BackObino, weight loss coaching app, raises funds from RoundGlass Partners
Obino raises an undisclosed amount in its seed round from US-based venture capital fund RoundGlass Partners
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New Delhi: Manna Healthcare Pvt. Ltd which owns and operates Obino, a virtual weight loss coaching platform, has raised an undisclosed amount in its seed round from US-based venture capital fund RoundGlass Partners, a top executive of the company said on Friday.
“The money will be utilized in product enhancement and marketing activities," said Ritu Soni Srivastava, founder and chief executive officer, Obino.
The company was founded by Srivastava, Vishal Soni and Yogesh S. in August 2014. Srivastava and Yogesh are both formal executives of telecom service provider Bharti Airtel Ltd. While Srivastava headed the company’s mobile services advertising, Yogesh took care of IT initiatives.
Obino offers weight loss coaching services with the help of nutritionists on its platform. Most of the content is customized per user, with the help of an artificial intelligence system built by the company and on the basis of inputs and medical history the users share on the platform. These nutritionists oversee the content before it is shared and add additional remarks when required.
Currently, it has two nutritionists on the platform and plans to have close to 40 in the next few months. While the basic services such as calorie counter, recommendation for diet, exercise regime and reminders are free for customers; it charges for things like customized fitness plans and constant monitoring.
For personalized diet and fitness plans, customers are consulted on call, after which the nutritionists put together a diet and fitness plan on the basis of the kind of food the person likes to eats and his work and sleep timing.
“We use mobile app-based technology so that the Obino coach is partnered directly with our users helping them learn to make simple, practical and sustainable lifestyle choices, every day. It gives our customers control over their health by providing them with the right information and tools to make better choices," said Srivastava.
The cost ranges between ₹ 499 and ₹ 1,499, depending on the level of engagement. It claims to have 10,000 users with over 500 paid clients.
“We want to help accelerate the delivery of tools like Obino that empower consumers to make better decisions through round-the-clock support and education. I believe that digital health solutions can have a profound impact on India," said Sunny Singh, founder of RoundGlass Partners.
Health and fitness sector has been one of the fastest growing sectors which also witnessed some key acquisitions earlier this year. Online doctor-booking portal Practo Technologies Pvt. Ltd acquired health and fitness solutions firm FitHo Wellness Services in April.
Like Obino, FitHo also helps users manage weight and lifestyle diseases. It offers personalized advice to consumers on nutrition and physical activity.
Among other start-ups operating in this space that have raised funds is Delhi-based HelpingDoc Pvt. Ltd, which raised ₹ 10 crore from Senior Marketing Systems (SMS), a Singapore-based investment company.
Mumbai-based Angels Health Pvt. Ltd (MediAngels.com), DocSuggest Healthcare services Pvt. Ltd (Ziffi.com) and Bengaluru-based Qikwell Technologies India Pvt. Ltd are the other companies that have raised funding.
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