Interview: Azoi co-founder Ami Karnik talks about Wello health tracker and the India strategy

Azoi, an American company, with a research and development facility in Ahmedabad, released a health tracking device called Wello last week. It helps users to measure and record their vitals by conveniently sliding onto a smartphone disguised as a phone case. We had a chance to speak with Ami Karnik, Co-founder and Head of Strategy, Azoi Inc. as well as its technical team, about Wello, the technology behind it and its significance in the Indian market. [caption id=“attachment_219758” align=“aligncenter” width=“380”] Ami Karnik with a Wello case[/caption]   Q: Tell us a little bit about Azoi and how long it took to develop Wello? A: We are an American company, but our research and development centre is in Ahmedabad. We were founded in 2011 and spent the initial months researching on mobile computing. Around this time, the wearables market started making its presence felt. We decided to get into it. A little over a year ago, we finalised on the device that we wanted to make, Wello.   Q: Which handsets will the Wello work with? A: It will work with any phone with Bluetooth LE which is present in iPhone5/5s and any Android 4.4 KitKat phone. It will not work with handsets which do not have Bluetooth LE as it uses that to communicate with the companion app on the handset.   Q: With Apple, the design is standard, but Android phones come in multiple form factors, how do you plan to tackle that? A: Exactly. See, we’re a startup, so we do not want to come up with multiple form factor designs right at the start. So we have done something intelligent. We have this central portion in the case which we call the brain of the device. We have gone with a modular design approach due to which we can pop out just this main structure in the case and put it in another case. So you don’t need to buy another Wello case if you change your phone.     Q: What are the vitals that are currently being measured? Also, what are the sensors on board? A: There is temperature, heart-rate, respiration-rate, there’s electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure and blood oxygen level that are being measured. There is a temperature sensor, pulse oxi sensor, and 2 ECG leads. The Lung Function attachment also has a spirometric sensor.   Q: Is there a way to show the ’normal health readings’ for the various parameters that you have on your app, as at the moment we just see numbers against the various vital parameters. Not everyone may know the correct range for each vital? A: Absolutely. Actually, the ECG graph is just for comforting the consumers and we are working with doctors who are telling us how we should display the data. For instance, the lung function also normally shows up as a graph, but we are going with numbers at the moment. We give the users parameters within which the readings should be. For instance with blood pressure (BP), we are giving them parameters about what is normal BP, what is high and low. But apart from that we are not giving any recommendations. Because we are a technology company and not the doctor.   Q: So will this empower the patient to decipher the graphs on their own or do they need to show it to the doctors still? A: We are not trying to replace the doctor in anyway. But we thought that there is no device - such as a thermometer or weighing scale - which allows people to measure their vital medical information. There is a lot that is happening inside our bodies and we decided to make a device by which you could measure that. Another thing we spent a lot of time on was the form factor. The reason we went with a case is because it is portable and mobile and you carry it with you everywhere. It does not make it very obvious that this is a health-monitoring tool. [caption id=“attachment_219688” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] The Wello has four areas with sensors, where you should place your fingers for a reading[/caption]   Q: You say on your FAQ page that the battery life is around 2 months. Is the battery an always-on thing or is it used only when you are measuring your vitals. A: No, it isn’t always on. It is activated only when you use it, otherwise it turns off. And that also does not drain your phone’s battery, so it is completely independent of your phone battery.   Q: Is the Wello dustproof, waterproof, shockproof? A: Dustproof,yes. We have been using it for quite a while now in our offices and it can handle dust. We don’t really use our phones very delicately, so it can take the regular rough usage. Waterproof, well if you are going to dip it in, then no. But using it in mild rain is fine. The sensors are all covered, so you are not physically touching the internal sensors. The Wello is drop resistant up to a certain height as well. Actually, there is a protective gap between the sensors and the external casing. Also since it is made out of polycarbonate, it can take minor drops. It is durable.   Q: You are selling it at a price of Rs 12,350, but in India a lot of the smartphones start from as low as Rs 6,000. So even though you have all this wonderful tech incorporated within this form factor, how do you plan to justify the pricing. Say for someone who has a sub-Rs 10,000 phone. A: There is a concern regarding the target group. For instance, if you are say 21 years old, you are not going to buy Wello, you would rather spend all that money on a phone. So 21-30 is not our target group. In the 30-40 and older age groups, we see a lot of value as they will have the kind of money to invest in such a product. They would also have the right kind of devices with which our product would work. But, in our research we have found that there is a lot of demand in India for such products. Another thing we realised in our research is that in our target group, there is a spending capacity and willingness to use this product. In fact, we are not targetting the young college-going crowd in any country. [caption id=“attachment_219763” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The clean-looking exterior hides a bevy of sensors[/caption]   Q: Have you tested Wello in medical facilities, with patients? A: No, we haven’t tested it with patients. The reason behind it is that we do not want to position Wello as a product which is meant for patients undergoing medical treatment. We’re not trying to replace the doctor, we’re not trying to replace the clinic. If you are a patient, it is best that you get the regular medical attention. So we have not tested it in hospitals. But we have been in touch with a lot of doctors who want to include it in their practice. And of course they are also advising us, on how best to display the information so that it adds value for the user. We have obviously tested it against medical instruments, just to ensure that the data readout is accurate. But we don’t want to position it as a diagnostic tool which is meant only for patients. We call it a tracker and not a diagnostic tool.   