Habit forming and tracking app startup, Zoojoo.be raises USD 1M funding from Seattle-based VC fund

Bengaluru-based habit creation and tracking apps startup, Zoojoo.be, announced that it raised USD 1 million (approximately INR 6.4 crores) from US-based VC fund, RoundGlass Partners.

The startup, founded in 2012, and incubated at the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) in IIM Bangalore, plans to use the investment toward product development.

What’s Zoojoo.be all about?

Zoojoo.be builds web and mobile-based wellness apps for organizations. It helps users to form healthy habits, using gamification and social collaborations. The startup believes that habit formation, which people believed to be driven by self-motivation, rather than a team effort, can actually be expedited by playing games with colleagues and friends.

The games they offer follow incentive models that keep its users motivated. They also have personalized wellness plans that guide individuals on how to achieve personal wellbeing.

“Our mission is to measurably and quantifiably improve the wellbeing and happiness level of the workforce. We want to achieve our goal by helping our users create long term positive behavior change by forming great habits,” said Avinash Saurabh, CEO, Zoojoo.be.

The app, available on both Android and iOS platforms, currently has over 35,000 end users across India and UAE. It has tied up with large organizations like Mindtree, Unisys, and GE to help their employees inculcate healthy habits.

Employees can use the platform to form habits related to healthy eating, fitness, mindfulness and work-life balance, including habits like eating better, exercising, spending time with family, and starting new hobbies etc. Once the user decides on the habits, they are set up as virtual challenges within their peer networks.

Here’s what people say

“With the increasing cost of care, the need of the hour is to shift focus from curative healthcare to preventive healthcare and wellness. I believe that Zoojoo.be’s wellness app with its behavior changing approach will help users bring a positive change in their habits,” said Gurpreet Singh, Founder RoundGlass Partners, Seattle.

“I believe that the team’s relentless focus on user engagement has helped them solve some of the biggest challenges in behavior change,” said Professor Sabrinathan, Chairperson, NSRCEL. The startup spent 18 months in the incubation center.

“Zoojoo.be is integral to our employee wellness strategy. The platform beats the traditional approach to employee wellness by engaging the workforce to adopt healthier behavior in a fun and social way,” said Chitra Byregowda, Head of Sustainability and Diversity, Mindtree.

The wellness market

According to a Pricewaterhouse Coopers report on wellness in India, the overall wellness market in India is estimated at INR 490 billion, with 40 percent of this market comprising wellness-related services alone.

It also reported that the Indian wellness industry will grow at a CAGR of 20 percent to reach INR 875 billion over the next three years. This growth will be driven by the transition from remedial care to a more holistic view on preventive care.

Other players in the market

The iOS app store and Google Play are infested with habit building and tracking apps.

Some of the better-known apps are:

irunurun – This app gamifies the habit creation process by letting users assign points for each action, and gathering points to compete with friends and family.

Habit List— This app gives users the ability to create flexible schedules for habits that are to be done on specific days, non-specific days, or intervals.

Lift – This app helps people reach their goals of establishing new habits by crowdsourcing encouragement.

There are other apps like HabitBull, Rewire, WayofLife and GoodHabits, which do the same thing.