An ambitious startup launching today isn’t just trying to produce and share consumer health content, or sell health-related products, or connect people with providers via telemedicine, or facilitate social networking around health. It’s trying to do them all.
The beta version of Prevently.com is launching today with the goal of “making the world a healthier and more connected place.” It’s planning to do that with a four-pillar approach to engaging people in their wellness.
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First, Prevently hosts wellness and health news and informational content that it licenses from Harvard Medical School. As the site scales there will be other sources of content including some from freelance writers, said co-founder Laurence Girard.
To allow people to take action on the knowledge gathered from that content, an online store on the site will sell health and fitness devices, supplements and foods. All of the products will have reviews written by physicians, Girard said.
If people have questions about what they see on the site, they can book instant video counseling sessions with a doctor or dietician through the VSee video conferencing platform. They can also pay a $99 monthly fee to have their devices, like a FitBit or iHealth Labs blood pressure cuff, synched to a Prevently profile that’s monitored by the company’s notification algorithm. Girard said the patented algorithm notifies a doctor or dietician when potentially unhealthy behavior patterns emerge.
Two former Harvard University students, Girard and Kristen Faulkner, came up with the idea for Prevently based on their own observations about healthy habits and the idea that several small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. According to Girard, they’ve raised about $1 million so far from 50 angel investors and a small seed fund in London and are working with several physicians and a team of 25 developers on the site.
Currently, it’s pretty bare-bones in terms of content, physicians available for consultation and items available for purchase. The team will be working on scaling the site as they’re participating in the Long Island Tech COMETS accelerator program.
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