Annually, about 100,000 Dutch people must deal with epilepsy. A severe attack requires medical attention in approx. 30% of cases. Most of these attacks occur at night and often go by unnoticed, leading to serious medical complications. Because of this parents often experience night-time stress. Research among the parents of the patients of epilepsy clinic Kempenhaeghe shows that about 60% of the parents are actively looking for a solution. Healthcare professionals also benefit from an adequate detection system to improve the quality of care and to ease the care task.
To solve this problem LivAssured, founded in 2013, developed the NightWatch in cooperation with institutions Kempenhaeghe, Sein, UMC Utrecht, and the Epilepsy Fund. The detection system consists of a bracelet that the patient wears around his upper arm at night. It uses a unique combination of heart rate and motion analysis, where the device recognizes movement patterns and changes in heart rate with a high degree of accuracy. A smart algorithm assesses whether these signals indicate an epileptic seizure. In the case of an epileptic seizure, the NightWatch sends an alarm to the healthcare professional or parent. This could prevent that an epileptic lead to more damage, hospitalization or even death.
Healthcare return
According to a longitudinal study at epilepsy institutes Sein and Kempenhaeghe, the NightWatch detects 9 out of 10 clinical urgent attacks and alerts emergency workers in time. That is more than a huge improvement compared to alternative products that are currently on the market. The results of this study will be published shortly. The NightWatch is currently being used to great satisfaction by a growing group of Dutch families and in care institutions.
Jeroen van den Hout, CEO LivAssured, add to this: ‘We can set the next steps with the knowledge and capital of Holland Venture. With this investor, LivAssured gets a strong partner with experience in the healthcare sector and enable us to further develop the NightWatch and achieve our international growth ambitions.’
LivAssured is the first investment of the Healthcare Innovation Fund II (HVZI II) of Holland Venture.
Over the past 35 years, Holland Venture has invested in more than 130 Dutch SMEs in a responsible and successful manner. With a clear investment strategy, Holland Venture is active in the growth markets of both healthcare and technology. The experienced and involved investment team knows what entrepreneurship is like. With the joint goal of achieving growth, Holland Venture strives for an open, sustainable and professional relationship with the management teams of the companies in which she invests. Holland Venture is supported by a broad network of successful healthcare and technology entrepreneurs.
