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DEMCON

Demcon invests in smart wearable and healthcare platform from SmartQare

Complete care solution in response to an aging population. Many older people want to retain their autonomy for as long as possible and continue to live independently at home. In doing so, they also help to limit as much as possible the pressure on care due to an aging population, in terms of personnel and finances. This can be done in a medically responsible way by monitoring their condition continuously (24/7).

SmartQare has developed a complete solution for this purpose. This consists of an intelligent, wearable healthcare band and a platform for healthcare professionals and institutions. Smart analysis of the data from the wearable helps care providers to intervene in time and efficiently. To do this, the wearable, as the first medical device, uses the Internet of Things. Technology developer and manufacturer Demcon will, in close cooperation with SmartQare, develop the innovation into a professional product. Demcon is also investing in the start-up together with other parties. SmartQare, founded in 2017, has developed a wearable device for home monitoring that the client gets attached to the arm like a care band. This wearable continuously - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - monitors the wearer's vital signs. Think of parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation and skin temperature. The wearable is also equipped with fall detection and accurate location determination, in case the client has fallen or starts to wander. Naturally, there is also an alarm button. The SmartQare distinguishes itself through ease of use, wearing comfort and long battery life.

Added value in platform and data

The real added value of this innovation lies in the platform that SmartQare offers. Via that platform, healthcare providers are involved in the monitoring, from GPs, family caregivers and home care to nursing homes and hospitals. As a result, when an alert is raised, the appropriate body can immediately take action. The first benefit for healthcare lies in the reduced demand on expensive institutional capacity, because people can continue to live at home for longer. Thanks to the continuous monitoring, responding quickly and taking appropriate action will also reduce healthcare costs. The platform collects medical data via the wearable, with due regard for data security and privacy regulations. The wearable is the first medical device to use the Internet of Things for this purpose. In this way, monitoring is possible outside the home and the wearer's - healthy - freedom of movement is not restricted. Healthcare professionals can use the data to analyze medical problems and care needs of the elderly. In time, this can help to further improve the quality of life, organize care more efficiently and optimize cooperation around the platforms.

Development

SmartQare will introduce its innovation in cooperation with healthcare professionals and institutions and, if successful, also supply it directly to consumers. Technology developer and manufacturer Demcon has been brought in for the development into a professional product. "If older people can continue to live independently for longer, this has great value for themselves and for society," explains Jemy Pauwels, director of investment at Demcon. "We have a great deal of experience in developing medical technology that can contribute to solutions for social problems such as the overloading of healthcare. Demcon has all the expertise to design systems that meet the needs of healthcare professionals and patients. We can also reliably produce the wearable devices according to medical product guidelines."

Investment

In addition to technology development and production, Demcon is also contributing with an investment. It participates in the new investment round that SmartQare needs to go from innovation to professional, market-ready product. Walter van Kuijen, CEO of SmartQare, underlines the importance of this investment: "Our innovation can be the catalyst for a shift in the medical world, towards more autonomy and care at home. Our ambition is to enable clients to experience freedom by giving them the certainty that they will receive the appropriate care precisely on time and in the right place. The biggest challenge in innovations like this is to get the care sector on board. That partners like Demcon are putting their full weight behind this opens doors to healthcare professionals, health insurers and other medical parties." And to other investors, adds Pauwels: "The fact that Demcon is now on board as a technology and production partner gives them confidence that SmartQare's innovation can grow into a socially valuable product."

Quinso

Quinso is a boutique consulting firm specializing in sustainable supply chain solutions. Technological innovations inspire them to think outside the box.

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