Welcome to our X-Europe startup interview series. We have virtually sat down with a number of our founders from past cohorts to hear all about their solutions, vision for the future, and what made them tick during our X Europe programme. So whether you are a deep tech founder looking for startup support, an eagle-eyed investor, or simply interested in the possibilities that technology can bring to society, then we welcome you to take a read. Meet Abbly Medical, a preventive healthcare company that is redesigning the hospital bed.
Can you briefly explain what your solution is all about? What’s unique about it?
Ably´s aim is to contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system that optimises the time of on of the hospital´s most critical resources - the nurse, while improving patient safety. Ably´s solution "Lyng" provides clinical staff with real-time patient information conveniently available on handheld devices, that enables early intervention in the case of patient deterioration, potential falls, or pressure injuries, as well as scheduling tasks around patient needs. Ably addresses issues that are at the centre of patient care, but are often handled with a myriad of systems and devices. Nurse call systems, hospital information systems, clinical work-flow tools, vital signs devices and monitors, integration and interoperability devices and systems all play an important part in a hospital´s infrastructure, however, this fragmentation can also lead to unnecessary complexity and not to mention frustration. Lyng is a highly user-friendly and intuitive system designed for, and with, nurses, to ensure that they have access to clinically actionable information for all their patients, improve workflow and communication, and with the comfort that they will be notified of any sign of a potential adverse event (such as cardiac arrest, falls, pressure injuries).
How can your solution impact the Health sector?
The Lyng solution can reduce adverse events in hospitals through an early intervention based on real-time clinically actionable patient information. Adverse events are costly, not only to hospitals but can also result in lower quality of life for patients and their caregivers or even death. Clinical staff such as nurses are already handling a tremendously difficult job where time is a sparse resource, and with demographic changes globally, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is never enough to provide the level of care and security that patients deserve. Lyng will be a valuable work-flow tool that provides valuable information regarding patient status so that tasks can be scheduled around patients´ needs and safety.
Since the foundation of your company, what has been its biggest milestones? What challenges are you still trying to overcome?
Ably has hit a number of milestones, securing multiple rounds of funding, completed studies with international clinical partners, and built a strong and diverse team. We are closing in on a commercial launch in Europe, and the main challenge is (as it probably is for most startups) finalising the product and shifting the company from an R&D-based company to a fully commercial enterprise.
What was the status of your product before joining X-Europe? How has your original product vision evolved?
When we joined X-Europe we were at a proof of concept stage, and we are at the moment working on a prototype that will be sent for clinical testing at a hospital in Norway.
After joining and benefiting from the services X-Europe has provided to you, what next steps do you envision?
We will leverage opportunities we see in terms of applying new marketing strategies to healthcare, with a particular focus on growth hacking.
What tips do you have for entrepreneurs trying to succeed in the HealthTech/BioTech field?
Secure the right time at the right time. A sense of team spirit and unity goes a long way to help get through the tumultuous journey that is trying to bring a healthcare product to market.
What’s unique about the X-Europe programme?
Excellent combination of inspiration and tools for a healthcare startup.
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