MUM’S BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH ALLERGY APP NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT
A Melbourne woman has developed an allergy app after both her children were born with severe eczema and allergies.
The InflaMed app takes a deep delve into the root causes of inflammation and identify triggers, enabling individuals to create personalised action plans.
The app stands as a chronic inflammation companion that diligently tracks diet, chemical exposure, stress levels, and data from wearables, test results, and much more.
It’s estimated 4.1 million Australians - and up to 40 per cent of children - have at least one allergic disease, with hay fever alone recently reported to impact 4.6 million people.
InflaMed creator Mari Robert began experiencing allergies in her mid-20s, and her struggles multiplied when she became a mother as both children were also affected.
While living in San Antonio Texas, her children's conditions worsened and the needed frequent trips to the emergency room.
Mari diligently underwent yearly allergy tests, and during one of these visits, her doctor revealed she was allergic to all the local flora in San Antonio.
With this knowledge, Mari and her family decided to move back to Melbourne, hoping for an improvement in their health. And they found that their conditions began to improve significantly.
During this challenging journey, Mari's ten-year-old daughter had a brilliant idea. She suggested developing an app that could track their lifestyle, medications, and diet factors to help detect allergies.
Inspired by her daughter's suggestion and armed with more than 15 years of experience as a software developer, Mari decided to turn the idea into a reality. In December 2020, with her husband as her business partner and co-founder, she began laying the foundation for developing the app.
"I hope to bridge the gaps of information for a single source of truth which is generally fragmented." Mari said.
"We aim to empower chronic sufferers by going after the root cause of their allergies. I’m aware that it’s a roller coaster, huge ups and downs running a start-up, but you have to keep your ‘WHY’ close to you, always to remind you."
With the InflaMed app good- to-go to market in late 2021, Mari decided to enlist a business mentor and coach through business initiative, the ‘Self-Employment Assistance Program’, discovered through her local Centrelink office.
Mari was welcomed into Asuria's Self-Employment Assistance program, where she received invaluable guidance along with financial support, allowing her to transform her passion from a mere seed of an idea into a flourishing venture.
Following the completion of the program, Mari joined MedTech accelerators such as Google Start-Up and Microsoft Founders programs. Alongside her husband, she incorporated their business and assembled a team comprising three executives and four advisors specialising in clinical matters, artificial intelligence, and brand strategy.
Currently, Mari is actively participating in the Google Start-Up program and seeking investments to take the business to the next level.
She is now focused on developing a clinical prototype that allows patients to connect with their doctors for seamless access to their medical records.
