It’s hard enough for anyone to deal with type-1 diabetes, but for children, the challenge is even more significant.
Enter Sproutel, a Providence startup that aims to teach children how to cope with the disease through a smartphone-connected, interactive toy called Jerry the Bear. Founded in 2012 by Aaron Horowitz and Hannah Chung, the startup’s goal is to combine storytelling and play to give children a positive way to think about the disease.
In an interview with Rhode Island Inno, Horowitz said he and Chung came up with the idea after meeting at Northwestern University in Chicago, where they observed children playing “doctor” with animals by acting out medical procedures. From that, they came up with the idea of creating a stuffed animal toy that children could play with for the specific purpose of teaching them how to cope with their illness.
Horowitz and Chung also had personal experiences with illness that influenced the founding of Sproutel. Horowitz had grown up with human growth hormone deficiency and had to take daily injections while Chung lost her grandparents to complications from type-2 diabetes. Chung's father also became diagnosed with the illness, giving her an up-close look at how it impacts families.
After working on the first prototype during their senior year at Northwestern, Horowitz and Chung decided to move to Providence because a professor at Brown University offered to mentor them and give them a space to work.
"It's medically validated content but presented in a way that’s fun."
The original Jerry the Bear came with its own screen and computer system, and it let kids monitor his glucose levels by pressing his fingers, feed him using food cards and give him the correct amount of insulin. Jerry’s screen could also display animated storybooks.
“It's medically validated content but presented in a way that’s fun,” he said.
But because the toy had an entirely self-contained system, it was quite expensive at $300. Regardless, the idea made such a splash that Chung and Horowitz were invited to participate in the first White House Demo Day held under President Barack Obama that aimed to showcase underrepresented minorities in entrepreneurship.
Earlier this year, Sproutel released a new version of Jerry the Bear that replaced the screen and computer with the ability to wirelessly connect it to a smartphone, significantly lowering the cost of the bear to $55. Sproutel also updated Jerry’s accessories, which now include a glucometer, an insulin pen or pump and toy food. With the new lower price, Horowitz said Sproutel has sold more bears this year than its past five years of operations.
“That’s opened a ton of pathways for distributors,” Horowitz said. Sproutel currently sells Jerry the Bear in the U.S. through Beyond Type 1, a nonprofit dedicated to using social media and technology to change the way people live with type-1 diabetes. It also has distribution in Canada through Diabetes Express Pharmacy.
Two months ago, Sproutel received a $50,000 innovation voucher from the state of Rhode Island to further study the effectiveness of Jerry the Bear. But Horowitz indicated that Sproutel’s toy for kids with diabetes is just the beginning of the company’s aspirations.
He said Sproutel is currently working on another project, though he was unable to go into any details due to a non-disclosure agreement. In general, however, he said the company is looking to expand its product line to support other kinds of illnesses and conditions for children, including food allergies and cancer.
In feature photo: Sproutel team members Brian Oley, Aaron Horowitz (co-founder), Hannah Chung (co-founder) and Joel Schwartz.
