with efficient patient tracking, high healthcare costs, and limited access to digital health services.

Vitalera's remote patient monitoring technology offers a transformative solution by providing real-time monitoring capabilities, allowing healthcare providers to remotely track patients' health statuses. By reducing the need for frequent hospital visits and enabling proactive intervention, our solution empowers patients to manage their conditions more effectively while minimizing healthcare expenses. This is particularly crucial in the US, where healthcare costs are disproportionately high, and access to affordable care remains a significant challenge for many.

Furthermore, our solution aligns seamlessly with the growing trend of telehealth in the US, integrating into existing digital healthcare platforms to enhance accessibility and convenience for both patients and providers. By facilitating data-driven decision-making and optimizing resource allocation, Vitalera not only improves patient outcomes but also streamlines healthcare delivery and reduces insurance claims, benefiting stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem.

Moreover, the insights generated by our solution are invaluable for pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers in the US, accelerating drug development and personalized medicine initiatives. By enriching digital health platforms and fostering innovation, Vitalera contributes to the advancement of healthcare technology, creating a positive impact on healthcare, the economy, and the environment.

In essence, our mission is to radically improve people's access to healthcare, especially promoting health equity by addressing the specific needs of underserved populations. Through our innovative remote patient monitoring solution, we aim to empower individuals with chronic diseases to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives while driving positive change in the healthcare landscape.

Vitalera’s team composition reflects the diversity and richness of the communities we serve. We have members from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses, ensuring that our perspectives are multifaceted and inclusive. This diversity enables us to understand the nuances of the community's needs and preferences better. The multidisciplinary team is composed of experts in biomedical and computer engineering, with recognized clinical and business advisors such as Dr. Brugada and Natalia Olson, and with the CEO, Nuria Pastor, with a background in clinical research and leading mental health innovative projects. This blend of expertise ensures that our solution is not only technically robust but also clinically sound and commercially viable.

Importantly, our team maintains constant engagement with the healthcare community, including hospitals, clinical centers, health institutions, foundations, and health associations. This ongoing dialogue allows us to stay attuned to the evolving needs and priorities of the communities we serve, ensuring that our efforts are aligned with existing initiatives and effectively address pressing challenges.

Crucially, our solution is not developed in isolation but is co-designed with input from patients and clinical professionals. By actively involving community members in the design and implementation process, we ensure that their voices are heard, their ideas are valued, and their agendas are respected. This participatory approach not only enhances the relevance and effectiveness of our solution but also fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment within the community.

In summary, our team's proximity to the target population, coupled with our commitment to meaningful community engagement, ensures that the solution we design and deliver is not only technically robust but also culturally sensitive, respectful, and empowering. By leveraging our collective expertise and embracing a collaborative approach, we are well-positioned to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

Vitalera is in the commercialization stage. Registered in 2018, the company has grown without private investment and focused on strengthening the position in the market. The product was launched in 2020, in 2021 it was certified as CE mark Class I and now we are moving to the Class IIa MDR. Since the launch, there have been 5k recurring users, with an user engagement of 98%. We are working with more than 20 hospitals, clinics and insurances from 5 countries, we are establishing collaborations with centers around the EU, LATAM and US, and participating in recognised consortia in innovation projects such as DISCOvERIE and TIQUE PCP. In 2022 we received the EIC Accelerator grant and secured the investment of the EIB. 

Clinical studies conducted in cardiovascular chronic diseases such as Heart Failure showed a decrease of 33% of visits to the emergency care and 40% of readmission. In other cardiovascular diseases we have improved up to 90% of the adherence to the treatment. Positive feedback from potential customers has shaped our product strategy, like incorporating an image recognition feature (based on AI and computer vision). The company is in contact with healthcare groups like Mount Sinai Health System and with the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians for potential US grants participation in 2024. Our innovative solution offers adaptability, enabling customization for the target market's unique needs. 

