Innovators Profile: Tryggvi Thorgeirsson brings positive behavioral change through tech

December 19, 2018

reviewed by

Vertical is excited about supporting brilliant ideas and brilliant people who make a change in the world. There is nothing better than uplifting companies who are transforming society with the help of innovation and technology. That is why we have started showcasing founders from startups we’ve worked with. Meet our featured hero.

Name:

Tryggvi Thorgeirsson, M.D., MPH

Company name:

SidekickHealth

Country:

Iceland

Employees:

Product/service description in one sentence:

We help employers and other organizations improve health and wellness at scale.

Why you do what you do? How did the idea of making this solution come to you?

We do what we do to help more people live better and longer. Being a physician is a rewarding experience – particularly caring for and talking with patients. But over the course of thousands of patient conversations, my co-founder and I realized we were putting out fires we’d have liked to prevent. One patient stands out very clearly to me. She had high blood pressure and was already taking two antihypertensive medications. As we sat there discussing treatment options, it was obvious that prescribing another drug wasn’t the best solution. There had to be a better way.

How is SidekickHealth different from the competition, what makes you special?

Traditional health care approaches – even many digital ones – often fall short because they target the rational side of our brains. But behavioral research tells us that’s not how most people make lifestyle choices. SidekickHealth combines concepts from behavioral economics with gaming, technology and personal coaching to find the right motivational triggers and guide people along a healthier path.

How was your time in Vertical? What was the most valuable? What did you enjoy the most?

Excellent. We’ve had amazing opportunities to connect with world-leading companies like Pfizer and Samsung, gain new insights from them, share ideas on some of the world’s toughest challenges and explore collaborative ways to solve them.

What are you up to? What’s next for SidekickHealth?

Our client community of employers and care providers continues to grow, so we’re busy scaling our team and technology to ensure their employees and patients have a great health experience and outcomes. We’re also developing new content to help people prevent and manage different chronic conditions.

What piece of advice/wisdom would you share with these who want to make impact in the world, real the changemakers of tomorrow?

Do well by doing good.

This interview originally appeared on the Vertical Blog.‍

‍

Want the latest in digital health and news delivered directly to your inbox? Sign-up for The Sidebar now. (Don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time.)