SunSense becomes the first Norwegian company in DigitalWell Ventures' accelerator. The company's product collects data on how much sunlight and UV radiation users are exposed to - and can become an important tool for preventing skin cancer.
SunSense product is easy to use for anyone who wants to prevent the risk of harmful UV radiation. A sensor that can be attached to a bracelet, or to the clothes, provides individually tailored information about when the user has reached the maximum daily dose and the user is then notified via an app on the mobile phone. In contrast to general information about UV radiation, the sensor can also take daily weather conditions into account.
The technical development of the product has already come a long way. The choice to join DigitalWell Ventures hopes Vidar Mortensen, co-founder and VP Strategic Partnerships at SunSense, will equip the company to scale up on a global market.
- It is not only important to accelerate at an early stage, and together we concluded that SunSense is a mature product that is interesting to accelerate in terms of sales and internationalization. There we can get guidance and access to the strong networks that DigitalWell Ventures has and take part in an accelerator program that systematizes that knowledge, says Vidar Mortensen.
- SunSense checks all the boxes in our investment mandate and we can provide added value in business-critical areas, such as validation of the solution in public environments, internationalization and go-to-market, says David Holm, Investment Manager at DigitalWell Ventures.
Participates in Harvard study
A third generation of SunSense (PRO) will be launched soon. It is optimized to protect users with sensitive skin, where information about how long you can be exposed to the sun needs to be even more accurate. According to Vidar Mortensen, 180 million people are part of this risk group in Europe, Australia and the USA.
- We don't really sell a "Wearable", but security for the users. That's why we have several research projects underway, including one with Harvard that is doing a clinical study on how a tool like SunSense can improve the situation for patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), an unusual skin disease where information about UV exposure must be almost exactly the minute, says Vidar Mortensen.
In addition to Harvard's study, the Danish Cancer Association will also map how people's behavior changes when they receive data about their UV exposure. A collaboration is also ongoing with the Norwegian Psoriasis and Eksemforbundet.
Despite the fact that the risks of skin cancer have long been known, the number of cases continues to increase. Vidar Mortensen believes that old advice on how to protect yourself has been too general. Now there is an opportunity to enjoy the sun - but find out when it becomes harmful. Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, relieves some skin conditions and also releases serotonin, which increases our sense of well-being.
- When it comes to psoriasis, for example, the sun is good for the disease, but this group is also overrepresented for skin cancer. It's about being outside as much as possible, but in a safe way, says Vidar Mortensen.
Can give answers about work environment
He also believes that SunSense's platform can be interesting from an employer's perspective. In Arvika this summer, 30 municipal employees will participate in a pilot study that will collect data on their UV exposure.
- It's incredibly fun that Arvika wants to be involved in testing the technology. It is very important to us because it provides input on work environment issues, which we do not yet know much about, says Vidar Mortensen.
The strong connection to preventive health also makes the SunSense product highly interesting for DigitalWell Arena.
- This type of service can provide the individual with valuable information about behaviors that are harmful to health. I see great potential in SunSense becoming a service we can take with us to our health arenas, says Marie Granander, process manager in DigitalWell Arena.
