A growing Houston-founded tech startup is now calling the Magic City home.
That startup, Greens, began as an app focusing on teens with diabetes from vulnerable populations to offer culturally-focused meal predictions to help make maintenance and treatment easier for them and their families. Greens uses technology with real-time photos of foods to assist in carbohydrate calculation and food experiment. It also builds a "library" of commonly eaten foods meals to inform future bolus strategy.
Greens, powered by Xplosion Technology, is the business brainchild of founders Kehlin Swain, Isis Ashford and Jaylen James. The company left Houston in early 2023 to call Birmingham their business' home after successfully completing Prosper’s 12-week HealthTech Accelerator, managed by gener8tor.
“The Prosper HealthTech Accelerator had everything set up for us. The connections were in place and the relationships with major partners were poised and ready. We’re on track to triple our growth in less than two years. The meeting with the community and nonprofit partners has been so beneficial,” Swain said.
He noted that the rich history of Birmingham drew them to the city.
“One thing I love about Birmingham is that there is a chip on our shoulder because of public perspective of the city from those who don’t know the real beauty of Birmingham," he said. "The community surrounding the population truly does care about the people and they are also so excited to share the history and the vision for what’s next. Being part of a mission-driven city like Birmingham has been amazing."
As for the next steps, Greens is seeking national and local pilot or quality incentive programs with managed care organizations, community members on public insurance, persons needing help with Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes and employer partners offering insurance but desiring help to close the gap for employees with resources like fresh fruits and vegetables, job placement and transportation.
“Greens is returning us to our roots. We are keeping to the foundation of the richness of the Birmingham community and doing our part to use what we have to help others,” said Ashford.
Xplosion Technology was also recently awarded a grant from Innovate Alabama and was selected as one of the BBJ's Startups to Watch for 2023.
