Five from Finland
Wearable healthtech from Finland
Finnish innovators are generating new solutions to meet the needs of the booming wearable healthtech market.
Julia HelminenDesigned to improve the quality of patient care, prevent diseases, maintain health and facilitate diagnosis, wearable devices are gaining more and more popularity among both health-conscious consumers and healthcare professionals.
Home to Oura, Polar and Suunto, Finland has long been at the heart of global wearable technology development. Today, one of the most promising markets for the industry is in the healthcare sector, which is becoming increasingly data-driven. In fact, the global wearable healthcare devices market is projected to reach 46.6 billion US dollars by 2025 from 18.4 billion US dollars in 2020.
The ease of use and flexibility offered by wearables are also welcomed by consumers. An international study commissioned by Sitra shows that Finns are particularly enthusiastic about the use of smart devices for measuring their health and wellbeing data, compared to other Europeans.
Here are five Finnish wearable healthtech solutions going far beyond conventional activity trackers.
Developed by VTT and its partners, the smart patch measures patients’ vital functions, transfers the data to a monitoring system for analysis and alerts hospital staff about any warning signs.
VTTEarly reaction to changes in patients’ vital functions is all-important. However, the problem of how to best enable hospital staff to monitor patients remotely and continuously for any warning signs is still puzzling healthcare and technology professionals worldwide.
To tackle the issue, VTT has joined forces with fellow Finnish organisations to develop a smart patch that could revolutionise patient monitoring. Virtually unnoticeable to the user, the patch is equipped with lightweight wireless sensors capable of measuring heart rate, body temperature, oxygen saturation and respiration rate, as well as taking an electrocardiogram.
“For example, a patient recovering from surgery could move about freely while measurements are taken, instead of lying in bed surrounded by wires,” research team leader Teemu Alajoki illustrated the solution’s advantages. Among them is also affordability, the unit price being only a few euros.
Talisman by GlucoModicum enables continuous, painless and accurate monitoring of glucose levels.
GlucoModicumPainful needle pricks, well known to the over 400 million people affected by diabetes worldwide, could soon become a thing of the past thanks to GlucoModicum’s innovation. Spun off from the University of Helsinki in 2018, the startup has developed a novel magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) technology for needle-free glucose monitoring.
“We offer a solution that is gentle on the skin while enabling continuous glucose monitoring and delivering rapid, accurate results,” stated CEO Jokke Mäki.
Talisman, the company’s needle-free continuous glucose monitor designed in collaboration with Phillips-Medisize, has been demonstrated to have a strong correlation with blood glucose values in clinical studies and is gradually moving towards large-volume manufacturing. GlucoModicum also takes pride in being part of the EU-funded PREVENTDIABETES project, during which the company has further enhanced the monitor’s capabilities.
Heart2Save has come up with a necklace that, when paired with the user’s smartphone, enables the measurement of a hospital-level electrocardiogram at home, at work or on holiday.
AwarioFounded in 2015, the Kuopio-based specialist in cardiac arrhythmia knows first-hand the importance of regular heart rhythm monitoring.
The company first developed a compact portable device which enabled people to measure their electrocardiograms and get the ECG data analysed using the power of AI. The year 2021, though, opened a new era for self-monitoring heart rhythm after the company launched Awario Gem, the world’s first necklace that enables anyone to monitor their heart rate no matter where they are.
Embedded with a single-lead electrocardiogram, the necklace sends the user’s heart rhythm data to the cloud for AI-powered analysis and displays the results on their smartphone in a matter of seconds. The product’s beautiful and functional design was created in collaboration with reputed Finnish jewellery brand Lumoava.
“Heart2Save has strong roots in science, and our products are medical devices,” said CEO Helena Jäntti. “They have thus gone through the same demanding process as devices used in hospitals, so the information they provide can be trusted.”
By providing instant feedback on meals based on the body’s glucose response, Veri helps people to better understand their metabolic health.
VeriMetabolic health plays a significant role in warding off chronic diseases, with experts considering it one of the strongest predictors of lifespan. Helsinki-headquartered Veri is on a mission to help people to discover their optimal diet with its wearable blood glucose tracker and the accompanying app.
Tapping into the need for preventative health approaches, Veri’s solution provides real-time feedback on users’ food choices, as well as personalised insights gleaned from analyses of blood sugar levels during exercise and sleep.
“It is like having the best nutritionist in the world standing by your side 24-7, helping you understand how your food and lifestyle choices are affecting your personal metabolism in real time,” described Vimal Ramjee, cardiologist, culinary medicine specialist and director of health at Veri.
Listed among the “The hottest startups in Helsinki” by Wired UK, Veri has experienced a staggering 332 per cent compounding annual growth rate since its inception in 2020. The company’s co-founders, Anttoni Aniebonam and Frans Lehmusvaara, made it to the latest edition of Forbes 30 Under 30, a list of impactful young entrepreneurs in Europe.
In just a few years, Sooma’s devices have become the most prescribed TDCS therapies globally, with over 20 000 patients treated worldwide.
SoomaFinnish innovators are continuously finding supportive ways to treat a variety of mental health issues. Sooma specialises in non-invasive brain stimulation technology aimed at treating mental health conditions such as depression and chronic pain. Founded in 2013, Sooma has developed TDCS (transcranial direct-current stimulation) devices that deliver mild electrical currents to targeted areas of the brain to modulate neural activity.
Sooma’s devices are designed to be easy to use, allowing for safe administration in both clinical settings and at home under professional supervision. This innovative approach provides an alternative treatment option for patients who may not respond well to traditional therapies or medications.
In the spring of 2024, the Helsinki-based company received five million euros in funding from Voima Ventures. With this fresh capital injection, Sooma is set to help more patients globally by accelerating product development and continuing rapid expansion into new and existing markets.
“Everyone battling depression deserves a chance at a brighter tomorrow,” said Tuomas Neuvonen, co-founder and CEO of Sooma. “We are dedicated to reaching especially those underserved by medication, or those with limited access to psychotherapy, ensuring everyone suffering from depression has access to the best possible care.”