CapMan Mentors company Peili Vision makes ADHD diagnostics accessible and fun
September 26, 2022
Peili Vision’s founder Jussi Auvinen initially sought to work with a mentor to identify paths for internationalisation, build a go-to-market strategy and be more successful in tenderings, but found the opportunity to network with likeminded people both rewarding and valuable. Now his goal is to have more children with ADHD receive the treatment they require through early virtual reality (VR) based diagnostics.
What if VR technology could be used to make rehabilitation and diagnostics more effective? This was the question Jussi Auvinen and his friend and business partner Joonas Pöllä asked themselves as Peili Vision was born in 2015. Both were driven by a desire to create something meaningful by combining technology with people-centric applications. Experiences from family members’ struggles with rehabilitation also helped formulate the purpose for the company.
Peili Vision offers VR-based solutions that adapt tasks and exercises to the individual requiring either rehabilitation or diagnostics.
“The subject puts on a virtual reality headset and enters a new world, full of variables and challenges. The experience is game-like as the person is rewarded by successfully completing tasks, while at the same time being suitably challenged by the exercises,” says Jussi Auvinen, CEO of Peili Vision.
A successful pilot was conducted in 2019 and 15 hospitals use the solution for rehabilitation today. The company co-operates with health care providers both on the private and municipal side to support rehabilitation at home using VR.
A pivot in the business model
In 2018, research in co-operation with universities started around how the company’s data-driven VR solution could be used for broad-based diagnostics to help with early-stage neuropsychiatric evaluation. 2021 saw initial positive results, and the group started thinking about how the model could be used to benefit a broad group of students.
Studies show that 6-8 % of children in Finland, equating to approximately one child per classroom, have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The associated challenges in executive functions often have a negative impact on performance at school and later in life. Resources for ADHD diagnostics are limited, leading to long lead times for the identification of problems and many undetected cases. Early detection and sufficient support could potentially have life-changing consequences for these kids.
Peili Vision’s solutions allows for screening of entire classrooms for ADHD-like symptoms, identifying the ones that require help and forwarding them for further evaluation and treatment. Instead of managing symptoms, the focus would be on early detection.
For Jussi, this realisation meant a systematic repositioning of the entire business model.
Jussi met with Joakim Frimodig, his mentor from CapMan for Good, to test his chosen route. Having a sparring partner increased his comfort level to pivot the business model. The mentorship sessions have focused on systematic validation of the new strategy and to in an agile manner.
“ADHD screening is developed in collaboration with universities and conducted in co-operation with schools or health care providers. The tests are configured to age, and results are reviewed by multi-professional working groups and used to establish and prioritize next steps for care or further testing. For kids, the VR based tests are also fun!” says Jussi.
Jussi’s focus is now on business development, product development and a broader commercialisation of the model. Increasing the number of tests performed is crucial as access to more data helps develop the AI algorithms it relies on. In 2022, he piloted the ADHD diagnostics solution in five schools and is now rapidly scaling up to reach 1,000 pupils before partnering with organisations and rolling out the solution in other Nordic countries.
“I have been very happy with the CapMan for Good mentorship programme as the network matched me with a great mentor and provided me with access to lots of different entrepreneurs at different stages of their journey. My mentor has, despite his busy schedule, always found time for me to discuss a specific problem or how to address broader strategic issues,” comments Jussi.
The biggest impact of the programme has come from the validation of the analysis behind the pivot.
“We’ve had many discussions around how to identify the future for a company. For me, the most rewarding has been to see Jussi reach conclusions for taking his business in a new direction and to boldly build on his vision behind this direction,” says Joakim Frimodig, Chairman of CapMan for Good and Jussi’s mentor.
Peili Vision recently received a €2.5 million grant from EIC to ramp up activities. The funding will allow testing for 30,000 more students, expansion to new countries, product development and additional recruitments.
More information: www.peilivision.fi
About Peili Vision Oy
Peili Vision Oy is a Finnish Oulu-based health technology company founded in 2015. The company develops research-based VR products for evaluation and rehabilitation of neurological challenges.