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Mindvalley Launches First Fully Immersive Meditation and Personal Development App on Apple’s Vision Pro

February 3, 2024 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

Mindvalley is solo immersive Personal Development App Included on visionOS App Store

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and LONDON and NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Mindvalley, the leading personal growth platform, is thrilled to announce the launch of its groundbreaking fully immersive meditation and personal development app on Vision Pro, Apple’s revolutionary spatial computing headset.

Mindvalley Vision Pro Launch

The app, jointly developed by Mindvalley and Oscar-winning creative studio, Framestore, represents a major breakthrough in personal development. With the integration of state-of-the-art virtual reality and audio technologies, users can now experience fully immersive meditations in breathtaking natural environments such as forests, deserts, and mountains. Additionally, the app offers a unique feature allowing users to practice and improve their public speaking skills through fully immersive simulations, in addition to Mindvalley’s extensive library of episodic personal growth content; Quests.

“We are incredibly excited about this collaboration with Apple,” said Vishen, Founder and CEO of Mindvalley. “Mindvalley was founded to help people push the boundaries of innovation and personal growth. By combining our passion for transformation with Apple’s cutting-edge technology, this app has the potential to revolutionize the way people approach meditation and personal growth.”

The collaboration between Mindvalley and Apple at the Vision Pro Developer Labs brought together two innovative forces in their respective industries. Mindvalley, known for its expansive library of online courses and programs, has impacted over 20 million lives worldwide by helping individuals unlock their full potential. Apple, renowned for its commitment to revolutionizing technology and creating seamless user experiences through its range of products and services, is on a continuous path of innovation.

As part of the Developer Labs, Mindvalley worked closely with Apple Worldwide Developer Relations in Singapore to integrate Vision Pro’s extraordinary capabilities with Mindvalley’s transformational content. Vision Pro offers high-quality displays, immersive environments, spatial audio, and advanced eye tracking, which were incorporated into the Mindvalley app to ensure an unparalleled level of immersion and interactivity.

“It was an honor to work with Apple’s amazing team in Singapore to gain unprecedented access to the Vision Pro as we developed the app,” said Manon Dave, Chief Product Officer of Mindvalley and Creative Technology Director at Framestore. “Vision Pro is the next step in personal computing, and we’re thrilled to have worked with Apple to bring Mindvalley to the forefront of wellness tech.”

To bring the experiences on the app to life, Mindvalley enlisted Framestore’s world-leading VFX and Immersive talent. “We are immensely proud to have collaborated with Mindvalley to bring forth a transformative experience for their users,” said Framestore CEO Mel Sullivan. “Partnering to integrate the unique capabilities of Apple Vision Pro was an extraordinary opportunity for our immersive team, leveraging our expertise honed in crafting world-class visuals for every screen. This project underscores our commitment to push the boundaries of technology while highlighting how innovation can be used to create a meaningful and impactful experience that resonates with people on a profound level.”

For more information about Mindvalley and their upcoming immersive app on Vision Pro, visit their website at www.mindvalley.com.

About Mindvalley:
Mindvalley is the world’s most powerful transformation platform that helps people step into their greatness. From longevity and wellness, to peak performance and spirituality, we provide cutting-edge programs from leading experts to help people achieve success and happiness and find fulfillment. Mindvalley’s learning platform, called ‘Quest’, introduces a new way of learning that delivers unparalleled results in human transformation. Mindvalley reaches more than 195 countries and has a vibrant community of 20 million passionate followers, boasting over 19,000 success stories and counting. Follow Mindvalley for more life-changing content at mindvalley.com or on social media: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

About Framestore:
Framestore is a multi Academy Award-winning creative studio that combines talent and technology to reframe the possible in film, content, advertising and immersive experiences. Framestore is home to over 3,000 storytellers and innovators, united by a mission to bring life to everything they create. Founded in the UK in 1986, Framestore has studios in New York, LA, Chicago, Montreal, Vancouver, London, Melbourne and Mumbai.