Currently, Vitalera business strategy is focused on the go-to-market to the US. With a product in the commercialization stage, our main business challenge is contacting local partners for market penetration. Since now we are engaging in collaborations with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in particular with the Division of Clinical Informatics, to collaborate in NIH and ARPA-H grants. During the last year, we conducted several meetings with US-based stakeholders and attended relevant congresses including the HLTH Las Vegas, CES and will attend the BIO San Diego with great success. We conducted customer validation activities with Digital Healthcare Providers, Pharmaceutical corporations, Insurers & Healthcare providers, in the fields of Digital Health, IoT, e-Health, AI/ML & Smart Home technologies.

In terms of R&D, our main challenges are providing the most suitable solution for oncology patients, since it is a major health problem worldwide; and developing and certifying robust Machine Learning algorithms for the support in the clinical decision-making and event prediction of exacerbations. Due to the excellence in our works, we have been recently selected in the Social Tides Growth AI acceleration program sponsored by Google.org, which consists in a mentorship program and providing funding for a 1-year project focused on AI. 

Having said that, we are applying to Solve to improve our business strategy, branding / marketing strategy, collaborate with the US health ecosystem, conduct meetings with potential customers, and contact potential investors. Besides, we would like to have guidance and support on the regulatory and legal aspects of the product, especially related to the development of the ML algorithms. Finally, Solve is a perfect opportunity to seek for potential R&D collaborations and investment in innovative projects centered in remote patient monitoring of relevant diseases with unmet needs such as oncology, cardiology, mental health, diabetes and pneumology, among others.

Our mission is to revolutionize access to healthcare, and we are doing this through our remote patient monitoring API product, an innovative healthcare solution that utilizes AI-driven technology, including image scanning, to collect and interpret patient data from various devices. Another important innovative asset apart from using cutting-edge technologies, is the platform’s interoperability, which allows the integration with other platforms and Electronic Health Records, providing a solution to overcome the limitations in chronic patients’ follow-up and lack of control of data management and utilization. 

Therefore, the architecture of the solution allows the implementation in multiple diseases, especially chronic, such as oncology, cardiology and pneumology. Now we aim to keep optimizing our data modeling platform, develop and improve the AI algorithms, and continuously gather market and client feedback to create a better product-market fit.

Vitalera's impact is grounded in evidence-based practices, ensuring transparency and efficacy. We publish all pilot and clinical studies, involving clinical advisors and medical professionals to develop the study protocols, and we define not only health related objectives but also related to clinical optimization. Through these validations, we've seen tangible results: a 33% decrease in emergency care visits, a 40% reduction in readmissions, and a remarkable 90% improvement in treatment adherence.

In terms of the usability of the platform, as previously mentioned, the platform has been co-designed with end-users and product specialists. To do so, interviews with patients and professionals are arranged to better understand their needs and concerns. We prioritize direct interaction over form feedback to ensure authenticity.

As for the AI models to power the smart alarm system, the data science team led by the CTO and an Industrial PhD is developing the roadmap to optimize algorithm’s robustness and plan the certification. Collaborating with tech advisors and regulatory consultants, and benefiting from acceleration programs, we aim to set the gold standard in ML models for event prediction and clinical decision support.

Finally, our efforts have garnered recognition, including the MWC 4YFN award in 2022, we appeared in the Forbes list, and acknowledgement from Dr Werner, Amazon CTO commented: “It's inspiring to see how companies like Barcelona-based Vitalera (old name for Vitalera) are leveraging the cloud to improve the healthcare experience for both medical professionals and patients.”

Vitalera's mission is to radically improve people’s access to healthcare. Using our remote patient monitoring solution, it digitizes patient follow up, empowers patients, democratizes health access and promotes adherence to the treatment. Our solution enables remote monitoring and personalized care, particularly benefiting underserved communities and reducing healthcare disparities. By integrating AI/ML, we empower healthcare professionals with predictive insights, improving patient outcomes and reducing hospitalizations. We measure impact through metrics such as patient engagement, healthcare access, and reduction in healthcare inequalities. Additionally, our platform promotes inclusivity by ensuring compatibility with diverse medical devices, enhancing accessibility for all users. Through these efforts, we aim to advance healthcare equity and well-being, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more equitable society. Our solution is aligned with the UN Sustainable Goals 3 Global Health and Well-being, Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 10 Reduced Inequality, and Goal 13 Climate Action. 

