Our latest interview is with Alex Frommeyer, the Founder and CEO of Beam Technologies, a Columbus, OH-based, digital health startup that is using a connected toothbrush to reinvent dental benefits. He has two engineering degrees from the University of Louisville’s Speed School of Engineering, where he graduated magna cum laude and founded his first company in 2010. Here’s what he had to say…
How would you pitch your company? What’s your elevator pitch?
Beam is a digital health startup changing the way consumers access dental goods and services. Our flagship product is the Beam Brush, a connected sonic toothbrush, which connects our users into the dental services ecosystem in a way they have never experienced before.
What sets you apart from competitors?
Beam wants to help consumers make dental care more accessible and affordable. Everything we are doing gets back to solving major problems in the dental field: access to insurance, socioeconomic health disparity, and oral health’s role in systemic health.
What’s your business model?
Users can purchase the beam brush for just $29 from our website right now as part of our introduction. Additionally, we have turned replacement heads into a subscription program. For just $5 (including shipping) every 3 months, you get your refill head sent to you automatically.
Where do you see the company going from here?
2015 is an exciting year for Beam. We are in the midst of launching some amazing features in our app to continue to craft an experience for people while they brush their teeth. There will also be multiple more product launches this year, so stay tuned!
Where do you see the mHealth industry going?
I think mHealth, and more broadly digital health, is waiting for a major catalyst to begin to deeply embed a consumer brand around some of the more “system level” things happening with EMR, clinical systems, and payers. Apple’s Healthkit, and Under Armour’s recent acquisitions, start to get us closer to telling a coherent story directly to the consumer about taking charge of one’s own health in a tech-oriented, simple, and brand sexy way.
How long are we from seeing modern mHealth technologies going mainstream?
Health is nasty, it is going to continue to leak into the ethos. In 2010 when I was first getting into health startups, all the “experts” were saying that by 2012, everyone would be using 20 health apps on their phone and all of these devices. Realistically, I think that we are still 4-5 years away from some of the products that have major health impact that aren’t fitness focused.