Wellknowlogy: 9/21/22

Wellknowlogy is a curious, honest, and caring source of weekly news & thoughts on innovations in the wellness industry; an efficient way for providers, technologists, investors, and enthusiasts to stay in sync and informed about endeavors to increase wellbeing. For filtered information concerning your particular venture, reach out to [email protected]

This week saw a lot of funding flow into the wellness space along with some interesting pursuits in worldwide genetic testing and NLP to automate mental healthcare.

As the wellness industry continues to attract more funding and push towards the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, automation, and other mechanistic solutions, it'll be interesting to monitor the conflicting habit energies that may emerge within the industry.

This is based on a couple assumptions:

• Many venture-backed startups push, rush, and strive to reach the next in a never-ending list of deadlines and goals to raise more funding and expand their business

• Much of he wellness industry is focused on encouraging presence, mindfulness, and momentary flow whether it be through exercise, meditation, nature, or some other healthful state

This being the case, it seems likely that at least some companies in this space will be attempting to cultivate a state of presence and calm for the masses via a hectic and striving habit energy within the company.

I'm not pretending to know how that will turn out but it's interesting to monitor as the jackhammer approach is not stereotypically successful in leading one to a state of wellbeing and calm. I'm curious to see how much this stereotype holds true, with this era's unprecedented technological abstraction between provider and clientele, and excited to monitor the cultures within companies doing this type of work.

That being said, I'm in the process of connecting with leaders in this space looking to increase wellbeing in cool ways. If you know anyone I should talk to, please let me know.

With that out of the way, here's what happened last week:

Fundings

Companies doing the work:

• Redesign Health rakes in $65M to help fund the next generation of health startups

• Bright secures $1.45M from Atlantic Canadian investors to bolster its "wellness-at-work" platform

• Digital youth mental health startup Hopscotch Lands $8M in Seed Funding, Network Partnerships with Optum, Aetna, and Cigna

• Sonder snags $35M for workplace wellbeing startup

• Performance and supplements company Momentous Raises $6.5M in Series A Funding

• SaaS firm Dingg raises $500K to support wellness retail

• Therabody, maker of the Theragun massage device, raises $165M

• Fitness tracker Any Distance raises $1.5MPerch raises $4M for 3D strength tracking

• Russell Wilson's Limitless Minds aims to be Peloton of mental fitness, raising $2.5M seed round

New funds:

• Ourcrowd launches $200M global health equity fund in collaboration with the WHO

Neat Articles

• How virtual reality can help address the mental health professional shortage

• This international team is collecting DNA samples around the globe to reduce bias in determining genetics of mental health

• Interesting: study finds midbrain dopamine neurons control judgment of time

• Artificial light is becoming bluer -- our sleep bares the burden

• Natural language processing is boosting behavioral healthcare

• Study: Social media use linked to decline in mental health | MIT Sloan

• Imagine if there was someone like Patagonia billionaire Chouinard—but focused on mental health

• Mayo Clinic Q and A: What's the benefit of yoga?

• Optimize exercise: specific links between exercise, memory, and mental health revealed by fitness trackers

• Still feeling good: The US wellness market continues to boom

Market News

• Arieli Capital and The Bridge healing center are launching the 2nd batch of Well4Tech scaleup bootcamp

• Arch Amenities Group acquires Innovative Spa Management, Privai and Spa Space

• Apple brings watchOS 9 with new watch faces, enhanced health features

• Neopets acquires "Happy Not Perfect" in support of mental health awareness

• US wellness platform Centered reaches a $25 Million Valuation after Acquiring London based Start-Up, BUA FIT

• Headspace reveals “Everyday Headspace” brand campaign

Tidbits for You and Yours

• New at-home diagnostic pee test detects oxidative stress, calcium, and more

• 9 products that prevent night sweats: mattress toppers, sheets and fans

• The Best Peloton alternatives for 2022: Wahoo, NordicTrack & More

Closing Kernel of Wisdom

• Feng Shui is a fascinating physical extension of Taoism, or the way. Learn more about how your physical environment can support your energy practice

You got to the end! Nice. Feel free to forward this to anyone that may appreciate it. I'll give them a button below to put them on the list:

Wishing you a great week to come.

Warmly,

Dayton