Biotechware, healthcare IoT Made in Italy: "Cloud and big data, here is the Ecg of the future"
CorCom’s interview with the startup’s ceo, Alessandro Sappia, met in Shenzhen during Apec Smetc 2016. On display the portable electrocardiograph: “Together with Indgan to attack the Chinese market and by the end of the year in the USA. Medicine and cloud winning combination for the new healthcare 2.0”
SHENZHEN – By the end of the year we are going to open the American market: in the US we will propose CardioPad Pro to neighborhood pharmacies in some states on the East Coast, targeting cities like Boston and New York, but we also aim at markets like Spain and the UK.”Â
The founder and CEO of Biotechware, Alessandro Sappia, doesn’t hide his ambition and explains the next steps of the startup specialized in telecardiology devices.nterviewed by CorCom at the l’Apec Smetc 2016 in Shenzhen, China,Sappia outlines the goals for the next 18 months, describing in detail the features of CardioPad Pro.
Professionally recorded ECG through a cloud platform for data storage, processing and transmission, accompanied by a touchscreen display and an intuitive interface that guides the operator through the entire process, from electrode placement to sending data to the reporting center. A portable electrocardiograph developed by the Biotechware team, consisting of the CEO and 8 other employees, which represents one of the most advanced devices in the telemedicine panorama. A development made possible also thanks to the resources that several financiers, including Davide Trabaldo Togna, textile entrepreneur, Greentel and Victoria Asset Management, have decided to bet on the Italian startup.
From Maker Faire to Shenzhen: what is your balance of these months supported by Ingdan and the Apec Smetc 2016?
We grew and we were able to expand our horizons beyond the national borders. At the moment, Ingdan is completing the offer to use their supply chain and we are also considering using their network of distributors. The medical market, however, follows different logics from the large-scale distribution of electronics, which is why the timing is longer and more delicate. This is a challenge for both Ingdan and us: the hope is that it will bring us closer and closer to an important market like the one in China.
What makes your product so unique and competitive in the marketplace?
Biotechware is the only company that combines the delivery of telemedicine services with professional devices specifically designed for this task. Nowadays there are IoT objects dedicated to healthcare and wellness, but there is a lack of devices that allow a fast connection between the various healthcare professionals, from the nurse in the nursing home for the aged to the specialized center.
So we invented CardioPad Pro, an innovative portable electrocardiograph which, differently from other tools for self-analysis, ensures the professional recording of electrocardiograms and uses a cloud platform for storing, processing and transmitting data to a team of selected and qualified cardiologists. Thus, the professional on the ground is supported by a central hub with information that he can use in real time.
Are you more focused on public health or the private business sector? Why?
Currently, our target market in Europe and the US is the private healthcare market, as it is able to guarantee certain payment times and a lower financial exposure.
You received 1 million in grants in the last few months: what were you focusing your investments on and what results did you get?
The funds were used to start the current supply chain in Italy, producing devices and investing in research and development of new products that will be on the market at the end of the year, for example the cardiac and blood pressure Holter. In addition, we invested in the certification that authorize us to sell in the USA (Fda).
What are your next short-term goals?
By the end of the year we will open up the American market: in the USA we will offer CardioPad Pro to neighborhood pharmacies in some states on the East Coast, targeting cities such as Boston and New York. In addition, we hope to begin marketing in Spain and the UK, where we are in the process of concluding supply contracts with important distributors. Finally, we are working to expand the range of examinations that can be delivered by telemedicine and to position ourselves as a telemedicine platform for Europe and, after this experience at Apec in Shenzhen, also for China.
Andrea FrollÃ