A network of New Zealand angel investors has helped launch iPug, a digital health company that is transforming the way research and public health campaigns are delivered, into the U.S. market at the BIO International Convention in San Francisco.
The investors, led by Hamilton-based property developer and investor, Zane Beckett, have provided seed capital and Series A funding, playing a significant role in the early-stage development of the company.
According to Beckett, iPug was a natural choice. “Digital health is hot at the moment,” he said. “iPug has a clear path to market, amazing partners and customers, and impressive technology.”
iPug, an Australian company now based in San Francisco, uses its gamified, reward-based communications platform to deliver individualized public health campaigns, and recruit and engage participants in research studies and clinical trials. The mobile-friendly technology delivers the right message, at the right time, on the right device with the right reward incentive. This type of engagement has proven to save time, money and has a higher success rate in influencing behavior as it relates to public health.
Speaking on the emergence of digital health technology in the U.S. and the opportunity for iPug, Steve Huff, CEO and co-founder of iPug, said it was an exciting time to be in digital health.
“Digital health funding is up, with over $900 million in investment in Q1 of this year. This represents a 50% year-on-year growth from the same time last year. We have been pleased with our funding support from New Zealand investors.”
After successfully launching in Australia and most notably developing the injury prevention app Cool Runnings for the Center for Children’s Burns and Trauma Research, University of Queensland, iPug sees tremendous opportunity in the U.S. to reduce public health costs, effectively scale and deliver measurable results for public health campaigns.
iPug is the world’s first mobile-friendly platform that transforms the way research is conducted and how public health campaigns are delivered through gamification.
