Developer of children's healthy lifestyle app Wello selected to join Google's Startups Accelerator

Wello, the AI-based healthcare platform for children and parents, has been selected to join the Google for Startups accelerator as part of the Business Model Mastering programme for companies in the growth phase, a release informs. Wello was selected alongside another five European startups to attend until June 4 an intensive business acceleration program that consists of a series of interactive workshops during which they will have access to know-how, applied tools and guidance for increasing the efficiency of their current business model. The program offers the selected companies the opportunity to discuss with top experts and other participants the current business challenges and solutions to concrete situations. "Our goal is to develop Wello to the next stage and to configure our business models, both B2C and B2B, so that we are able to help as many overweight children as possible and their families to become acquainted with a healthy living behavior, based on on an age-appropriate diet, exercising and counseling for setting an emotional balance. At the same time, our selection into this business acceleration program provides us direct access to the best Google products, connections and practices, to better and faster develop the Wello platform in the desired direction," says Wello co-founder Sveatoslav Vizitiu. The development of the Wello platform started in August 2017, after the founders received over 650,000 euros in non-reimbursable financing, as the project was designated winner under the 2014 - 2020 Competitiveness Operational Programme co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The beta version of the app was launched in November 2019 and has already been downloaded more than 10,000 times, and the final version will be launched on June 1, 2020. According to the World Obesity Federation, 1 in 3 children aged 5 to 19 is currently overweight or obese. The Wello app is intended for children ages 8 - 14 and their families, providing them a complete source of information about the kids' diet and the creation of a healthy lifestyle, and helping parents design nutrition plans for their offspring in a fun, motivating, and intelligent way. The platform offers personalized nutrition programs and health advice from nutrition experts, fitness coaches and general practitioners, based on information collected and analyzed by AI about the users (sleep time, physical activity, weather, etc.) Depending on the user's location, Wello recommends places for eating healthy or where they can find healthy food suppliers, in tune with their personalized nutrition plans. In a first for Romania, Wello organized last August a free camp for children with weight problems, helping the 60 participants in the Wello Camp shed a combined 169 kilograms. Another two Wello Camps are planned for this year to help more children become familiar with healthy living behaviors through nutrition notions, exercise and counseling to help them maintain this lifestyle once they return home. AGERPRES (RO - author: Nicoleta Banciulea, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)