Video – https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2333273/Mindvalley_Vision_Pro_Launch_Sizzle.mp4

https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2333273/Mindvalley_Vision_Pro_Launch_Sizzle.mp4

PR Newswire

Wonder Tech’s Breakthrough in Language Agnostic Voice AI to Bring Scalable Depression Screening to One Billion People Globally

November 29, 2023 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

SINGAPORE, Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Wonder Technologies PTE. LTD (“Wonder Tech” or “the Company”), a leading AI-driven mental health solutions company based in Singapore, has reached a breakthrough in its acoustics-based AI for depression screening. The AI model, which identifies depression through detecting nuanced vocal changes, has reached an industry-leading 83% in detection accuracy, surpassing the 80% threshold required for clinical depression detection. With this milestone, Wonder Tech has proven its potential to enable a scalable and adaptable diagnostic tool to help the one billion people affected by mental health disorders worldwide.

By analyzing a 60-second voice sample, Wonder Tech’s voice AI platform can detect and continuously monitor the risk of mental health conditions, categorized on varying levels of severity, to enable personalized treatment in a clinically reliable and scalable way.

This breakthrough was achieved in collaboration with Prof. John Wong at the National University Hospital (NUH) as well as Singapore’s top psychology and medical research institutes. Wonder Tech also received financial and clinical support from Singapore’s Ministry of Health to scale out the solution with leading mental health institutes.

Wonder Tech’s AI model is unique in that it’s pure acoustics-based rather than language-based. Since it does not rely on the content of speech and only requires a 60-second voice sample, the AI model can effortlessly adapt to virtually all languages while maintaining clinical accuracy. Additionally, the solution is hardware-independent, allowing implementation on consumer-grade smart devices, such as smartphones. These flexible features address the critical issues of adaptability and scalability, significantly improving accessibility to an accurate and immediate depression diagnostic tool.

Depression can cause psychomotor function changes that impair cognitive and vocal cord functions. The effects are often exhibited in pitch, intensity, aspiration, jitter and other characteristics in voice. Wonder Tech’s acoustics-based AI system can accurately assess for depression by detecting these subtle signs (objective biomarkers) using a large AI model with over 300 million parameters.

Wonder Tech’s solution is the first acoustics-based AI model for depression screening trained using multidimensional, clinically validated datasets following the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5^th Edition (DSM-V), which is the gold standard for diagnosis of mental health conditions.

Mental health disorders are prevalent worldwide. By 2030, global loss in productivity for major depressive disorder alone is forecasted to reach US$16 trillion. In the U.S., 21% of adults—nearly one in five—experienced a mental health condition in 2020. Similar trends have been observed in the Middle East, where two-thirds of respondents in a McKinsey Health Institute survey reported poor mental health or a mental health condition diagnosis. To broaden the applications of its solution for greater impact, Wonder Tech is working on adapting its AI model to screen for various disorders, including anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

“Socioeconomic barriers continue to hinder access to treatment for the one billion people experiencing mental health disorders worldwide,” said Wendy Wu, Founder and CEO of Wonder Tech. “In Singapore alone, anxiety and depression have been estimated to cost around S$16 billion (US$11.7 billion) in lost productivity annually, the equivalent to 2.9% of the nation’s GDP. Globally, depression and mental health disorders result in a staggering US$1 trillion in lost productivity each year, underscoring an urgent need to improve their care systems.”

Depression has been estimated to have a 65% misdiagnosis rate. To resolve this issue, Wonder Tech has introduced its AI system as a B2B Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) to global healthcare facilities and enable hardware integration. The system is currently integrated with online healthcare platforms for early detection of mental health conditions. This ensures care providers can offer effective and timely personalized mental health treatment. It also couples with existing chronic disease prevention and management systems to improve patients’ mental health, especially for cardiovascular disease and cancer patients, to increase the cure rate and decrease claims for insurance providers. This system has received positive feedback from enterprise employee benefit programs, government healthcare programs for remote areas, postpartum depression prevention programs and senior care communities.