Vitalera leverages a robust suite of modern technologies to power its innovative healthcare solution, encompassing an API, SDK, web platform for professionals, and a patient-centric app—all cloud-based for seamless accessibility and scalability.

The API and SDK facilitate seamless integration with various platforms, including hospital information systems and medical devices, ensuring interoperability and data continuity. This interoperability enables Vitalera to collect comprehensive health data from patients, enhancing the breadth and depth of insights available to healthcare providers.

Central to the solution is a sophisticated smart alarm system powered by AI. ML models are developed to predict and prevent exacerbations, supporting clinical decision-making and enabling proactive interventions to optimize patient care. This AI-driven approach not only enhances patient outcomes but also streamlines healthcare delivery by identifying potential issues before they escalate.

A recent addition to the platform is the Automatic Value Extraction feature, which revolutionizes data collection by enabling patients to capture measurements from medical device screens using their smartphones. This innovative image scanning tool promotes device agnosticism, allowing patients to utilize their own devices and eliminating barriers to data capture and transmission.

By combining these cutting-edge technologies, Vitalera empowers both patients and healthcare professionals to actively engage in healthcare management, fostering a collaborative approach to improving health outcomes. This holistic solution embodies the ethos of leveraging technology for the betterment of people and the planet, driving innovation to address pressing healthcare challenges facing communities worldwide.

14 FT

5 Advisors

2 contractors

The company was registered in 2018, so 6 years. And the founders have been working since 2017.

Beginning with the chiefs, 2 out of 3 chiefs are women, the CEO and COO, and in the board of trustees there are 3 women out of 5. As for the rest of the workers, we allow the implementation of telework and thus our team is composed of people all around Spain, from rural to urban areas. Since 2018 there have been people from more than 8 countries, with diverse educational levels and backgrounds. Also, every year we conduct an internship program with the US in which students come to Barcelona and take summer internships. The legal team has worked in providing a Code of Conduct, Presenteisme guide, Information security police, Protocol for sexual and gender-based harassment, Labor relations policy, Anti-corruption policy, Vacations policy, among others, to ensure that the best environment is created to allow employees prosper. 

Vitalera has demonstrated that the business model is working. We are generating revenues and have doubled our size in one year having achieved it without any private investment.

Our business model is a B2B based on a SaaS (Software as a Service) which includes revenues from the following services:

Monthly subscriptions: monthly fee based on the number of patients who use the services of our platform. The price is classified by packs of patients and functionalities offered.

Medical devices: since we have multiple devices integrated into our platform, we also distribute medical devices to implement the remote patient monitoring.

API/SDK integrations: the platform also includes its own API & SDK that allows data to be transferred to other platforms or apps, so we can collect the necessary data from patients and send it wherever medical professionals or researchers need it (such as in patients' electronic records). Our SDK also allows third parties to integrate our functionalities into their app. In this case, we offer our API & SDK through a license + a monthly fee depending on the users connected to it.

Registered in 2018, the company demonstrated a rapid scaling as a result of the excellence in the work and the innovative product. The CEO and CTO are the co-founders of the company, we are near the break-even and founders own 100% of the capital. The business model showed positive results since no private investment has been made. Vitalera's target market are public and private hospitals and clinics, health insurances, and digital health providers such as pharmaceutical companies. The stats show that the remote patient monitoring market is worth USD 53.6 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach USD 175.2 billion in 2027 at a CAGR 26.7%.

Vitalera has been successful in establishing this novel value chain by collaborating and working with the key healthcare organizations. With that, important national and EU grants have been received for R&D projects. The most relevant are the EIC Accelerator (2.5M€), and the participation in prestigious consortia bidding for public procurements such as TIQUE PCP, and innovation projects that finance technology implementation in pilot projects (DISCOvERIE). Now, we aim to bid for important EU digital transformation projects in collaboration with relevant digital companies, close the Series A round to scale our company and fund the go-to-market in the US, and collaborate with local partners for securing NHS and ARPA-H calls (we have already applied with the DCI from the BIDMC, a Harvard associated Hospital), and keep applying to digital health calls (we have been awarded recently an equity-free investment from Google.org to fund an oncology R&D project focused on remote patient monitoring and AI).