Health IT, Startups

Diabeto wants to add cute factor to blood-glucose monitoring for diabetes

Several companies, most notably Glooko and Dexcom have developed different approaches to de-siloing diabetics’ blood-glucose […]

Several companies, most notably Glooko and Dexcom have developed different approaches to de-siloing diabetics’ blood-glucose level readings from glucose meters to mobile devices to make it easier for patients and their loved ones to track that data. But are they cute? Diabeto thinks not. It’s amped up the cute factor for these products with its own iconic bird-shaped Bluetooth device to sync data from glucometers with smartphones and transmit it to a smartwatch.

As the Mumbai, India company’s Indiegogo campaign page states: “Design is as important as technology to us!”

Diabeto has done pretty well with the campaign. After 11 days it has secured $14,984, quite a bit more than its $10,000 goal  to raise enough funding to position itself for FDA approval in the U.S.. The funding is also intended to support production for its device. It already has CE Mark approval in Europe for the product, which is aimed at Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients.

Its platform uses a bird-shaped Bluetooth device to sync data from the user’s glucose monitor, transmit it to a smartphone app and upload it to store in the cloud. The data can be transmitted on a caregiver, parent or spouse’s Pebble smartwatch. The company’s site claims it uses secure encryption to protect users’ personal health data. The app also encourages users to track their mood, carbohydrate intake and activity. It’s designed to be compatable with smartphones on Android and iOS networks. Additionally, it has an adapter for Accuchek glucometers.

It’s using the campaign page to recruit for a U.S. study. Diabeto also claims that it has a few hospitals that want to support testing of the device. It plans to submit data from the accessibility testing to the FDA.

Diabeto’s design-led pitch has resonated with supporters, who might be weary of the clinical looking devices it seeks to challenge. But it will take more than aesthetically pleasing design to impress the FDA. But if the company can prove that its technology is as effective as its cute marketing campaign, it could go some ways to making the process of checking glucose levels seem less of a chore.

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