Turning Personal Struggle into Innovation, Managing Diabetes and Navigating the Healthcare Startup Ecosystem: Vera & Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay

Alex, X-Health.show: 0:00

What you're saying is to combine Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices with some edutainment. Hi, I'm Alex, and welcome to the X-Health. show where I talk to visionaries behind the latest innovations in healthcare. For the eXtra health of the future. Standing on my guests' balcony, we bask in the Swiss Riviera sunshine, palms frame snow-covered Alps on the other side of Lake Geneva. My guests are Vera and Alex Ostrovsky, the founders of Glucoplay. Parents of three when faced with their youngest child's diabetes type 1, embarked on an entrepreneurship journey to help other parents and their children. Glucoplay is a very early stage digital health startup that aims to deliver a hybrid mobile app to manage diabetes. It allows a child to learn how to control their sugar and live their life to the fullest while playing a video game. You'll hear about diabetes type 1 symptoms, managing diabetes, swiss startup ecosystem and overall, about a very personal company's why. Please beware, we will be speaking about life-threatening situations involving a small child. So you have just received the first bigger grant to develop Glucoplay, congratulations!

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 1:21

Yeah, thank you very much.

Alex, X-Health.show: 1:22

What period does it close for Glucoplay?

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 1:26

It was a very hard period because it was the first period. Actually, when we started, we only had an idea and we did not have any experience nor knowledge or any scientific background. So it was kind of a challenge for both of us. But we are true believers and we believe that our idea was so great that I think this is why we received actually the first grant, because we really believed in our idea and it made others believe in it as well.

Alex, X-Health.show: 2:04

We' will come back to that, because behind this idea is a personal story. It is a personal story that is actually a WHY for Glucoplay, for your whole company. Could you tell me, how did it all start?

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 2:19

It all started last year, it was the second year of managing the life of diabetic kid. So after two years of hard working, this idea came to myself, how we can improve the quality of life for the kids who have diabetes.

Alex, X-Health.show: 2:40

Vera, you told me that it was because of Lukas, that Lukas came to the world. And then how did you take the diagnosis?

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 2:49

So basically, he was diagnosed when he was what, two and a half? Alex, X-Health. show: What made you worry? Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: S o it was the pandemic and I really thought that he might have COVID, because his respiration was very difficult, he began to heavily breathe. And before that, there were also some symptoms that I did not take into consideration, because he was still drinking milk at night, like from the bottles. I was not breastfeeding any longer. And I thought that somehow he started to drink and to ask to drink milk several times a night. He also wanted to drink a lot of water and he was constantly going to the toilet.

Alex, X-Health.show: 3:42

Right, these are the classical symptoms for diabetes 1.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 3:45

These are the classical symptoms but the problem is that we were not educated at all in the topic of diabetes. And when I called my friend, the pediatrician from Estonia, because I mean, here in Switzerland we did not know anyone and you cannot just get a free consultation, it was quite complicated for us. So I just called my friend and I was like, listen, these are the symptoms. And she was like, well, it might be diabetes, but it is like such a rare.. . Well, it is not rare, right, but it is not the disease that you get like a flu or something.

Alex, X-Health.show: 4:22

Yeah, it is 1.2 million of kids in the world.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 4:25

A nd of course I was like, No, no way, it is not that.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 4:34

Of course it is always like that. You do understand all these symptoms, you understand that it could be diabetes

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 4:41

The worst case, yes.

Alex, X-Health.show: 4:47

And your two other kids, they do not have diabetes, right? Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: They don't have. Alex, X-Health. show: So you did not see it coming. Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: Yes, so it was a complete shock.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 4:53

I mean, for me it was something that is mostly genetic based and that is why I did not take it into account. But when Lucas already started to sleep long hours, he was very weak and I was like, yes, something is really wrong, I have to run to the doctors. Because I was prolonging this because I did not want to go to any medical centers because of the COVID.

Alex, X-Health.show: 5:22

Yes, I can imagine that. I mean, these were the places you wanted to avoid so that you do not get COVID. And also, we did not know at this point what COVID was.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 5:32

Yes, that is true. And I just thought that it was like a flu or something like that, because he breathed heavily and he was weak. So I think of this – very, very fast: we came to the doctor's, he listened to him, he watched him and then he was like, let me check his blood sugar.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 5:55

And the number was 28. So it's very high.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 5:59

With a norm of 7.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 6:01

And the number was 28 and I think that this number was like a trigger for calling an ambulance and going directly to Lausanne, to the hospital, l'Hôpital de l'Enfance du CHUV and when we came there they were already waiting for us in a big room, plenty of doctors. So it was kind of dramatic also.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 6:30

A dramatic, shocking experience because they told us that in this state, when the child is in this state, he can go to coma like anytime. So even when we were in the ambulance, they put him the oxygen mask and Alex, X-Health. show: I would be, like, crying at this moment.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 6:49

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: We were holding because I did not want to frighten Lukas because he felt weak and he was scared, but he did not cry. And this person in the ambulance she asked me, Please do not let him go to sleep. So he was like this and I was shaking him, and I was giving him toys and things like that so that he could not fall into coma. But once we were in the CHUV, we were safe. Instantly they injected insulin.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 7:27

They started to work with him as well.

