Interview with Fitnet’s Chief Geek Bob Summers

Fitnet's Chief Geek Bob Summers

For our latest interview, we’ve cornered Bob Summers, who serves as Chief Geek at Fitnet. He has developed and marketed consumer Internet applications since 1994; Fitnet is his fifth startup. Bob has a MBA from MIT and Computer Engineering degree from Virginia Tech.

Here’s what he had to say:

How would you pitch your company? What’s your elevator pitch?

Fitnet is improving consumer health by increasing access to quality health coaching with a mobile app platform which integrates personal video communication and unique biometric sensing technology.

What sets you apart from competitors?

We are enabling any health coach, therapist or fitness trainer to develop programming, prescribe and monitor compliance/track progress. There is no other platform which combines video, computer vision and biometric sensing into one package for health.

What’s your business model?

Health coaches charge a monthly fee and we take the cut.

Can you share some numbers? How many users do you have?

800,000 minutes of fitness have been delivered to our users in over 200 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

Where do you see the company going from here?

We are increasing the number of clinical pilots and seeking partners to prove efficacy of the platform for widespread healthcare system adoption.

Where do you see the mHealth industry going?

Our job is to improve quality of care to consumers while reducing the price. The effect is a healthier and more productive population.

How long are we from seeing modern mHealth technologies going mainstream?

24 months.