Supported by Singapore’s Ministry of Health & Temasek Foundation, Wonder Tech is currently collaborating with SingHealth in a broader piloting program in Singapore. The Company is preparing its solution for global English-speaking populations.

About Wonder Technology

Wonder Tech is a Voice Al platform for mental health. Our biomarker technology empowers full cycle of mental health solutions from screening, monitoring & personalized solutions for healthcare platforms, online hospitals, employee benefit programs, production safety, and insurance providers.

Learn more at www.wondertech.ai.

Media Contact
Frank Yu
frank@wondertech.ai

PR Newswire

Project Matty: Revolutionizing Care for Children with Autism and ADHD Through AI

July 24, 2023 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

SINGAPORE, July 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Project Matty, a pioneering digital health solution, has been launched by a dedicated mother of an ADHD-diagnosed child and Dr. Pamela Lim, a clinical psychology doctor. Both inspired by their personal experiences and united by their commitment to improve the lives of children with autism and ADHD, they’re harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for an extraordinary mission.

The co-founders’ personal journeys fuel their resolve to bridge the gap in traditional treatments. Born out of one mother’s determination to help her ADHD-diagnosed son, and Dr. Pamela Lim’s drive to assist others like her own child with autism, Project Matty aims to provide more accessible, effective, and personalized care to children worldwide.

Enter M.A.T.T.Y – an acronym for Managing Autism/ADHD Through Texting to You. It’s an AI system that leverages the simplicity and familiarity of texting. M.A.T.T.Y engages in insightful chats with caregivers, learning about each child’s unique traits, and using this information to create personalized virtual pets. These AI-powered pals provide children with an engaging, safe environment where they can develop essential skills beyond clinical settings.

Dr. Pamela Lim, a stalwart in the field of clinical psychology, emphasizes the core philosophy of Project Matty. “Kids with neurodevelopmental disorders behave differently because their brains process the world differently. They’re not abnormal, just different. By understanding how they perceive the world, we can help them integrate into what may seem a frightening and strange world. Our mission with M.A.T.T.Y is to empower caregivers, who can then empower these amazing kids.”

Project Matty embodies the transformative potential of technology when combined with deep empathy and personal experience. It presents a significant opportunity for investors looking to support an innovative solution with vast societal impact.

Join Project Matty in empowering children with Autism and ADHD to reach their full potential. Together, we can make a difference in their lives and contribute to a more inclusive, supportive world.

For more information about Project Matty, visit www.projectmatty.com. To schedule an interview or for more information, please contact Nora Lam at hello@projectmatty.com

Dr Pamela Lim Bio:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-pamela-lim/?originalSubdomain=sg

PR Newswire

Perkbox reimagines global reward and benefits for the post-pandemic world

August 18, 2021 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

LONDON, Aug. 18, 2021 — Perkbox, the global benefits and reward platform, today announces its new offering to help employers care for, connect with, and celebrate their people around the world.

The new location agnostic Perkbox platform enables employers to harmonise their global employee experience and create cost and time efficiencies, while delivering bespoke wellbeing, recognition, and engagement offerings to each employee. Perkbox already supports over 5,000 businesses and more than 600,000 users across more than 34 countries.

The new platform launch comes as HR leaders worldwide grapple with a unique set of circumstances, brought about, or accelerated, by the COVID-19 pandemic:

Employee wellbeing is in freefall. Nine in ten employees faced new wellbeing challenges in 2020^{^[1]}, as burnout from balancing work and life becomes a greater issue
The employee/employer relationship is changing. Work from home-induced introspection has left many people looking for more from their employer and work.
International, distributed working models are on the rise. Hybrid and remote working are making it more difficult to create a clear and attractive organisational culture across multiple locations.
There’s a new talent landscape. New ways of working have also unlocked a truly international pool of talent, giving businesses the option to recruit from anywhere in the world.