Alex, X-Health.show: 7:30

Unfortunately, what I have heard, this is how parents actually get to know about their child's type 1 diabetes. The symptoms appear pretty fast, or even like an emergency, like in your case. So how did you manage with the diagnosis? Because, again, there are questions that parents ask at this point, which is like: there is no cure, right? Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent. So basically, the pancreas does not produce insulin and insulin helps blood sugar enter the body cells

Speaker: 8:14

Exactly, yes.

Alex, X-Health.show: 8:17

And what did you ask yourself? Did you get the answers from the doctors immediately?

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 8:23

Well, partially. Our startup is based on the educational idea and both kids and parents. Because, from our experience, if we were not that educated ourselves.. Alex, X-Health. show: Googling, basically, I can imagine.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 8:40

You are always not ready for this kind of situations. And you do not want to believe that this kind of situations can happen to you. That is why you are not looking for this kind of information, let's say, in Google or somewhere else. But when the thing happened, you have to act somehow and you have to educate yourself because it is your kid, he is too small to understand his situation, his condition. It is you who needs to be educated and it is you who manages all the things like everyday routine for the kid. And, let's say, not every parent is the same and we are trying to make this application to help the parents, for sure, and for the kids as well.

Alex, X-Health.show: 9:33

I can imagine. That is why I am holding to that moment because that is an experience that formed you. And that is also, if from your private experience you go to business model creation, you have the pains, you totally understand the pains of so many parents that they go through. Then you also know what jobs you need to do, what you need to do to help your son function normally.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 10:09

Yeah, let's say it this way, So I'm like you know, we are trying to keep the level of quality of his life like a normal kid, and that is the main goal of all this business model and all this application that we are trying to create, to implement. So that the kid or adult, or teenager, or anyone with diabetes does not feel alone in this world and not well prepared, and he could live quality life with no social restrictions.

Alex, X-Health.show: 10:42

Do you remember what fears did you have when you had the diagnosis and you received prescriptions from the doctors?

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 10:52

At first I was not that shocked, because I think it is a shock state when you do not really realize, so you kind of believe in yourself, Oh, this is manageable. But then... I would say, the fears, they came later. When we came home. Because I just wanted to say a big thanks to the CHUV. Despite all the things, they are doing their job very great, because they we had a 10 days course, the educational course. So each day, while Lucas was still there in the hospital, we went, me and Alex, we went to educate ourselves on diabetes. Because literally there are lots of things to learn, to calculate, to... After this course I literally felt like I can go work in the Red Cross or something like that. Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: Like a nurse, me too. Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: Emergencies, things you have to know...

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 12:04

I'm very afraid of needles and stuff so for me it was stress. Every time, I swear, I would start crying just because of the thought that I have to do something painful for my child.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 12:18

Absolutely, the same. So you have to change this cannula for insulin pump every three days and I have to prick my son every three days with this thing. So for me it was quite hard to understand and to accept that.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 12:36

But speaking realistically, we are lucky that we do not have to do injections all the time. This is why we have the insulin pump and we have the CGM sensor, which is changeable every 10 days. So you do not have to prick from the finger all the time. But still there are a lot of situations, especially when you just start to manage this whole thing, you have to prick the finger quite often. So, anyway, the painful situations, the pain, physical pain is often the case.

Alex, X-Health.show: 13:12

And then you came back home and what did your day look like?

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 13:18

At that stage when we came home, Vera was working and it was me who stayed with Lucas all the time. And yeah, every day I managed the amount of actions I had to do, starting from breakfast and after that going out – you always have to take the stuff with you, like CGM sensor, display, or something like rapid sugars. You start to realize how many things you have to do for your kid, for his everyday life, so it was pretty painful at the start. The relief for me came maybe after one year or one in a half year, when I realized that it became a part of our lives.

Alex, X-Health.show: 14:13

[MID-ROLL] This episode is brought to you by The Ex-Holzz Show and me. So if you like this podcast, be generous, hit, follow, leave a review That'll help me invite more such amazing guests for you. Thank you. :" did you have to calculate the calories what he eats? Did you start planning your own meals for Lukas or for the whole family?

