Butterflies and brain waves: KC-area’s Healium floating with WEBBY nomination
April 9, 2019 | Austin Barnes
A year of traction continues for Columbia-inflated startup Healium by StoryUP.
The virtual reality solution for situational stress and anxiety recently landed a WEBBY nomination for best use of augmented reality, revealed Sarah Hill, the company’s founder.
Healium at InvestMidwest
“A WEBBY nomination for a small midwest company like ours is a big deal,” Hill said of the recognition that pits the startup against such media giants as AMC, NBC Universal, and Viacom-owned Nickelodeon.
Awarded annually, the WEBBY Awards celebrate the internet’s best in key categories, including: websites, video, advertising, media and public relations, apps, mobile and voice, social, podcasts, and games.
Healium secured a nomination for its VR simulation that enables a user to relieve stress by hatching butterflies with their brain waves, Hill touted.
“Healium is for people who aren’t necessarily a Buddhist monk, don’t already have an established mind body connection — but they need something quick that can quickly show them and allow them to see their feelings displayed inside the screen as opposed to having to go through years or months of practice on trying to develop that inner connection on your own,” she said.
Honored by the recognition, Hill said she’s hungry for a win — not just for her startup, but for all Missouri entrepreneurs.
“The winners are decided by the public and it would be pretty cool to have a Midwest company win,” she said. “It’s like an Emmy for the internet. … We need all the votes we can get!”
Click here to vote for Healium in the 2019 WEBBY Awards.
Healium, StoryUp
2019 has already proven to be a year of immense growth for Healium, Hill added.
The startup recently closed a deal to deploy Healium kits on 28 airlines, won $4,000 in a CES sponsored pitch contest and Best in XR at SXSW, and was invited to take part in the 20th showing of the InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum.
“We completed a Department of Defense innovator cohort, we have revenue, and we’re in the middle of a million dollar seed round,” Hill said of Helium’s continued success.
Click here to read more about the inception of Healium in a TV newsroom.
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
ECJC boot camp arming startups for angel investment round
Startups enlisted in the war for capital know the struggle: a perilous gap between seed and success. The Enterprise Center in Johnson County’s new investment boot camp aims to arm them for battle. The Pitch Perfect mini-accelerator program focuses on helping established startups advance to the next round of development by teaching such skills as…
eSports founder: High school gaming ‘not just for jocks anymore’
When Mason Mullenioux attended Blue Springs High School in the early 2000s, he — like many teenagers — wanted to find a place where he belonged. “I was decently athletic, but when I tried out for tennis and basketball I didn’t make the team,” Mullenioux said. “But, I was always very good at ‘World of…
Techstars Spotlight: Software platform courts easy-to-manage litigation data
Amid a digitized world, the legal industry is among the “last frontier” for tech, Thadd Hale said. “There is a lot of opportunity in the legal space,” said Hale, co-founder and CEO of Vector Legal Method. “Litigation as a whole is not very structured or standardized. As you can imagine, lack of standardization can be…
Techweek KC to feature local leaders, hiring fair, grant competition
Techweek is a natural fit for Kansas City, Amanda Signorelli said. “Kansas City is one of the country’s most influential, up-and-coming tech hubs,” Signorelli, Techweek CEO, said in a release. “The community has given Techweek a warm welcome.” The Chicago-based conference series, which focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, returns to the City of Fountains for…