NightWare, a Minneapolis-based medical-device startup creating an Apple Watch app for those suffering from nightmare disorder, a common side effect of post-traumatic stress disorder, has raised $305,000 in a planned $2.8 million round, according to an SEC filing.
NightWare will use the funds to run and complete clinical trials and receive FDA clearance for its product, CEO Grady Hannah told Minne Inno. The funds were raised from eight investors, according to the filing, but Hannah declined to name them.
The company previously raised $250,000 in early 2018 and received a $100,000 grant from the Support the Troops program from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.
NightWare works on the Apple Watch, monitoring a user’s biometrics while they sleep. The app has a formula that is customized to each individual. When it detects nightmare-related stress, the watch buzzes gently, arousing, but not awakening its wearer. By doing so, NightWare aims to stop the bad dream without disturbing users from a restful sleep.
Sleep data is stored over time on the app’s backend, and is available for practitioners who want to track their patients’ sleep quality.
Currently, those who suffer from nightmare disorder are often prescribed sleep medication, like Ambien. NightWare hopes to achieve similar effects, but without medication.
There are plenty of sleep apps on the market. NightWare hopes to stand out by grabbing the attention of doctors and other health professionals. Right now, the app is being used by a test group of around 40 people.
If NightWare receives FDA approval, those interested in using the app will need to receive a prescription – just like any other device or drug. But this prescription comes with an iPhone and Apple Watch, which patients use to control the app.
Around 11 to 20 percent of veterans experience PTSD in a given year. But that’s not the only group NightWare aims to serve. Hannah estimates that in Minnesota alone, around 5,000 people have been diagnosed with PTSD in the last two years. Over time, Hannah hopes that it will be utilized by other groups, like assault survivors and first responders.