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 14:38

Yes, absolutely, this is the challenge. For diabetic kids, what is important is to calculate carbs. So basically, every single carb that he eats will increase his blood sugar level. This is why we need to know exactly the weight of the carbs that he's going to eat, to calculate the dose of the insulin and to give it to him before he starts eating. It is also challenging with small kids, because if you are an adult and you are conscious and I tell you okay, listen, we have to calculate this and make sure you eat this.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 15:16

Okay, you start and you finish, and for that I give you insulin, because if you don't eat the whole portion, the insulin will take the blood sugar down, which is a dangerous situation, and the blood sugar goes down and you have to cover up with something else. So you have to balance. But with a child you never know. So it is also very, yeah, it was quite challenging. Some parents even divide one dose per two parts, so they give half of the dose before the meal and half of the dose after. But in case of diabetes everything is very unique and all the patients are unique and the bodies and the organism itself is unique. So they have the insulin resistance...

Speaker: 16:13

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: Tolerance.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 16:13

So it's also quite unique. And for this the doctors make you a scheme, a special scheme. We have it all in the kitchen. We came back home with a huge bag of things like contracts for the Palm for the Dexcom, thousands of cannulas, tubulars, the insulin pens. I mean so many things. And instantly our first aid small box became like a huge drawer of medical stuff, equipment. The fridge is full of insulin and we bought ourselves a scale.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 17:05

The calculator and the scale are your best friends at the moment. Of course, you have to think about the stock level, because you always have to have all the materials at home. You have to forecast the consumption of the cannulas, of CGM sensors, of insulin for sure.

Alex, X-Health.show: 17:26

I am just thinking, here your procurement background becomes really handy, right? You told me that you worked as a head of procurement department, so you are now a bit lower level. Vera Ostrowska: Head of family procurement department.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 17:42

Yeah, my previous working experience was like 11 years in the multinational big company in the Baltic region. I was head of procurement department and of course it helped me a lot, because if we are talking about diabetes, it is a disease of everyday calculation. You have to calculate very strictly, so you do not make any mistakes. So if you love to work with numbers, then it is fine.

Alex, X-Health.show: 18:18

When did the idea of Gluco play came? Do you remember the moment? Was it like a spark or was it like a process of developing the idea?

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 18:30

Like what we already mentioned, we received a lot of materials, a lot of information, a lot of tools for everyday life of a diabetic kid. And of course we had this insulin scheme for basal insulin. I started to work with the scheme because we also received it in the digital way, I have this Excel table. And the first idea came to me, how we can easily calculate the right amount of insulin for every alimentation, let's say like that. So the first thing I made was the formula in Excel to calculate the right amount of insulin based on the amount of carbs and the actual glycemic level. So it was my first step to raise the efficiency of everyday life with diabetes.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 19:33

And then at some point we spoke with other parents and at some point I realized that not every parent is the same and maybe there is a kind of tool or solution which helps to manage these things in one way or the best way or, let's say, efficient way. I started to search for any kind of solutions or mobile applications, yes, and there were kind of games for the kids, educational, for diabetes. And of course we also had this managing application for a CGM sensor and for an insulin pump. And I do not know, but at some point I had this idea to combine all the things in one and try to implement some kind of hybrid solution or hybrid application which can help the kid to understand better through the very comfortable environment for him.

Alex, X-Health.show: 21:04

So basically, what you are saying is to combine Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices with some entertainment, the app that educates by playing.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 21:19

Yes. The main thing is that our application is connected to the CGM sensor and the script of this educational game. It is based on the actual glycemic level and, of course, there is a managing application for your pump, for your, let's say, CGM sensor to monitor your condition. There is a different interface for the parents, for the healthcare professionals, and for the kid himself or herself. So it is an edutainment application which is connected to your CGM sensor on your body and with that information, it educates you and helps you to better understand and act in multiple situations throughout the day.

Alex, X-Health.show: 22:08

Was a game your first choice, your first thought when you thought about a solution? I will tell you why I am asking, you know, because for me it is like giving a game, especially mobile games – you want your kids to stay away from games, like as long as possible. But then I read about the research and I mean this number is actually kind of shocking: 77% of children and young people with diabetes experienced a drop in emergency hospital visits after consistently using diabetes games.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 22:50

When this idea came to me I started to make a research how it would help, or will it be helpful at all or not. So of course, at some point I have found information that there is research that the games in general help people in all healing process. So that is why I was pretty sure that it will help and it will make an impact.

Alex, X-Health.show: 23:20

So the idea was born, and then how you went to try to make it real?

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 23:27

Well, of course it was the question of making a team because it is medical. We are aiming to receive this classification of medical software application and to reach this goal, of course, we did not have any experience in the healthcare area.

Alex, X-Health.show: 23:52

Well, you are patients. You have that experience.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 23:55

Yeah, we are coming from the other side, exactly. And that is why we started to think about the team, about the guys who are interested or who believe in this idea and who can help us and work together. And at some point we had a contact with one girl in Geneva because they already had another startup in diabetes. They are trying to create non-invasive CGM sensors.