In response, Perkbox’s reimagined, unified platform helps HR leaders create a stronger employee value proposition, built around caring for, connecting with, and celebrating employees, wherever they’re based.

Employees can access the platform via web or a powerful single app. It’s organised into four ‘hubs’, each offering support in a key area, and integrates seamlessly with existing single sign on (SSO) and human resources information systems (HRIS) – creating a frictionless experience for both employees and HR administrators.

Wellness hub. Supporting employees’ wellbeing is vital in itself, and it boosts retention and engagement.^{^[2]} The Wellness hub enables employers to meaningfully support this area by providing access to carefully curated, constantly updated wellbeing content. Employees can choose what works for them – from hypnosis and therapy audios to HIIT workouts and meditation guides.

Perks hub. Perks hub enables employers to overcome the stifling complexity of the global benefits market, while providing employees with the huge variety of global deals, discounts and benefits needed to fulfil individual requirements. There is also the option for employers to offer a monthly ‘Flexi points’ allowance. Employees can redeem these, at no cost to themselves, against a wide range of ‘Flexi Perks’, from coffees and entertainment subscriptions to mindfulness apps – and much more.

Celebration hub. Building a culture of appreciation can help drive motivation and engagement. Celebration hub helps strengthen the connections between all employees and employers, regardless of location, by enabling leaders to visibly recognise and reward their people in a personalised way. Recognitions can also be linked to company values – helping businesses reward behaviours that embody what they stand for.

Culture hub. This helps create cultural alignment and a greater sense of togetherness across all parts of the business, by providing a single source for news and company initiatives. It reduces reliance on leaders in each location to cascade information – saving their time and that of HR leaders.

Gautam Sahgal, CEO, Perkbox comments: "Organisations are becoming increasingly diverse – with people of different demographics spread across different geographies. This is presenting HR leaders with a two-pronged challenge: how to create a clear, common, and compelling culture for the evolving, international workforce. And how to create a reward and benefits offering that provides genuine value to everybody, wherever they are.

"We want Perkbox to be the simple, cost-effective answer to the global challenges and opportunities the new age of work poses. The platform is the result of an incredibly in-depth investigation into what our clients truly want from us. We took the time to ask HR leaders why they chose Perkbox and, in today’s working world, the ability to harmonise wellbeing, recognition and engagement across markets was seen as vital. This is the strategic imperative to help organisations attract, retain and inspire the talent they need to succeed."

About Perkbox

Perkbox is the global benefits and rewards platform that allows companies to care for, connect with and celebrate their employees, no matter where they are and what they want. Location agnostic, it supports over 5,000 businesses and more than 600,000 users across 34 countries and counting.

[1] Unleash employee happiness in 2021. Access via: https://www.perkbox.com/new-working-world

[2] The Science of Care. Access via: https://www.limeade.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/LimeadeInstitute_TheScienceOfCare_Whitepaper_Web.pdf

PR Newswire

Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority’s WED Movement Engages Global Experts to Drive Innovation, Excellence in Early Childhood Development

August 17, 2021 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

ABU DHABI, UAE, Aug. 17, 2021 — Abu Dhabi’s World Early Childhood Development Movement (WED Movement) has launched a new initiative bringing together global experts to develop innovative and actionable solutions advancing Abu Dhabi’s vision to be a leader in Early Childhood Development.

Cecilia Vaca Jones, Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Chair of the BWG

WED Movement was established earlier this year under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA). Under ECA, WED Movement is harnessing the expertise of a multidisciplinary group of 21 early child development experts representing a mix of academics, healthcare practitioners, policy influencers, children’s media and entertainment specialists, global business leaders and technical consultants. The experts come from several world-renowned institutions such as UNICEF, World Bank, UNESCO and Harvard University, as well as a number of global companies in technology and entertainment.

