Sleep Tracking Device 25 Years in the Making

With sleep measurement and gadgets both being red hot topics on crowdfunding platforms, when one of the companies combining the two says, “We made a strict decision not to do an Indigogo or Kickstarter campaign,” it does raise some questions.

This article was originally posted on HYBE.

Heikki Räisänen, CEO and primary owner of Emfit, a 25-year old company which earlier this year brought a sleep tracker to the consumer market which measures sleep from below the mattress, is really excited to explain.

“Crowdfunding campaigns are always linked to selling thousands of products in one go, delivering thousands at the same time, and when there are problems they will fall on you. We have had problems, but we started from small volumes, solved the problems and now we are ready,” he says.

“It’s a bit like ‘succeed or die’. After 25 years we really do not want to die in this market situation. I think after we have done things right, we are now looking 25 years ahead. Thats the next quarter for us,” he says.

The invention enabling Emfit sleep-tracker was created by one of the cofounders back in 1980s, but when the company was founded in 1990, the founders had no idea it could take 25 years to reach the consumer market.

Serial entrepreneur Räisänen said in 2000 he decided, “to put it all in,” but the team failed to raise financing and has survived through the years working on different tracking solutions and other products for healthcare sector.

Emfit QS is a non-contact monitoring system that is installed under the mattress, and provides reports about physical recovery, stress levels and sleep quality.

The premise of Emfit QS is based on the importance of getting enough deep sleep for the recovery of the body, and getting enough REM sleep for the recovery of the brain.