InterviewBalancing act: BoBo takes the boring out of balance
Interview
Balancing act: BoBo takes the boring out of balance
Founded by Israeli physiotherapists to prevent senior falls, BoBo Balance aims to make balance exercises challenging, engaging, and fun
The Eureka moment for physiotherapists (PTs) EItan Merhavy and Gadi Nir, two of the four co-founders of Israeli startup BoBo Balance, came several years ago when they were treating an IDF soldier to whom they gave a BOSU, which is a tilted surface for practicing balance. “We stepped out for a moment and left him alone to continue his balancing exercises,” Merhavy told CTech, “but he soon got bored, so instead of standing on it he sat down and held his smartphone in his hands and moved his body from side to side. When we came back into the room and asked him what he was doing he showed us that he was playing a tilt-controlled snowboarding game on his phone while he did the balancing exercises to make the time go by faster.”
Inspired, the pair immediately took the soldier’s smartphone and taped it to the BOSU and had him play the game again, but this time while standing, thereby controlling the game with not just his hands, but with his whole body. Following the discovery, the Bobo team put sensors on a standard balance board to transform them into “smart” devices. “This turned formerly boring balance exercises into an activity that is measurable, guided, and fun.”
BoBo Balance, which develops solutions which turns balance tools into interactive training platforms, was founded in 2017 by four co-founders: Eitan Merhavy (CEO), Gadi Nir (CSO), Haran Anjioni (CPO) and Yair Agami (CMO). The startup has raised $2.4 million to date, employs 10 workers, and will soon be relocating their growing team to new offices in the Tel Aviv area. BoBo Balance’s home solution is now available in 26 different countries.
Merhavi and Agami sat down with CTech to share their story.
What’s the biggest challenge in your field?
“Let’s face it - balance is boring,” Agami stated. “It consists of repetitive exercises. That’s why not many people are doing balance exercises. We solve it by adding biofeedback and gamification to balance exercises. Unlike doing cardio work by running on a treadmill, balance gets tedious very quickly. That’s why it’s so critical that we make it fun.”
“If you go to any sporting goods store and buy a balance board, you’ll use it for a few minutes and get bored and tired of it,” Merhavy adds. “But if you’re playing a snowboard game while on the board and your movements take you through the slopes, suddenly you are totally immersed in the game as you strengthen your balance. Behind the scenes our system accesses your balance skills, abilities and your progress and provides an evaluation, but it also acts as a traditional video game, with points, rankings, etc. The balance trainer also knows what you need to work on with your balance, going forward and backward and side to side. All that is built into the game.”
BoBo started in clinical settings but is now used by over 10,000 home users - in addition to 5,000 clinics worldwide. How did that happen?
“Originally our solution was intended exclusively for PTs to use in their clinics,” Merhavy explained, “but once we officially launched our product in 2018, many patients and potential home users approached us requesting a home solution. Before we decided to adapt our product and expand from being exclusively a clinical device to entering the consumer market, we did a POC in the U.S. which was very successful, and we went ahead from there.”
Who are your main customers?
“They break up into three main categories: seniors, families, and athletes, ” said Merhavy. “For athletes and children it’s an amazing product, it helps them with their balance, concentration, and athletic performance, but for seniors, who are susceptible to falls, improving balance is critical. Preventing falls is literally lifesaving.”
Statistics say that about 36 million falls are reported among older adults each year, resulting in more than 32,000 deaths. Also many seniors who have fallen in the past have not reported it or sought medical attention. Where does BoBo Balance come in?
“You raise some very important points,” Agami said. “As a senior, once you report a fall, you can start to deal with it. Balance is a skill you need to regain. If you have balance you never talk about it, but once you lose it, you must work to get it back.”
One of the unexpected benefits of the products is that it brought seniors and children together.
“Yes,” Agami said. “We got lots of positive feedback from seniors that BoBo not only improved their balance, but that it was fun too. The added benefit of the gamification is that grandkids have suddenly become interested in what their grandparents are doing and join in the gamified balance exercises. Bobo has become a cross-generational product.”
I can understand the need for young athletes to improve their balance using BoBo, but what about children?
“First of all, you need not be injured or be doing rehab to work on your balance,” Agami said. “For example, for a skier, balance is key. If you haven’t hit the slopes for a year and you use BoBo Balance a few weeks before your resume skiing, you may prevent a fall and injury. The same is true for surfers, gymnasts, and other athletes.”
“Regarding children, aside from improving their balance and concentration, using BoBo is ‘healthy screen time’,” explained Merhavy. “Instead of sitting and watching TV or playing a video game with just their thumbs, BoBo gets them to move.”
Agami agrees adding, “It’s more than just physical activity, it’s brain activity as well. To move through the game’s maze or other games you are also using motor-cognitive skills. Also, we have seen that although our solution is not specifically intended for kids with ADHD, BoBo’s balancing games help them improve their focus as part of the balancing games.”
BoBo Balance is one of nine Israeli health startups selected to Google’s Growth Academy’s first cohort. What does that mean for your company?
“It's a tremendous badge of recognition for our small company to be cherry-picked to be a part of Google’s Growth Academy and be among the other select amazing companies chosen. It means we are now above the radar.” Agami said. “As part of the academy we’re exposed to global health systems and have the opportunity to meet leading experts from all related fields.”
“Being selected by Google’s Growth Academy also means that the problem we are solving is relevant and that our startup’s solution is relevant,” Merhavy added. “I believe that’s the most important thing as we grow going forward.”
What’s your prediction for BoBo Balance moving forward?
“There is a saying in Hebrew that says, 'The world belongs to the young people', but that’s simply not true. People are living longer and longer, so the world really belongs to the seniors. But for that to continue, people need to move - literally keep moving their bodies. Movement equals being healthy and independent. That’s why BoBo is so focused on the senior market and preventing senior falls," said Merhavy. "We all have personal stories of elderly loved ones who fell, and some who died, due to a lack of balance. BoBo Balance’s mission is to empower seniors to age independently with confidence by providing personalized balance training that reduces the risk of falls and helps them stay active and healthy - while also having fun.”
