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
Big winner at GEWKC: AltCap Your Biz turns The Next Paige with $42K+ in prizes
Editor’s note: Startland News’ coverage of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City is made possible by the support of Husch Blackwell. The value of local support should not be underestimated or taken for granted, said Elaina Thomas, winner of the $25,000 grand prize at Thursday’s AltCap Your Biz pitch competition. “I feel blessed, I feel like I…
How KC helped baseball’s bright yellow ringmaster bring the Savannah Bananas to TikTok fame
Kansas City will always hold a special place in Jesse Cole’s heart, shared the owner of the Savannah Bananas, baseball’s answer to the Harlem Globetrotters. “You guys gave us our first shot,” explained Cole, the founder of Fans First Entertainment — fully outfitted in his signature yellow tux at Thursday’s Kansas City Area Development Council…
Nonprofit founded to equip K-9 officers with bulletproof vests goes viral thanks to four-legged artists
LAWRENCE — What began as a problem keeping Emily Fawcett up at night has grown into a tail-wagging nonprofit effort recently featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” — all thanks to a viral social media post showcasing a Kansas police dog painting instead of panting. Fawcett, whose background is in animal welfare, was asked in 2020…
PayIt appoints new president and COO as fast-scaling KC govtech company hits pivotal moment
A veteran govtech leader is joining one of Kansas City’s best-known scale-ups as the company eyes a new era of growth and the expansion of its national and international footprint. PayIt — a leader in digital customer experience solutions with integrated payments for state, local, and provincial governments — announced on Thursday the appointment of…