Pioneering medically-led digital obesity clinic plans to expand into the UK market in 2024.
UCD spin-out Beyondbmi has raised €1m in a seed funding round led by private investors and Enterprise Ireland.
This brings to more than €1.5m the amount raised so far by the digital obesity clinic and will be used to develop and expand its services.
“Beyondbmi’s mission goes beyond weight loss, it focuses on the significant health gains its clients experience”
The latest funding round was supported by new and existing investors including; Mick Slein (chair of Robus), David O’Reilly, Paddy Dillion (head of Corporate Finance in Grant Thornton), Bill Walsh, John Purdy (chair of Ergo and Beyondbmi), among others, marking a significant milestone in the clinic’s mission to transform the landscape of obesity care.
Beyondbmi, which is headquartered at NovaUCD in Dublin, offers a unique approach to addressing obesity through personalised medical interventions, community support, and cutting-edge technology.
A caring approach to obesity
The clinic’s platform has already made a substantial impact on the lives of its clients, referencing an average weight loss of 10% at Month 6, demonstrating the effectiveness of the clinic’s comprehensive, wrap-around approach to obesity care.
“Beyondbmi is much more than just a digital obesity clinic, for many of our clients, it is the first time they have been really listened to and supported in managing this disease”
A UCD School of Medicine spin-out Beyondbmi was founded by medical doctor Dr Harriet Treacy and product designer Peter Lumley with support from senior team members including world-leading obesity scientists and clinicians, Professor Carel Le Roux and Dr Werd Al-Najim, UCD School of Medicine and UCD Conway Institute and Professor Alex Miras, Ulster University.
“Beyondbmi’s mission goes beyond weight loss, it focuses on the significant health gains its clients experience,” said Beyondbmi CEO and co-founder Dr Harriet Treacy.
“These improvements range from increased mobility, reduced reliance on blood pressure medications, and a return to more active and engaged lives with their families.
“We have seen, on average, 30% month-on-month growth in sign-ups since we began trading at the end of 2022. But more important than that, it’s the stories of our amazing clients and our incredible community that has consolidated the extent of the impact that we are having on people’s lives.”
“This latest seed funding injection underscores the commitment of our investors to support Beyondbmi’s vision of providing accessible and effective obesity care that prioritises the well-being and quality of life of its clients. Beyondbmi also plans to expand operations to the UK in 2024, providing our innovative obesity care solutions to a broader international audience,” Dr Treacy said.
The new funding will be used by the company to invest in its mobile app, to provide clients with more convenient access to their personalised obesity care plans and a supportive community, to hire additional staff to scale its B2B offering, and to expand its expert clinician team, bringing in more specialists to cater to the diverse needs of its growing community.
Professor Alex Miras, Ulster University, a leading obesity expert in the field, emphasising the importance of Beyondbmi’s work.
“Everyday, I have clients telling me they have been made to feel that obesity is their fault,” Prof Miras explained. “As an obesity researcher and clinician, I see the detrimental impact this message has had on their lives and overall health, oftentimes developing conditions as a result of untreated obesity such as high blood pressure, chronic knee and back pain and fertility issues.
“Beyondbmi is much more than just a digital obesity clinic, for many of our clients, it is the first time they have been really listened to and supported in managing this disease.”
Main image at top: Beyondbmi team members Professor Alex Miras; Dr Harriet Treacy, CEO and co-founder; Professor Carel Le Roux and Dr Werd Al-Najim. Photo: Maura Hickey