Q: But are there any plans to include doctors on board? A: We may. We are forming an advisory panel of doctors. So it becomes more and more useful to the customer when that happens. But that is still in the future. Right now our the main challenge is introducing the technology to the market.   Q: The device sells for Rs 12,350. So what about after-sales service? Will you be charging for future maintainence? A: Of course, we will provide maintainence. We will provide the normal customer service that is expected of any hardware company.   Q: But what is the business model post the sale? A: Well, if you are asking if I have recurring revenue on this, then no. Once you get the device, the app is free of cost. If there is a recurring fee, people won’t use it the way we want it to.   Q: Yes, but you mentioned about having doctors on the advisory council. So maybe, you can have these expert doctors look at premium users’ data and suggest the right kind of things to do to keep the vitals in check. Like doctors advising certain users who are willing to pay. That sort of thing… A: No, but for that we would have to be from the medical profession right…   Q: No, you are merely being a mediator via Wello between the users and doctors. Instead of going to the doctor, you can just send across the reports from the vitals displayed by Wello and then the doctor can suggest changes. A: It would definitely take us some time to come up with something like that. You are talking about remote diagnosis right? So it will take us some time to figure out what is the best way to do that.   Q: Internationally, you have wireless body area networks, wherein you have various sensors on your body which measure your vitals which are recorded in a collection unit which then transfers this data wirelessly to the doctors. So something on those lines? A: We do have a sharing feature on the app. You can send across your data to your family or friends, via WhatsApp or email. Right now we have deliberately not included any physicians in that list because they require data in a very specific format. They don’t want you to send your ECG everyday. So that is something we will work on. But right now sharing is available only for family and friends.   Q: In your research what have been your findings regarding the demand for such tracking products. Sure, a lot of people use apps on their phones to track their runs, or cycling and so on. But fitness accessories such as Nikes Fuelband, Fitbit and so on still aren’t as popular here. So what is the general trend that you have come across in your research. A: A lot of people wish these fitness accessories were selling here. So we take off from there. We do not have hard numbers about how many people are using Fitbit and so on. A lot of people that we have come across have ordered such products from abroad. Now it is the individial company’s decision whether to sell in India or not. We found that there is a demand here, we have an Indian connection and we wanted to bring it to India first.   Q: Wello supports wearable devices such as Fitbit. Now how do these accessories communicate with Wello? Is the data from Fitbit sent over Bluetooth LE onto the Wello phone app or is there any sort of communication between the Wello sensors and Fitbit? A: At the moment the accessories don’t directly communicate with the Wello app. With the user’s permission, we are able to fetch his or her Fitbit data from their servers directly and show it on the Wello app so the user doesn’t have to switch between the apps. So that you have all the information on one screen.   Q: Any plans to add more devices such as these. A: Sure, the more the better. If you have data from these trackers and Wello, you have a lot of information about your well-being.   Q: Any plans to release an API so that third-party app developers can use data from Wello? A: At the moment we are not exposing our API. [caption id=“attachment_219764” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] App interface is clutter-free[/caption]   Q: Cellphones these days carry within them many sensors. So is there a scope for bundling these sensors (found on Wello) within the finished handset itself, so that you do not have to put it in a cellphone cover? A: That could be possible and I think you see some smartphone manufacturers doing that. However, at the moment we want to focus on this form factor for its ease and usability.   Q: Security is another big issue. Considering Wello is communicating wirelessly with your phone, how do you plan to secure the device? A: There are actually three levels of encryption so that even we don’t know anything regarding your data. The data is stored on a central server, but it’s completely encrypted. So only you can access your data. This is a very important thing, especially in the US, so we did spend a lot of time on that.   Q: Is there any sort of buffer within Wello itself which stores any data? A: Well, Wello has the ability to store data up to a day, but then it gets transferred to your mobile phone.   Q: Apart from Spirometer, do you have any other accessories that you plan to bundle with Wello. Also, are there any plans to make this an open platform, whereby third party health accessory makers can make products to be used with Wello? A: We do have plans to have more add-on because we want to provide as holistic a view of health to our users as possible. We have designed Wello to allow for this. At this moment this is not an open platform. Currently we do not have clarity on whether we will do this in the future.   Q: How do you connect these accessories to the Wello? A: We have these contacts on the Wello, on to which we attach the Spirometer. We definitely have plans for more such add-ons. As an introductory offer, we are bundling the Spirometer for free with the Wello. Otherwise you have to buy it separately.   Q: Could you give details on its availability A: Well, it’s already selling and you can place an order. We are accepting pre-orders till around May 4 and then we will start with its production. But India will be one of the first countries where Wello will be selling.   Q: How do you plan to market the product? Do you have any offline setup where you are planning to let people try it out? A: Not yet. But we are already exhibiting it in South By South West (SXSW) in the US right now. Similarly, we will exhibit the product here as well, where people can try it out. We have no qualms of people trying it out. We are doing a lot of activity on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. We know that this is something new for India, but that is alright with us. Later on we plan to have events, so yes, there will be sustained marketing.