Leading health tech company winning global awards

Leading health tech company winning global awards for improving people’s health

A cutting-edge Wellington-based international health start-up is winning awards for their innovative mobile health platform, which is benefitting New Zealanders in need.

Melon Health which is supporting changing traditional healthcare services through mobile apps, last month received the best start up award at the annual Healthtech Week hosted by Callaghan Innovation in Auckland, heading off some top early-stage med-tech companies from around New Zealand.

Chief executive Siobhan Bulfin says their fast growing company has already produced a number of mobile solutions to help prevent and manage chronic disease, including smoking, at-risk drinking and also for young people experiencing depression.

“We are not only helping people in need and public and private health providers in New Zealand we are also being recognised around the world for our innovative approach to health care.

“We continue to receive international recognition taking the top prize at the US Mobile Innovation Awards last year, as well as awards at Health 2.0 which is the largest health innovation event in the United States.

“These achievements endorse our direction and we hope they’ll convince more health providers that this is the new path to take to improve the lives New Zealanders.

“We want to help people take control of their health by giving them the tools, support, information, motivation and confidence to manage their health. This will have a significant impact on reducing the annual health bill as well as improving people’s lives.

“We’re different to the surplus of consumer-facing health apps out there. Ours are being prescribed by doctors, enabling remote monitoring and extending their reach beyond the clinical setting. Mobile health is a rapidly expanding multi-billion dollar industry. Our phone is always with us, we use it for everything including banking. Now it can also empower us to manage our health.

“Our platform has already made a difference for many New Zealanders who wanted to quit smoking and reduce drinking and for people living with specific chronic diseases.”

Bulfin started Melon Heath (formerly Social Code) after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. She saw the need for online communities that not only provide peer support, but also clinical support as well as symptom tracking and behaviour change tools.

Melon Health’s largest market is the United States which is ahead of New Zealand in its adoption of mobile health solutions. There, they are working with large health-care systems, health insurers and life science companies.

The company with offices in San Francisco and Wellington has medical advisors from the University of California, San Francisco, and also Wellington GP Dr Chris Masters who acts as medical director for Melon Health as it continues to advance and expand its chronic disease management programmes.

Melon Health was listed among US magazine Entrepreneur’s 100 Brilliant Companies in 2013.

ENDS

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