Fitbit integrating Sickweather illness forecasting into new wearables
May 10, 2018 | Tommy Felts
Sickweather is stepping into the wearables market. A new partnership with industry leader Fitbit is expected to see the Kansas City-based startup’s illness forecasting technology integrated into Fitbit’s new products.
“Smartwatches provide a powerful platform to deliver important health tools that help our users manage conditions more conveniently than ever before,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit.
Sickweather is one of eight partner technologies announced this week by Fitbit.
“It’s great validation from Fitbit as a leader in digital health and among a cohort of trusted brands like Walgreens and Humana,” said Sickweather founder Graham Dodge. “It does impact our trajectory too, given some of the ideas they have workshopped with us on how best to engage their users, which could have profound impacts across our other products and partnerships.”
Created by a team of epidemiologists, Sickweather monetizes its platform by selling data licenses to public health organizations and a variety of enterprises. It also offers clients a dashboard that provides detailed analytics, data export tools and interactive forecasts.
When the Sickweather integration launches — as early as this summer, according to Fitbit — users will engage with a new clock face display, said Dave Switzer, Sickweather director of client and media relations.
“The addition of Sickweather app to the Fitbit lineup allows the users to get a SickScore for their current location along with top trending illnesses in that area with just a glance at their wrist,” he said. “That’s a big part of Sickweather’s mission — helping people make informed decisions about their health by providing hyperlocal health information.”
“Together, we aim to inspire positive behavior change that can ultimately improve health outcomes and reduce costs,” Park said.
In February, Sickweather closed a SeedInvest crowdfunding campaign with more than $1 million committed by more than 930 investors. Sickweather backers already included Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures, Brad Feld, 500 Startups, Techstars Ventures and Sprint.
Very cool to see @FirebrandVC and @Techstars company @Sickweather included in the @fitbit announcement about new health-related apps and clock faces. https://t.co/lYG2ZJghbD
— John Fein (@johnfein) May 9, 2018
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Tommy Felts
Tommy is editor-in-chief for Startland News, a Kansas City-based nonprofit newsroom that uses storytelling to elevate the region’s startup community of entrepreneurs, innovators, hustlers, creatives and risk-takers.
Under Tommy’s leadership, Startland News has expanded its coverage from a primarily high-tech, high-growth focus to a more wide-ranging and inclusive look at the faces of entrepreneurism, innovation and business.
Before joining Startland News in 2017, Tommy worked for 12 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist, designer, editor and publisher. He was named one of Editor & Publisher magazine’s top “25 Under 35” in 2014.
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