Healthcare Apps for New Parents

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Healthcare Apps for New Parents

Palestinian TerritoryPalestinian Territory
Year Founded:
2011
Organization type: 
for profit
Budget: 
$100,000 - $250,000
Website:
http://www.mobiStine.com
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

MobiStine is a start up company specialized in developing trusted healthcare applications (Apps) on smartphone for new parents in Arabic language as the 1st segment. Beside the apps, we will build dedicated healthcare social network to share the experience. Will include for the 1st time Human Sense Detection Technology, to prevent/ alert women doing risky or unhealthy actions even during sleeping.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Arab new parents suffer from the shortage of trusted information related to their new lifestyle, pregnant women lack the knowledge related to pregnancy and they always feel so scared from delivery, there are so many Caesarean cases due to improper practices. The culture for the Arab pregnant, they do feel shy to ask about stuff related to pregnancy and so they do need a trusted source of information to guide them and answer their concerns. Our solution and technology will alert pregnant immediately up on doing risky practices and will also help her avoid disease or minimize their effects if happened. We will have dedicated healthcare social network as support group to share their experience. Apps will include GPS to locate the nearest hospital, medical clinic, etc.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

We will have a one-stop shop as follows: 1) Smartphone Apps in Arabic (niche market): fully talking and interactive apps, full of human sense detection, alerts, reminders, daily tips, daily exercise, sexual life guide, fetus changes and development, labor courses, etc. 2) Human Sense Detection Technology: to prevent or alert the pregnant do any risky actions during work or sleep. 3) Healthcare social network: dedicated social network for new parents in Arabic language to act as support group and share experiences. 4) MobiCare: a rating system where patients can write reviews and rate the healthcare services they got from the medical clinic, which should improve the services. 5) GPS facility: to locate nearest hospital, medical clinic, pharmacy, shopping center (targeted).
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

We develop paid as well as free apps (with ads) on all smartphone devices, and so we generate revenue from both income streams. We have several partnerships with international ad agencies to integrate ads from advertisers. Below is a list of main revenue stream: • Direct sales: (download from the iTunes and other smartphone stores). • Retails sponsorship: through Ad banners related to pregnant and baby stuff. • Retail partnership: to have percentage on sales come through us (baby and mother stuff), TBD. • Hospitals and medical clinics partnership: we can create a list (inside the app) of recommended clinics/ hospitals for delivery and mom/baby care, in return, we will have a deal from them, TBD. • Margin from sales from the shopping centers we include in apps.

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

Currently, we have developed over 25 apps in Arabic in health and personal use and we have hundreds of thousands of users who are using our apps. Some of our existing apps were among top 5 (in fact the first of the top 5) paid medical apps in Kuwait and top 5 free lifestyle apps in Saudi Arabis (KSA). From the feedback we receive from our users, it helped them and created a strong healthcare awareness for them and for their families. Our apps help to avoid diseases or at least minimize their effects if occurs. By now, have a database of almost 20,000 email addresses from those who send us their emails to add them in our newsletters to acknowledge them for any new app we develop. We receive over 100 emails everyday from those users who use our apps. The impact will be: Arab pregnant and new parents will have easier and healthier pregnancy and life. To avoid disease/ minimize their effect, through trusted healthcare information on smartphone and dedicated healthcare social network in Arabic.
Sustainability

Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?

We need 4-5 months to release our first smartphone app for pregnant, 2 months for awareness and baby planning app, 1 month for building social healthcare network. 6-10 months to have a matured GPS ready to located the nearest medical clinics, hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and shopping centers targeting pregnant and baby stuff. We will do regional workshops and events for professional and those who work in the medical and healthcare sector to introduce the first solution of its kind in the Arab world.

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

Our peers (Ecosystem): - Hospitals, medical clinics and doctors - Insurance companies - Medical Labs - Shopping centers that sell pregnancy and baby stuff Our competitors: - Few healthcare website - 5 smartphone apps I don't think the above peers (Ecosystem) will pose real problems for us as they will be with us and want us to succeed, since they get value from our apps. This value is direct and indirect; we promote their clinic and we create awareness for patients. There will be win win situation with them. As for the competitors: There are very few Arabic trusted healthcare websites, they are not even designed for mobile use and so, they may pose some minor problems if they decide to do a mobile version, however they are general ones and not focused on the new parents as ours
Team

Founding Story

When I had my first baby, she used to cry most of time, we took her to doctors but with no result, until my married sister came & checked how my wife prepare extra milk (milk powder) she got shocked as my wife was feeding the baby with diluted milk, instead of 4 spoon of milk powder she put 1.5!! We want to create innovative smartphone apps to teach & help new parents in their new lifestyle.
Organization Name

MobiStine

About You
About You
First Name

Husni

Last Name

Abu Samrah

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Innovation
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?

