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
Hemp acres shrink across Midwest; USDA data shows farmers turning away from CBD
Editor’s note: The following story was published by Harvest Public Media and KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Fewer farmers are planting hemp across the Midwest and Great Plains; The decline is most acute in…
Her iconic KC business made her queen of the road; why Gail Worth is switching gears into retirement
Gail Worth is hitting the open road of retirement — putting 25 years at her premier motorcycle dealership in the rearview mirror. And the Grandview business — Gail’s (formerly known as Gail’s Harley-Davidson) — that she made popular with her community drive and over-the-handlebars personality, is closing on Worth’s own terms, she said proudly. “I’m…
Drivers are on-the-go; scheduling real-time repairs should be just as mobile, say UnDriveable founders
A Kansas City autotech startup is empowering motorists to easily browse and select nearby services — whether scheduling maintenance or requesting more dire roadside assistance — without adding to the anxiety and stress of the driver’s moment in need. “It was really evident that there was a need to connect people in a different way…
When your hobby takes a leap: Turning passion into a business
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Latasha Randle is a Strategy & Small Business Program Manager at H&R Block, a company founded and headquartered in downtown Kansas City. Many of us have hobbies that spark joy and help us unwind from the stresses of everyday life. From gardening, painting, knitting,…