Hipper Therapeutics: a new startup on digital support for geriatric rehabilitation launched by Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS)

April 30, 2020

The startup Hipper Therapeutics B.V. focuses on the development of a digital platform for the support of professionals and patients in ambulatory geriatric rehabilitation. The platform consists of a system that can measure physical activities of the older person remotely (i.e. in the home environment), a dashboard that visualizes this information and a protocol and training for the professionals. The company has been set up by Margriet Pol from AUAS faculty of health, Ben Kröse and Michel Oey from AUAS faculty of digital media and creative industry, together with HvA Ventures Holding and AMC Ventures Holding.

Margriet Pol, Ben Kröse, Michel Oey from AUAS and Ross Gordon from HvA Ventures

The market for geriatric rehabilitation will grow enormously the coming years, in particular the number of older persons that will rehabilitate in their own home (ambulatory rehabilitation). The last years the platform was developed and studied in a number of research projects at AUAS and AMC after getting questions from care professionals on their concerns about remotely monitoring rehabilitation progress. The Hipper platform empowers therapists because it gives objective information (24 hrs/day, 7 days/week) about the physical activity of their clients. Also clients can login to the platform and see their progress, which in many cases is a motivational factor.

The platform is currently used by a number of geriatric rehabilitation centers for rehabilitation after hip surgery and for elderly with COPD. A very recent development is the use of the Hipper platform for the rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients.

IXA has supported the founders with setting up the company and currenty also in assistance for getting the required certifications on compliance with norms on privacy and data in health.