Participants are working in one of three Breakthrough Working Groups (BWGs), each focused on a unique and important aspect of how children’s mental, physical and cognitive abilities develop in the earliest years of life, from pregnancy to 8 years old. The BWGs are focused on Emotional Wellbeing & Social Interaction, Tech Humanity for Children, and 21^st Century Lifestyle.

To date the BWGs have held nearly 100 strategic planning sessions and met with more than 65 parents, children, teachers and ECD experts in the UAE as part of their work towards creation of a series of innovative solutions that promote the holistic healthy development of Abu Dhabi’s young children. These solutions will also help parents and caregivers address some of the most common challenges faced during the earliest years of child growth and development. Outcomes from these sessions include policy recommendations, creation of specific programs and initiatives, development of products, as well as guidelines to address the identified issues.

Team members are coordinating directly with a range of government and social service entities, including Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge and Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination. They also have commissioned independent research on such issues as child screen time, technology use in the home, play time and social interaction.

WED Movement and the work of the BWGs reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to deliver on its vision to invest in breakthrough innovation in early childhood development with the goal of nurturing a generation of conscious youth who have the knowledge and skills to adapt to rapidly changing societal challenges and contribute to building a better society. The BWGs aim to play a significant role driving the level of innovation needed while helping establish Abu Dhabi as a global role model for and contributor to excellence in early childhood development.

The BWGs work under the guidance of Cecilia Vaca Jones, Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Chair of the BWG, alongside His Excellency Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), and Co-Chair of the BWG.

Chair Cecilia Vaca-Jones said: "This Breakthrough Working Group approach enables us to tap into a global collection of world-class early childhood development experts with a single mission and focus: helping Abu Dhabi create the best possible environment to give our children the opportunity in life each and every one deserves. And these new programs, policies and initiatives that we pioneer here at home can become models for early childhood development that are adopted in nations around the world."

The BWGs are currently researching and assessing issues as well as exploring potential solutions related to the following themes:

Emotional Wellbeing and Social Interaction: Creating an ecosystem that can help reduce emotional strains on children, parents and caregivers while promoting continuous interactions with children that help them establish important social interaction skills at early ages.

Tech Humanity for Children: Looking at how to ensure that children are ready for the rapidly growing level of technology in their lives and are well aware of and protected from risks in order to best reap the many benefits these new technologies offer.

21^st Century Lifestyle: Fostering an Abu Dhabi-wide environment that promotes a better lifestyle at home, in school and across the community and facilitates positive physical and mental health of children.

Co-Chair H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash said: "These themes represent both challenges and opportunities for fostering early childhood development not only in Abu Dhabi but across the UAE and worldwide. Through this team of experts and the BWG approach, we will look to generate recommended programs, policies and initiatives that can have a positive impact across the early childhood development ecosystem on behalf of our children, including parents and caregivers, academia, government policymakers, social support groups and the private sector."

Dr. Nikki Martyn, Program Head of Early Childhood Studies at the University of Guelph-Humber and a member of the one of the BWGs said: "Being a part of WED Movement is a truly unique opportunity to take the learnings and experiences of early childhood development experts from around the world and develop initiatives and recommendations that can quickly be put in place to directly benefit the children of Abu Dhabi. Over the longer term, we hope to see the outcomes of WED Movement work benefitting children around the world."

Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Co-Chair of the BWG

PR Newswire

Rey Announces $10 Million in New Series A Funding to Expand Access to Mental Health through Digital Capabilities

July 31, 2021 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

Led by Optum Ventures and Oxford Sciences Innovation, new funding will propel Rey’s launch of a tech-enabled, on-demand mental health clinic in response to growing demand for high-quality care in an increasingly resource constrained market

AUSTIN, Texas, July 31, 2021 — Rey, a new mental health and wellness company integrating immersive tools and digital interventions with teletherapy, today announced $10 million in new funding, increasing their Series A to a total of $26 million with the round led by Optum Ventures and Oxford Sciences Innovation.

