AssureTech developing app for food allergies
[Published by the Altoona Mirror on April 6th, 2020. See original article: https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2020/04/assuretech-developing-app-for-food-allergies/
HUNTINGDON — AssureTech LLC, a software startup from Huntingdon and Kdan Mobile Software Ltd. — a global software service as a provider — have announced a partnership to develop EpiCenter App for people affected by food allergies.
The software is scheduled for release in the spring.
AssureTech founder Joey DiGangi credits members of the local entrepreneurship community from across the Alleghenies, including Startup Alleghenies, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Catalyst Space and faculty at Juniata College with playing a key role in his success.
“So many organizations led to this tipping point for my company,” DiGangi said in a statement. “I don’t know of another entrepreneur who can claim such diverse support, with both local and international resources coming together to help me make my dream of helping other allergy sufferers a reality. I am grateful to all of them, and believe this collaboration can serve as a model for others looking to launch a business in the Alleghenies.”
Kdan Mobile will help develop the advanced mobile application and become AssureTech’s technical partner. The Kdan Team’s software development experience enriches the partnership to deliver a new mobile application for people with allergies called the EpiCenter.
Support from Startup Alleghenies, a movement to grow entrepreneurship in the Alleghenies, was instrumental in DiGangi launching his business in 2017, and now, with hardware development.
Catalyst Space, led by entrepreneur Justin Merrill, also will partner with DiGangi in hardware development.
AssureTech’s momentum and partnership with Kdan Mobile led to $35,000 in funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the largest early-stage investor in the state of Pennsylvania. Ben Franklin Technology Partners will help scale the business over the next five months and assist the team with mentorship, connections and other resources in their network.
The EpiCenter App is designed to assist users during a severe allergic reaction, manage their auto-injector and connect them with the online food allergy community.
Users will be able to notify emergency services, pre-designated contacts, locate a hospital and display a translated “help” message during an allergic reaction. A user experiencing anaphylactic shock may find him or herself unable to verbalize a call for help, so the software will introduce automated messages that share a user’s allergen(s) and location with an emergency transponder.
The application also will help users manage their medication, with the initially-released version sending scheduled reminders about its expiration date, and the full version connecting with a physical device that attaches to the auto-injector, reminding them if and where they left it behind.
The device is being developed in tandem with the advanced application, and will be supported by Startup Alleghenies, which has provided AssureTech with resources, mentorship and funding.
The community-related features in the EpiCenter will connect users with blogs, videos, recipes and more from approved contributors in the food allergy community. The application also will include the Allergy Store, AssureTech’s online platform that connects visitors to safe-to-eat food and other allergy-related products from various companies in its network.
AssureTech was founded in 2017 by DiGangi, a lifelong allergy sufferer, while he was an undergraduate at Juniata College. In 2018, the company released its first software, the AssureTech Mobile App, a technology-based solutions for people with food allergies.
