The Munich startup Temedica (formerly physiovia) is bringing momentum to the local e-health scene with its digital therapy companion. With the help of machine learning and the networking of doctors and therapists, the aim is to make patient therapy more structured, so that patients remain more motivated to continue their back exercises, for example.
We spoke with founder Gloria Seibert.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
With the Temedica GmbH, we proudly represent Munich's still very small e-health scene. With our app, we have developed a digital therapy companion for patients. Doctors and therapists are networked across institutions, enabling them to better manage their patients' therapies.
For patients, this results in a tailored therapy throughout the entire healing process. The use of machine learning will improve patient medical care in the long term – at the same time, physicians and therapists will be given a valuable tool to improve their decision-making basis and thus increase the quality of treatment.
physiovia wants to shorten the suffering
Temedica was originally founded by me, Gloria Seibert, along with Clemens Kofler and Dr. Patricia Singer. The idea arose just over a year ago from medical practice: Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for therapies to be unstructured or inconsistent, which prolongs the suffering of those affected and leads to high costs for the healthcare system. Digitalization, in particular, offers enormous potential here, as it connects individual stakeholders and thus enables direct exchange.
Digital assistance for doctors and therapists
2. But that's been around for a long time!
There are competitors, but with physiovia, we've focused on a therapy-supporting offering that isn't intended to replace doctors and therapists, but rather to meaningfully complement them. By using machine learning, doctors and therapists can draw on the wealth of experience of others in addition to their own years of experience to find the best possible therapy for each patient. Thus, physiovia offers not only better care for patients but also sound support for doctors and therapists.
Strong regulation vs. drive
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
The healthcare market is characterized by strict regulations and lengthy decision-making processes. Especially for a startup with a high level of drive and speed, a new concept may not always be met with open ears.
We therefore had to understand the system's complexity very early on and find ways to enter the market. Fortunately, we have mastered this task very successfully to date.
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Just three months after our official founding, we were already on the market with a certified medical device and have since generated a wealth of user feedback and further insights. Physiovia now has a number of partner institutions—both hospitals and private practices—whose patients can use our product.
We are also in discussions with insurance companies to be able to provide our patients with the physiovia service in a straightforward and long-term manner free of charge.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
"Small but very, very fine" – that's how we would describe the Munich startup scene. We're now well connected with several local startups, and we help each other wherever we can.
Our proximity to major industrial companies and leading universities gives us excellent access to experts and talent. And what could be better than ending the evening in the beer garden around the corner?
The healthcare market: difficult to crack
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Our primary goal with physiovia is to improve patient medical care and contribute to long-term health. Even though we've chosen a tough market to compete in, we're confident that our significant added value will sooner or later secure us a permanent place in the system.
7. Isar or English Garden?
Both! First, cool your feet in the Isar River, then head to the Chinese Tower in the English Garden.