MobiStine is about developing a new interactive mobile solution for the Arab World (population: 380 M) Trusted healthcare applications (apps) for new parents in Arabic language. The apps will be fully talking and interactive with alerts, reminders, daily tips, daily exercise, nutrition guide, sexual guide, etc. We will include for the first time in the Arabic market, a new technology which is Human Sense Detection, to help the pregnant avoid doing any risky actions and help the doctor later to diagnostic her case in accurate way.
The apps will include GPS to locate the nearest medical clinic, pharmacy, targeted shopping centers related to pregnancy and baby stuff, etc. In addition, we will build Arabic language healthcare social network to act as support group for parents to share their experience. We will introduce for the first time, MobiCare, which is a rating system, where pregnant or new parents can write reviews and rate the service they got from the medical clinics and hence, we will change the world and change the culture as we will make medical clinics compete between each other to provide better healthcare services for new parents in specific and the community as a whole!.
Our apps will be of two models, paid apps and free apps to enable the maximum number of new parents use our apps and get benefited from.
We have partnership with leading medical and healthcare institutions.
In English, there are over 150 apps but in Arabic there are only 5 very simple & static apps! Arab new parents is our first segment, however, we will move to other languages later.

Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?

Currently, MobiStine is first and only company in MENA specialized in developing Arabic language trusted healthcare apps on smartphone. We will also introduce for the first time in the Arabic market, human sense technology for pregnant to avoid doing any risky or unhealthily actions during their work or even while sleeping (gives immediate alerts). We will include GPS to locate the nearest medical clinic, doctors, pharmacy, etc. We will include also (through GPS) shopping centers related to pregnancy and baby stuff. Beside all, we will build dedicated healthcare social network (in Arabic) to act as support group.

In short, our solution will be a one-stop shop, everything related to new parents needs!

What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?

The new parents by nature are inexperienced couples and they lack trusted healthcare info related to their new lifestyle. Arab culture is different, the couples feel shy to talk or ask about pregnancy stuff, hence, the apps will be a great wizard for them.

We have a great Advisory Board of gynecologist, maternity hospitals, healthcare institutions, business and marketing stuff and others who will add a great value to the solutions we provide.

How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?

The biggest problem in the Arab market is the huge shortage and lack of Arabic content on the web which equals to <3% only while Arabic is the 5th language on the internet.
We will have a continuous R&D team to keep updating our offering and adding new technology and features to make sure we are ahead of our competitors. Currently, we have over 25 Apps on iTunes, so we have a solid experience, we are pretty sure, we can be always better and ahead of others. We have plans for hundreds of features to include in our solutions even the English apps do not have such features. Our main assets are our great team who is working together hard and do believe we can do it.

Organization Country
Business Model
The systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)

Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets

Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]

Maternal care

Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]

Prevention, Detection, Intervention, Follow-up, Long-term care, Social integration.

Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]

Start-up and growth (pilot is successful and starting to expand)

Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]

Approaches to behavioral change at the individual level, Redesign of the public healthcare system for more efficiency (in terms of processes, structure etc.), New/redefined roles for healthcare service provision, New approaches to distribution of health products and services, Unconventional partnerships (between traditional healthcare players and players outside healthcare), Other.

If other, specify here:

Building healthcar awarness for pregnant (women care) and child care

Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]

Technology, Education/training.

If other, specify here:
What is your value proposition?

The big one is Arabic language over the English ones.
Existing Arab competitors currently address only one or 2 aspects of MobiStine value proposition. Competitors include: Few Arab individual developers, Health websites and very few smartphone apps.

We are the first company in MENA to be specialized in developing Trusted Arabic healthcare apps. We have an agreement with leading international medical associations, so data is trusted and accurate. Moreover, we will enjoy competition as we are sure we can always do it better and provide better services to our users.

Moreover, we are the only who will offer human sense detection to prevent pregnant from doing any risky actions while working or even sleeping.

Who is your customer(s)?

- New parents, includes:
- Pregnant
- Husband.
- Adults.
- Medical clinics
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Shopping centers (who sell pregnant and baby stuff).

What approaches to you use to reach your customers?

Our apps will be sold mainly through the online App stores and their 100s of distributor channels all over the world.
MobiStine Marketing Strategy will focus on and utilize the following tools to attract clients:
• Advertising campaigns and promotions (E-marketing campaigns using digital media and social networks like Facebook, Google ads and others for getting more downloads of our apps.
• Article writings in specialized and related journals, blogs, forums, LinkedIn targeted groups, etc.
• Partnership with Pharmaceutical companies and medical devices to have sponsorship ads.
• Partnership with hospital, medical clinics, medical laboratories and the like for ads sponsorship.
• Partnership with NGOs and other institutions that have same target market as ours (who focus on pregnant

What are your primary activities?

- Develop and keep updating the smartphone Apps.
- Build the healthcare apps.
- GPS, adding and updating clinics, doctors, shops, etc.
- Marketing activities of our apps and solution

What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?

