Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 03:50 pm
In the UK alone, wellbeing issues affect one in four people, which in turn costs the economy over £57 billion a year in lost productivity, but just last week on its first birthday, hero a health tech and wellbeing strategy provider formed to have a positive influence on individuals, organisations and communities by supporting proactive wellness across all areas of physical, mental and financial health, has announced it has closed its latest funding round, raising over £1.3 million to tackle these issues head on.
The global wellbeing market is now estimated to be worth $4.2 trillion and is a subject moving up the boardroom agenda; influencing not only HR but commercial strategy too. Having already established itself in the workplace and developer markets and the professional sports sector, hero works with over 100 clients across the UK including names like the NHS, HSBC, Legal and General, Caddick Construction and Inspired Villages. hero has developed and launched a unique digital platform – Navigator to enable employers and organisation to create a full service solution to deliver preventive and personalised experiences for end users.
The technology can be used to help connect users with similar health and wellness interests as well as supporting and rewarding individual progress. Organisations can expect to see higher participation rates with a more personalised approach, focusing on every aspect of health from mindfulness, sleep, nutrition, activity and health goals based on personal objectives. hero’s navigator platform allows this activity to be measured, bench-marked and valued. The ability to personalise health and wellbeing is vital and this is where organisations which recognise this will be the true winners.
Joe Gaunt, CEO and Founder of hero said: “When we feel healthy something magic happens. We are more confident, self assured and have a positive mindset. We are also more giving and open to helping others so it comes as no surprise that healthy and highly engaged employees are, on average, up to 30 days more productive and organisations promoting health and wellbeing are 3.5 times more likely to be creative and innovative.”
“The investment is an incredible endorsement of our strategy so far, and we are now focussed on the opportunities, which this investment unlocks. Ultimately, we will be focusing on growing our reach within the UK market and launching our service in key territories overseas. Innovation will always be central to hero so exceptional product development will continue at pace, our teams will expand to support our international roll out, which will drive our mission to deliver positive change in the world by creating healthier and happier communities, one unique human at a time.”
Last year hero secured a significant deal with Moda, the leaders in Britain’s burgeoning build-to-rent market. The company’s first scheme, Angel Gardens in Manchester, opposite Amazon’s new HQ, offers huge potential to innovate the residential sector and promote the benefits of healthier city centre living.
The partnership with Moda will also see hero launch its first Training Club in the heart of Manchester – a health and fitness club with a difference. Rather than simply creating gyms and shared amenities, hero will be forging a more inclusive approach to support Moda residents’ and employees physical, social and mental wellbeing. The hero Training Club will also be open to non-Moda residents.
Another hero project which has grabbed the headlines is that with Inspired Villages Using hero’s digital platform and services, hero applied them to a traditionally ‘non tech-savvy’ and ‘inactive’ group, with an average age of 76 for a period of 12 weeks. The results of this trial saw twenty seven residents at Millbrook Village in Devon walk an average of 8,000 steps a day; this is more than double that of the average Briton. This initiative not only saw the participants moving more but it also helped reduce loneliness, which is a huge issue and challenge for this age group.
Since its launch, hero has gathered more than 50,000 data points from its wellbeing discovery surveys. This has enabled the team to advise and work with clients on clear, impactful and measurable strategies.
The Leeds-based business launched in April 2018, employing a team of 12 (soon to be 40+) and acquiring two businesses in 2018. Colour-Fit, the professional sports nutrition business which works with more than 50 national and international teams and UK Wellbeing Coach one of the leading employee health, fitness and wellbeing in person service companies in the UK were both acquired last year.
