Mindreality
The idea for the mental health tech start-up Mindreality came from VU PhD student Insan Firdaus (Clinical, Neurological and Developmental Psychology). As a therapist working with addiction problems, Insan spent years dreaming of the day when he would be able to use Virtual Reality (VR) on a large scale in therapy programmes. And his dream did not stop there. Last year he and business partner Finde Xumara (MSc. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Amsterdam) launched Mindreality together. The team won the Kuyper Challenge, becoming the start-up with the best VU business plan in 2021.
Insan: “This last year has felt totally surreal, because it all started with an idea that quickly grew into a design for a VR concept demo, a smartphone app and led to a well-functioning team with a structured plan for the future.”
“I always wanted to launch a company using this idea, but I did not know where to begin. Over the last year I received tonnes of help and encouragement from the people around me, including one of my VU Amsterdam supervisors. She gave me the final push to take part in the Kuyper Challenge. My tip to others with a business idea: do not hesitate to put your ideas into practice, and ask for help to achieve your goals.”
“My primary goal for the European Student Startup Competition is not winning the competition. For me, it’s about the experience and the feedback that Mindreality will receive, which will help us continue its successful development.”
Fitsurance
The Fitsurance start-up is the result of the joint efforts of fellow students Sauvik Das Gupta, Stef Beijk and Tommie Koppens (VU Master’s students in Human Movement Sciences). They never thought they would end up starting a business.
Stef: “We had no idea to begin with, but after being taught by Professor Masurel during our Master’s (Entrepreneurship in Human Movement Sciences), the seed was planted. We then received a subsidy for our concept from the Dutch Research Council, and got to work on what has now grown into Fitsurance.”
Tommie: “At Fitsurance we use data coaching, a principle that is often used within Human Movement Sciences. Think of a runner, for example, who keeps track of his heart rate, or a weightlifter using his maximum squat performance as feedback. We are now translating this concept to the health market. Using data coaching based on cholesterol values, blood pressure and other variables, we help steer our clients in the right direction. We have successfully helped around seven hundred people this way. Sometimes all we did was hold up a mirror. For others, we were able to detect diabetes or metabolic syndrome at an early stage.”
Stef: “I think the Demonstrator Lab selected us for the European Student Start-up Competition because we stood out. Most start-ups there had a background in physics or developed hardware. We were one of the few to work on a service and prospered, against all odds. We have taken part in pitch competitions before, but for this one we are on the edge of our seat!”
Tommie: “We want to conquer the European market in a few years’ time. In order to continue to help as many people as possible with movement and health, we also plan on using solutions tailored to the market in the future, for example using smart algorithms and by involving strategic partners.”