Innokas Medical has been an important partner for Modz while the company developed a novel blood sugar meter. Innokas Medical was chosen as a partner due to its references and values.
Modz has developed a motivating blood sugar meter for diabetics’ self-care. The product will be launched in November. Modz intends to succeed amidst stiff competition, thanks to the product’s unique properties and carefully considered target group market. The focus is immediately on the international market, first in Scandinavia and then elsewhere in Europe.
“Our product serves children and youths best. Nevertheless, it is also suitable for adults with type I diabetes. This is a service entity which includes the device itself, text message service, a mobile application, and an easy-to-use web service for evaluation of results and development,” Modz’s managing director Salla Koski explains.
Modz’s meter depicts measurement results by using numerical information, bright colors, fun images, and sounds. Koski describes the product as a blood sugar meter that cares. It cares for the diabetic, his/her parents, and the treatment team. And of course it conveys information.
“This is a meter with feelings. It announces the blood sugar level using expressions. A person with diabetes often feels quite alone. Now with this meter he/she has a friend that shares feelings.”
User-oriented, competent designing
Innokas Medical has been a crucially important partner for Modz. Modz has developed the software for the meter and has been in charge of acquiring the main component. Innokas Medical has functioned as an external R&D department. After the product is launched, Innokas Medical will assume responsibility for manufacturing, further development, and component purchasing, with the exception of the main component.
Modz looked for a partner through a competitive process. Innokas Medical was not the cheapest, but was chosen on the basis of quality factors.
“References and the implementation team were the main factors behind the decision. In addition, both Innokas Medical and Jouni Ihme have a very good reputation in the healthcare technology sector. Innokas Medical’s values were largely the same as ours. Now that we have worked together, I can say Innokas Medical is as good as its values,” Salla Koski says.
“In the beginning we sat at the same table for two weeks. That’s where our well-functioning collaboration process was born.”
Modz’s meter will be marketed directly to people with diabetes, not to care-giving organizations. That’s why customer-orientation was one of the cornerstones of the design work. Here Koski thanks Innokas Medical. Children participated in the designing from the start. We wanted to see what happened when they were given the product and what followed their observations as the usability of the product was being improved. We noticed, for example, that they intuitively used the device with their thumbs.
Courage is needed to succeed
According to Salla Koski, a startup company needs good partners. A good partner is needed not only in R&D, but also in financing. She feels Modz has succeeded here, also. Funding during the R&D phase was obtained from private investors and the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
“It’s great that Finland has courageous financiers and competent R&D and manufacturing,” Koski states.
For more information about the company, go to:
www.modz.fi
