Can Your Idea Change Diabetes Management?

More than 537 million people worldwide live with diabetes, which means a constant challenge in everyday life for those affected. Technological innovations make an important contribution to making it easier to deal with diabetes – whether it is measuring glucose levels, planning the amount of insulin needed via an app or even using automated insulin delivery systems. But despite these enormous advances in diabetes technology, there is still a great, unmet need for innovative technical solutions. These should help to ease the challenge for users in everyday life and improve the lives of people with diabetes in the long term.

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge was initiated in 2021 with the aim of closing these gaps in diabetes technology with translational research. The goal of the challenge is to identify unique solutions which can make life easier for people with diabetes. Whether you’re a researcher, healthcare professional, start-up founder, or someone living with diabetes, your ideas are invaluable to us. We’re seeking diverse perspectives and innovative solutions to enhance the quality of life for individuals with diabetes.

​What’s in it for you?

After a first round and feedback from the expert jury, the top 20 will enter a mentoring program. Two US-based innovators and four innovators from the rest of the world will be invited to an individually tailored bootcamp in the picturesque Swiss alps and will then pitch their final ideas at the grand DCB Start-Up Night in Berne, Switzerland, on 3 October 2024. Additionally, all finalists have the opportunity to present their ideas at the Diabetes Technology Meeting in the US on 15–17 October 2024.​

The winning project will be selected by an international expert jury and rewarded with USD 100,000 in funding and in-kind support – making the DCB Open Innovation Challenge the world’s largest diabetes technology award with international appeal. You will get access to a global network of experts from the field – all while your idea remains entirely yours.

Don’t miss out on this unparalleled opportunity to turn your idea into reality. Submit your idea by April 30 at our innovation platform innovation.dcberne.com

Can Your Idea Change Diabetes Management Forever?

We are excited to announce the collaboration of the Diabetes Center Berne and the Diabetes Technology Society for the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge, launching on 1 April 2024.​

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge was initiated in 2021 and is the largest innovation challenge in the field of diabetes technology. The goal of the challenge is to identify unique solutions which can make life easier for people with diabetes. Anyone with an idea can apply – whether researcher, healthcare professional, start-up or person living with diabetes. We want to hear from you!​

In 2024, two US-based innovators and four innovators from the rest of the world will be selected to pitch their final ideas at the grand DCB Start-Up Night in Berne, Switzerland, on 3 October 2024. Additionally, all finalists have the opportunity to present their ideas at the Diabetes Technology Meeting in the US on 15–17 October 2024.​ ​

Save the dates and seize the opportunity to watch your idea become reality: www.dcberne.com/en/innovation-challenge

Una Health approved as German Digital Health Application (DiGA) for diabetes: New guideline-based solution for type 2 diabetes

In 2022, Una Health won the DCB Open Innovation Challenge in the Digital Diabetes category. Now, they have achieved a major milestone: the app for managing type 2 diabetes has now been qualified as a DiGA (German Digital Health Application) and can now be prescribed on prescription in Germany.

Type 2 diabetes affects almost 9 million people in Germany, and the trend is rising. The disease requires continuous monitoring and blood glucose control in order to avoid concomitant diseases such as renal insufficiency or retinal damage and a negative course of the disease. The approval of Una Health for diabetes has now made it possible to offer a non-drug therapy option to improve the quality of life for people living with type 2 diabetes. The application combines continuous glucose meter and dietary data in a mobile app that helps people with type 2 diabetes understand the reasons for their blood glucose fluctuations and make long-term lifestyle changes to keep their glucose levels stable. The therapy is available for all people with a diabetestype 2 diagnosis from the age of 18 (ICD 10 E11.-).

Function and evidence

By analysing individual blood glucose reactions, the app offers personalised lifestyle recommendations that improve blood glucose control. With evidence-based content, goal functions and coaching messages, the app facilitates effective implementation of lifestyle changes. This innovative approach enables users to expand their knowledge about diabetes and optimise their lifestyle in a personalized way. In a clinical study in collaboration with Prof. Dr. med. Peter Schwarz, diabetologist at the TU Dresden and President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), it was shown that the use of Una Health for Diabetes led to a significant improvement in blood glucose levels, weight and quality of life in people with type 2 diabetes. 96% of users would recommend the application to others.

Development

“We are thrilled to introduce Una Health for Diabetes to the public after an intensive development phase. Our non-drug treatment approach is helping to improve the care and quality of life for people with type 2 diabetes,” says Matthew Fenech, MD, diabetologist and founder of Una Health. “Our mission is to combine innovative technology with medical expertise to create solutions for the millions of people with diabetes and caregivers that are both easily accessible and easy to integrate into everyday life. We want to empower people to take a proactive approach to their health and better understand the impact of lifestyle and behavior.”

Una Health for Diabetes was developed with leading diabetologists and nutritionists to high clinical and data protection standards in Germany. Professor Martin Möckel, MD, internist and Medical Director of Emergency and Acute Medicine at Charité Berlin and Chairman of the “Digital Health Applications/AI in Guidelines” working group at the German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM), confirms: “Una Health GmbH has developed a program that has a lasting impact on patients’ lifestyles and motivates them to change their behaviour by directly reflecting back to them”. Una Health for Diabetes 2023 impressed the expert jury of the DiGA Pitch Battle at the DGIM congress in Wiesbaden with its sustainable concept.

The application is now available for Android and iOS devices. To find out more about use and prescription, visit the website at https://unahealth.de/for-partners.

About Una Health:

The start-up Una Health won the DCB Open Innovation Challenge in the Digital Diabetes category in 2022. Una Health, based in Germany, is a leading provider of digital health applications with a mission to address the ever-growing burden of metabolic disease. By providing personalised tools and resources, Una Health helps users to manage their blood glucose levels, adapt their lifestyle and develop healthier habits in the long term. The mission is to combine innovative technology with medical expertise to provide personalised solutions that enable people to proactively address their health and lead a fulfilling life.