Diabeto: Manage diabetes via smartphone

The startup's pre-order campaign utilises crowsourcing platform to raise funds and promote the hardware device designed to help manage diabetes.

Diabeto, a start-up by Indian entrepreneurs, has designed a bird-shaped device which helps track blood sugar along with an app which sends alerts if the numbers drop. The device plugs into an array of glucometers and wirelessly beams data and readings to the free mobile app. Diabetes sufferers can see their blood sugar history and track trends. In addition, users can input their insulin intake, food, and mood to get a much clearer picture of their state. Users can also grant relatives access to all this data for remote monitoring.

Currently bootstrapped, the startup launched a campaign at crowd-sourcing platform Indiegogo.com on January 20 with a target of $10,000 which they claim to have completed in four days. The company is continuing the campaign raising funds with an aim to provide additional features to the device. It has raised $12,888 as on Tuesday evening.

Shreekant Pawar, co-founder and CMO, Diabeto says, "Majority of the contributors are either living with type 1 diabetes or have a direct connection (Parent of a child) with Type 1 diabetes. However, we are also getting interest from children who want to monitor the blood glucose of their elderly parents."

Diabeto, currently priced at $59, is targetting people living with diabetes and their caretakers (Health care professionals) and plans to ship the manufactured device with iOS/Android application + API for developers and cloud software by July 2015.

Pawar explains that Indian consumer market is difficult to crack as it is a continent in itself.

"We are having some positive talks with device manufacturers who are already in the market and are looking for a positive business alliance," he adds.

He further notes that lack of patient education is the biggest marketing challenge in India. People in India are still not aware of the importance of self blood glucose monitoring. This program needs to be carried by Pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals with the help of a government hand.

After the patient education, there would be a demand for SMBG med tech devices, like Diabeto, which makes data collection and collation easier.

Diabeto plans to launch its device in Europe with a focus on UK and Germany and getting pre-market notification 510(k) FDA approval to enter USA in 2015.

Diabeto started its operations in January 2012 and is based out of India and USA. The core team consists of Amir Shaikh (CEO), Shreekant Pawar (CMO) and Hemanshu Jain (COO). All the three co-founders bring in experience ranging from Pharmacy, marketing and technology.