Getting Your Beauty Sleep

Recently named finalist in Red Herring Magazine’s Top100 European start-up ranking, the NeuroOn sleeping mask can make it to the big leagues soon. We caught up with Kamil Adamczyk and Janusz Frączek of Intelclinic in their tranquil Żoliborz office to talk about sleep, medicine and their dreams Interview by Matthew Czaja WBJ Observer: When did the light bulb go off in your heads? Kamil Adamczyk: It started 2-3 years ago, when we met. I was involved in the association of neurosurgery students at the Warsaw University of Medicine. Janusz was finishing his studies at the Warsaw University of Technology. My area of interest was “the brain” and Janusz was concerned with measuring brain waves. Therefore, it quickly became apparent that there was some chemistry between us and we decided to cooperate. As students, we naturally suffered from irregular sleep patterns. Janusz Frączek: Our discussions led to a conclusion that it’s worthwhile to connect the world of medicine and engineering. It’s oftentimes the case that these two worlds don’t cooperate. We generated so many ideas that it was only a matter of time before we made something good happen. Your idea won over many contributors via Kickstarter. You received almost half a million dollars to develop your project. KA: In the beginning we received seed capital from HardGamma Ventures. The investor help was crucial in allowing us to develop our young business. “Bootstrap” start-ups [new companies not receiving outside help] often operate on a limited scale. With seed capital, we were able to plan our entry onto Kickstarter over a period of nine months. What Kickstarter did for us is validate our idea, our brand – it helped us find out if there is demand for this product. From the beginning we targeted the global market. We knew it could be sold in Silicon Valley, in Japan or in Western Europe. JF: It was important for the investor to verify our prototype as soon as possible. We were able to receive positive feedback relatively quickly, among others, from doctors at the Henry Ford Medical Center in Detroit. The scientific underpinnings of our project is what gives it added value. It has real utility, instead of just being an engineering exploit. So is the guiding principle of your product simplicity or complexity? How much tinkering is optimal? JF: The idea is relatively simple. People have slept with masks on their eyes for ages. We didn’t want to build something that is a total offshoot from this culturally accepted accessory. On the other hand, we wanted to cleverly incorporate sensors and modern analysis into a sleeping mask. Our main goal was to take from the lab and make available the electronic and analytical utility of this product to an everyday consumer. KA: In general, the idea is very simple: we wanted to create a device that helps people sleep. People have always needed sleep. KA: Indeed. Hence, the goal is straightforward. Although, the method through which the device helps people sleep better isn’t so simple. The mask first learns the user’s sleep pattern by measuring their brainwaves as well as biological rhythms. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, is the determiner of such rhythms. In the end, we have an idea of how the user sleeps and what their day is like. Through a light that is embedded in the mask we can trigger certain biological rhythms in the human body. It seems like a simple premise but behind this is a huge biological effect, as we are able to control the release of the sleep hormone. The analysis and calculations involved in this must be very reliable. In today’s fast-paced world, many people use caffeine or energy stimulants to make it through the day. Is NeuroOn supposed to help increase the energy of users, or is it more for the health-conscious user? JF: It should help in both areas. Of course it concerns the user’s health, improving sleep effectiveness. Instead of drinking five cups of coffee during a work day, it may be more efficient and healthy to simply take a power nap. It has been shown that polyphasic sleep (multiple naps in a 24-hour period) can be very beneficial. Many people could simply benefit from learning to sleep better. KA: Truthfully, this device influences the quality of our sleep greatly. If we have a problem with sleeping, this device will help us fall asleep more quickly. The emission of an artificial light modifies the release of melatonin. This is called “light therapy.” It does not work like sleeping pills. We won’t feel an immediate effect. But if we allow it some time, the mask will allow us to fall asleep sooner through light therapy. The same therapy can be used to deal with jet lag. Thanks to melatonin modulation we are able to adjust better to new time zones. Studies have shown that waking up with light (this is called “artificial dawn”) helps reduce sleep inertia (grogginess and nausea upon waking). Another benefit that we can offer is sleep analysis. We measure sleep, divide it into phases of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. As we learn personal sleep patterns, we program the mask to the needs of the user, such as power napping. You also have an office in San Francisco. Why California? KA: The product is considerably more popular in the States than in Poland, but this could simply be due to the purchasing power differences between the two countries. San Francisco is at the center of the technology start-up world. In order to achieve global success, which we are thinking about, it is necessary to be present there, to talk to people, to consumers. It is where one-third of the world’s capital interested in new technology firms operates. On the other hand, early investments often depend on interpersonal factors. JF: Every investor we talk to emphasizes that they want to invest in a team. Of course, the product is important and the return on investment weighs in. Some tech ideas, such as web applications, can peter out within a few months to a year. Therefore, investors prefer to invest in a good team, even if the product isn’t fully matured yet, because they know that a good start-up ecosystem, for example in San Francisco or the one that is currently developing here in Poland, is conducive to new ideas and will yield results in the future. The publicity events that are organized here give dynamic feedback opportunities. We’ve noticed that the atmosphere in the US is more conducive to the development of new investments. The European market has more procedures and verification criteria, which takes time. The philosophy in the States is different, although it’s not like investment money comes out of nowhere. A lot of talking and getting to know each other is necessary. Once trust is established, such a relationship can last a long time. Taking an example from your start-up, we can see that innovation (as is often said) is a driving force in our economy. Although, many specialized tech niches have already been filled. How do you see the development of Polish innovation in the 21st century? KA: We have a lot of talented engineers, IT specialists. Our human resources in this area are enormous. What we seem to lack is an entrepreneurial culture. Also, we lack the often underestimated soft skills needed for project management. Poles are very modest and concerned about the opinion of others. Meanwhile, what is needed in business sometimes is unbridled enthusiasm in order to spread one’s idea. Oftentimes, our ideas are better than the ideas of our Western peers, but we don’t publicize them well enough. Also, we must have a connection with western investors, because ultimately without them we won’t get our projects off the ground. JF: Sometimes, inventors are mistrustful, they prefer to keep their ideas to themselves. In business, you need trust. Surveys show that in Scandinavian countries public trust (also in business relations) is at a level of 70 percent, while in Poland it hovers at about 20 percent. This often impedes the development of our projects. The idea itself needs to be complemented with a business model: a comprehensive plan that can extract value out of an invention, whether it be an application for the use of Graphene or measuring brainwaves. It is important that consumers understand what a given products’ utility is and that it is not just a simple fad, something that looks cool and passes with time. At least, that’s not what we’re interested in.