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Startups of the day

Reflect Innovation, Herzliya (Israel)

Source: Twitter

Well-being is more than just physical health and an absence of illness; it embraces the entire person, body and mind. It encompasses a positive mental state, emotions and moods, and identifies the form of happiness necessary to achieve a healthy life.

WellTech is an ecosystem of technologies relating to the support of our life purpose and pursuit of happiness. The digital world is transforming wellness, and it’s not just for early adopters, fitness buffs, or the wealthy — devices, apps, and more are democratizing it. From kids to retirees, factory workers to bankers, trauma patients to crypto-enthusiasts, this is a global phenomenon meeting human needs and thereby creating a better life.

Have you ever felt nervous before a presentation or stressed after a long day at work? This new tech device can help you! What’s the deal: The Israel-based startup Reflect Innovation has created an entirely new consumer experience by introducing a wearable device which makes use of the therapeutic power of biofeedback in order to achieve emotional wellbeing.

The startup designed a soft textile-wrapped device, which measures and analyzes users’ emotional state in real-time through changing LED lights; the result is a calming experience. With $3 million in seed funding, the company is now aiming for mass production and e-commerce roll-out.

Why it matters: Since the outbreak of the pandemic, emotional wellbeing has taken center stage, and more and more people have turned towards tech-based solutions as a source of stress relief. As an example, the well-known meditation app headspace was downloaded more than 65 million times in 2020 alone.

Reflect Innovation now wants to help establish new self-regulating habits using the power of innovative biofeedback technology. The device can be used in the morning or before an important presentation, as well as at night before going to bed, in order to relieve stress.

Our Take: There are plenty of mobile apps in the market that aim to promote emotional wellbeing, and we think Reflect Innovation offers a unique and complementary device that supports this trend.

While the solution is still too young to predict whether its results will be superior to mobile-based solutions, it still provides an interesting perspective on how hardware is generally becoming more important. As with the Apple watch that has transformed the fitness tracking industry, the combination of software and intelligent hardware can offer fantastic solutions in many consumer and business applications in the health and wellbeing industry.