Alex, X-Health.show: 24:26

Continuous Glucose Monitoring sensors.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 24:28

Absolutely. Because nowadays all these sensors are invasive ones and their idea is to create a non-invasive CGM sensor. So I realized that they are working in the same area and they already have some kind of experience. And when we started to talk about this possible application they were very interested in that. So the next day they jumped in our boat and we continue this journey together.

Alex, X-Health.show: 25:05

So how do you imagine this app? If you could tell me about it. Because you are still ahead of the testing the prototype, right? But you could tell me how do you imagine that works.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 25:17

So at this stage we are almost done with this virtual mock-up. We have designed mainly all the functions, all the options, and alerts, and setup things. Our next step is to start to develop this mock-up into the real prototype. And that is why we are trying to make some crowdfunding and we are looking for investments. Because it is not so easy to implement these kind of applications only by yourself.

Alex, X-Health.show: 25:57

So what are the next steps for Glucoplay?

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 26:01

The next step for us here in Switzerland is to become incorporated. Because at this stage it was the easiest way to register ourselves as a team, we decided to make this a non-profit association and the next day we realized that it is not enough. So the next step is to incorporate ourselves and then start to work, or continue to work with the financial aspects, to find the right amount of investment to build the first prototype, and start to test it on the potential patients, with cooperation with the L'Hôpital de l'enfance in Lausanne – because now we are in the middle of signing this agreement of, the Memorandum of Cooperation, because we are starting to work together on the proof of the concept. It is quite important to finally be registered or classified as a medical device software. So, anyway, we still need to have a healthcare professional in our team.

Alex, X-Health.show: 27:19

OK, definitely. So what are you looking for? You are saying you would be crowdfunding for the app.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 27:29

At some point. It seems like one of the options we are looking for. So maybe at some point we will make this crowdfunding but it will not happen tomorrow or after tomorrow, but maybe. We are not so sure yet, but we are still considering many options.

Alex, X-Health.show: 27:48

Okay, could you tell me about some of the options?

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 27:52

Some of the options. Of course it is private financing. After that we are trying to receive multiple grants for developing our application. They are not only Swiss grants but more international ones, like in the States or Israel. There is a lot of community in the world, in the States, in Israel, in the UK, Australia. All these countries are very interested in the development, the quality of life with diabetes. So we are trying to find these options.

Alex, X-Health.show: 28:32

You have just received the first grant here. How do you consider this startup scene here in Switzerland? Is it feeding you somehow? Is it helping you?

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 28:49

The Future of Health Grant was the first grant that we have received here in Switzerland and they gave us this kind of a push into the whole startup community. Also from the other side I took part in the training program for the MedTech business creation. It was also very helpful in terms of even communicating with other start-upers in the same field and realizing the problems and the pains, and also the solutions that other people are having on different stages of development. Since we are in the very beginning of the development of our project, it was crucial for us to feel this kind of community feeling, the community help, support that we are not alone in this world. And that there are other people who are maybe struggling with the same problems and challenges, for example. Well, the main challenges are always the funds, the fundraising and the building of the strategy, the proof of concept. And, from the medical expertise, the difficulties can be in the regulatory processes, because it is all the certification, the legislation, all these things. So it is another stage of our development and it will be also quite challenging.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 30:26

It will take time. Future of Health Grant introduced us to this world and we have made some friends from other start-ups. This is very dynamic and fast-growing community. And Switzerland on its own, as a small country, which is aiming to be one of the best medical software start-up... Everything connected to diabetes in Europe, all the innovations, all the last innovati ons that were made, were made in Switzerland. So I think we are in the right place.

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 31:13

n the right point for this.

Vera Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 31:14

In the right place and the right time.

Alex, X-Health.show: 31:17

Thank you very much...

Alex Ostrowski, Glucoplay: 31:19

Thank you for coming. It was a pleasure to introduce ourselves.

Alex, X-Health.show: 31:24

You may follow Vera and Alex and Glucoplay at www. glucoplaycom. Thank you. [POST-ROLL] I'm totally impressed by the audacity of researchers turned start-up founders, doctors turned entrepreneurs or ordinary parents turned healthcare innovators. People battling the battles that no one fought before. For the eXtra health of the future. So if you see a start-up posting on LinkedIn, show them some love, hit "Like comment. That's fabulous. If you have a couple of drops more of that altruism, follow the X-Hulse show, leave a review here I'll be able to bring more of these visionaries to you. So a big thank you. You're awesome. See you next week.

Speaker: 32:15

The information in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your healthcare practitioner. The opinions on the show are Alex's or her guests. The podcast does not make any responsibility or warranties about guests' statements or credibility. While the podcast makes every effort to ensure that the information shared is accurate, please let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or corrections.