Circular develops and markets a multi-feature health and fitness wearable that offers unique and intelligent recommendations to improve the way people sleep, live and work.
- The 24/7 data challenge. Circular grew out of two key observations. First, since most health and fitness trackers cannot be worn at all times of the day and night, they end up missing out on huge chunks of personal data. Second, even the data they do manage to collect remains difficult for non-specialists to analyze, interpret and understand in practical terms. This makes it harder for individuals to make sense of their health data, while also hindering the full potential of wearable health trackers as a non-invasive way for health professionals to monitor patients both before and after treatment.
- Combining hardware and software. Driven by a lifelong passion for wearable tech, founder Amaury Kosman and his team of innovators set out to close this gap with a simple device: the Circular ring. By developing the right hardware to deliver a ton of advanced tech in such a small package, which can be worn comfortably even while sleeping or exercising, the Circular ring can gather much more complete data sets than its competitors. In addition, the team also engineered the machine learning software needed to analyze this data and offer tailored recommendations to its wearers
- Support at Paris-Saclay. To put this project together, Circular relied on the support of Paris-Saclay. By joining the IncubAlliance program, the startup built critical connections and learned business skills they still use today. In fact, the team was able to secure initial funding through the BPI and find the legal support needed to establish their company. In addition, they learned about pitching and financial forecasts, including a projection model that they still use today. “I don’t think we would be here at all without Paris-Saclay”, tells Kosman.
- Unmatched scientific expertise. One critical asset of the Paris-Saclay ecosystem? Its scientific excellence. To help the startup move into health metrics, IncubAlliance put the team at Circular in touch with leading experts in many fields like sleep metrics. Key partners like the CEA are also on hand to offer expertise in prospective areas like nanotech. For startups in need of advanced scientific expertise, there is no better place in Kosman’s opinion than Paris-Saclay.
- From B2C to B2B.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign and a full slate of pre-orders on the books, the first Circular rings are scheduled to ship in April. As the startup eagerly awaits feedback from its first customers, the team is already looking to its future in B2B markets, such as hospitals, clinicians, armies and other large-scale organizations. To that end, Kosman and company are working towards clinical trials to gain health certifications needed to prove their technology can help physicians and experts monitor various pathologies. A French leader in wearable tech? It certainly has a nice ring to it!
For startups working on challenging technology, there is no better place in France than Paris-Saclay. It’s a place where innovation can grow faster than anywhere else.
Amaury Kosman, CEO and Founder of Circular
