Funding
New Venture Partners LLC, a venture capital firm specialising in investments in corporate technology spinouts, and Unilever Ventures, the venture arm of the consumer products company, have jointly invested in MiLife, a spin out from Unilever Corporate Research (UCR).
UCR’s initial research involved an investigation of long-term weight loss and behaviour-change coaching systems through automating the techniques used by behavioural psychologists. As a result, UCR developed an automated, highly personalised weight loss and physical activity management system. This incorporates a behaviour-change component called Idapt.
“The MiLife system has proved highly effective in trials,” said Ciaran McCourt, CEO of MiLife. “Recent results show very high user engagement and high levels of physical activity attributable to the unique combination of devices and coaching. Furthermore, 84 per cent of the users lost weight in the first three months, with around a quarter losing a clinically significant 5 percent of their body weight. In users that were overweight before using the programme (a Body Mass Index of 25+) this resulted in an average weight loss of 8.2lb / 3.7 kg.”
“This ranks extremely well against trials undertaken on other commercial diets and matches the effectiveness of one-to-one behavioural therapy at much lower costs.”
The MiLife system automatically gathers, measures and tracks personal data via biometric devices. The user wears an unobtrusive wireless wristband that continuously measures physical activity and gathers weight recordings. All data is automatically and continuously reported back to MiLife.com where it is analysed.
The system then reports back to the user with coaching to encourage necessary behaviour changes to achieve desired weight loss. Additional tools include habit breakers, reminders, community interaction, and meal planning.
“The MiLife system’s behaviour-change component is the missing link in today’s commercial diets and electronic weight loss gadgets. For that reason, it has attracted the attention of major corporate players interested in exploiting effective solutions for healthy weight loss, to improve consumers’ life style and prevent the onset of weight-related medical conditions,” said Anton Arts, a partner at New Venture Partners.
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