If the (few) Arabic healthcare websites or individuals decide to create a smartphone apps in Arabic for new parents, however, as we are currently the first and only company specialized in this, so first comer is first winner, also, it is not easy to establish partnerships with leading medical organizations to make the apps fully trusted and accredited. In addition, we have a solid advisory board with R&D to keep enhancing and creating more value and benefit to our users especially we have developed over 25 smartphone apps and so we learned a lot in terms of user experience and how to attract users. Our team believe we can always be better.

Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward

We will release free as & paid version of the smartphone app, to enable to maximum number of users to use our apps, once they use it, we are sure they will stick with us due to the value they get day by day. We will include ads in the free apps and so we get income from both revenue stream. We will have sponsorship ads as 3rd revenue stream where our ecosystem will be delighted to do ads with us

What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]

New customer group(s), New regions(s), New market(s)/country(ies).

What makes your business "ready" for growth?

70% or Arabs are young and our solutions is targeted to youth who are likely to have smartphones and they do lack the trusted healthcare info related to their new lifestyle including child care and how to plan for next baby which is a problem in the Arab world as they keep on having new baby one after the other. Moreover, mHealth is estimated to be $ 38.8 billion by 2016.

What are your key growth objectives?

Partnership with big pharmaceutical companies and medical & healthcare organizations, NGOs who support healthcare issues in addition to governments who fund and support healthcare awareness.

We will do the smartphone on iOS (iPhone) and Android and later to other platforms (Blackberry, Nokia and Windows phone).

Organization's Country of Operation
Social Impact
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?

Through our healthcare social network, we will build a rating system where users will write reviews and rate the healthcare services they receive from medical clinics.

We will run periodic surveys to our users to hear their feedback, comments and impact so as to have a quantitative KPIs to keep enhancing. We do concentrate on the user experience and their valuable feedback to keep improving, we will make medical clinics compete between each other to provide better healthcare services to the new parents in specific and other patients and community as a whole.

Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?

Sure, we did a market research and decided to start with the new parents apps in Arabic market since it is a niche and untapped market as there are no similar apps exist. Once we are done with the Arabic segment (market) we will partner with local selected organization ((for culture issues)) to duplicate our solution in other languages and will start with the most needed and untapped countries/ market. So, we could have our apps localized into multiple languages including English, to make other nations benefited.

What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?

- Reduce the risky and unhealthy practices by pregnant women.
- Provide better healthcare services by medical centers.
- Create healthier families.
- Better baby care.
- Better pregnant and women care.
- Create a scientific and healthy culture for baby planning.
- Avoid disease or minimize their effects.

Sustainability
Elaborate on your current financing strategy

During the last 19 months, it has been self financed. Currently, we are talking with potential investors who showed interest to invest and partner with us to make this happen. We are exploring different options and once we decide and choose the right investor (who will provide added value service beside the money), we will start immediately.

On the WORST scenario, if we did not get investment, I will execute my crazy backup plan.. do you want to hear it? well, it is to sell my home, yes sell my home and I told my family once we succeeded (and we will), I will buy you a palace in stead of the flat. I know it is crazy but I will go for it as I do belief in it!!

Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)

98%

Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)

90%

Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy

Friends and family, Individuals, Patients, Caregivers, Private businesses.

Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)

0%

Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy

NGOs, Private businesses, Regional government, National government.

Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)

10%

Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy

Foundations, NGOs, Private businesses, Regional government, Others.

Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail

Our revenue generation will have the below main revenue streams:

1) Paid apps: the price for each app will range from $ 1-4).
2) Ads revenue from free apps: we integrate ads inside the app through leading international ad agencies and networks.
3) Revenue from sponsorships ads: from pharmaceutical companies, medical clinics, baby milk producers, baby stuff manufacturer.
4) Sales margin from shopping centers: sales that come through our apps and solutions to shopping centers that sell pregnant and baby stuff.
5) Healthcare outsourcing projects: for government, NGOs, companies who want to develop medical/ healthcare systems.

Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)

2%

Philanthrophy strategies you are using

Diversified strategy.

Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail

We got a grant of $ 5K in cache after winning with a business plan, other than that, we never had a cache money. However, we got some in-kind support it terms of training, consultation and alike.

Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.

We will have more investors to come in as we gave share and equity. However, we will need just one year (after the development) to get the breakeven point and later we will be having revenues which should cover the expenses and have enough net income.
But our door is always opened for investors and new ideas moving into new segment or localizing the apps into other language since it will cost us very little since the core data and technology already there.

Years in Operation

Operating 1-5 years

Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them

Yes.
- Best Business Plan in Palestine by INTEL international.
- Grant from PICTI (Palestine ICT Incubator).
- Prize from First Hi Tech Hub- Palestine
- Among 3 winners at BiD Network, The Netherlands.
- Among top 5 paid medical apps.
- Among top 5 free lifestyle apps.

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