Deepak Gopalakrishna CEO & Founder / Mike Desjadon, Chief Commercial Officer. Photo courtesy of Rey

The new funding will help Rey expand its consumer reach and provide more people with access to care through personalized services and leading-edge technology. Rey will also absorb OxfordVR and bring to market clinically validated virtual reality (VR) and digital treatments for Phobias, Psychosis, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Social Avoidance.

"Mental and behavioral health care is rapidly becoming destigmatized, which is great. But that means there is a growing need and reliance on providers to provide this care, which may drive up costs," said Mike Desjadon, chief commercial officer of Rey. "Through our innovative digital care approach, we can flip the script and provide more personalized care at an affordable price to treat a variety of mental health needs."

Launched in April 2021, Rey is working to improve mental health and wellness by combining cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, medication, and clinically validated tech tools, such as VR, to care for people in new ways.

OxfordVR, was founded in 2017 by Dr. Daniel Freeman, Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University. Dr. Freeman pioneered the use of VR in severe mental illness for more than two decades and is the senior scientific advisor to Rey for development of new automated therapeutics. Potential future treatments include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Substance Use Disorder.

"With a big focus on the expansion of online mental health services, the challenge now is for companies to meet the demand," said Deepak Gopalakrishna, founder and chief executive officer of Rey. "We’re integrating validated and innovative therapeutic tools with well-trained providers to ensure people have access to the high-quality care they need while keeping costs low and preventing provider burnout."

To learn more, visit www.getrey.com.

About Rey

Rey is a membership-based, on-demand mental health company on a mission to revolutionize mental health and wellness by improving access to personalized services through technology. Rey combines proven therapeutic interventions, like cognitive behavioral therapy, with clinically validated tools, like virtual reality, to care for a wide range of member needs in new and novel ways. Powered by OxfordVR, a spin-out of Oxford University and a leader in leveraging technology to deliver proven treatment tools in immersive environments, Rey is arming care teams with the tools they need to bring world-class treatments directly to members’ homes. To learn more visit www.getrey.com.

About Optum Ventures

Optum Ventures is the independent venture fund of Optum, a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. Optum Ventures invests in digital health companies that use data and insights to help improve consumers’ access to health care services and how care is delivered and paid for, and that make the health care system more reliable and easier to navigate. For more information, visit www.optumventures.com.

Oxford Sciences Innovation

Oxford Sciences Innovation is a science business builder. We build world-changing businesses, bringing Oxford science to the world faster. Since 2015, we have worked with over 200 of Oxford’s leading academics to build a portfolio of more than 100 companies, worth over $2 billion, all based on Oxford science, created +1,500 new jobs and added +55,000 square-feet of laboratory and startup space; building on Oxford’s renowned research legacy to create a leading science ecosystem. A place where scientific breakthroughs become world-changing businesses. Our portfolio of companies spans four sectors, Life Sciences, Deep Tech, Health Tech and Software & AI, tackling challenges like the diagnosis and treatment of devastating rare diseases and cancer, sustainability, nuclear fusion, quantum computing and cyber-security. For more information, visit www.oxfordsciencesinnovation.com.

Media Contact:
Meredith Good-Cohn
meredith@oxfordvr.org
(443) 797-2996

LG SIGNATURE Concludes Charity Auction Benefiting Families Affected by Autism

July 23, 2021 TechENT Syndication Leave a comment

Online Charity Auction Highlights Brand’s Partnership with Amundi Evian Championship and Top Female Golfers

SEOUL, South Korea, July 23, 2021 — LG Electronics (LG) has pledged all proceeds from its STRONGER TOGETHER charity auction (July 8-18) to Sur les bancs de l’école, a French non-profit organization that has been supporting young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) since 2008.