PopBase, a start-up tech company, has secured US$400,000 investment from Welltech1, an Israel-based venture capital fund and hub specialising in wellness-related technologies.
Los Angeles-based PopBase – founded by Lisa Wong, Amit Tishler and Richard Weeks is building a gamified, patent-protected technology platform which teaches and encourages children to adopt a healthy way of life.
Using common gaming and social media practices, the PopBase platform "transforms complexity into simplicity", making wellness information easy to understand and apply.
Using the product’s proprietary tools, the content can be adjusted instantly based on real-time user feedback.
PopBase's first product, Woodland Fables, will launch directly to consumers as a monthly subscription service in Autumn 2021.
The funding from Welltech1 follows PopBase beating 152 companies in an international start-up competition, organised in collaboration with the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).
The competition was part of the GWI’s The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease, which is part of GWI's commitment to eradicate preventable, chronic diseases worldwide.
To date, PopBase has raised US$1.8m, with investors including The Brandery, a subsidiary of the American accelerator gener8tor; Queen City Angels, a veteran angel investor group; and Baron VR, an immersive media agency.
The funds will be used to expand the PopBase team and speed up product development.
Toward the end of this year, PopBase plans to run another fundraising round to secure the product’s launch.
“The development process led us to the realization that we could use our technology to address a major global problem, which affects kids’ quality of life on a daily basis. We can teach healthy values via a world of adventure, using storytelling and interactivity to instill and encourage positive habits,” said co-founder Wong.
“We’re truly grateful to Welltech1 for their investment and trust in us.”
Galit Horovitz, cofounder, Welltech1, said: "“PopBase represents the fast-growing trend of linking the worlds of gaming and health.
“The coronavirus pandemic has proven that wellness is a necessity, not a luxury. PopBase’s solution resolves an acute problem creatively, effectively and professionally.”
