Great investigative breakdown. The fact that raising €200M for what's basically a diet tracking app does sound fishy until you realize most of it probaby went to lobbying and paperwork, not tech development. The contrast with US startups that dump funding into actual product innovation is pretty stark. I've noticed this patern with lots of European "healthtech" where the business model is regulatory capture first, technology second.
As a software engineer, the biggest problem I see in European startups is adverse selection. Most of the genuinely capable and brilliant entrepreneurs will attempt to get YCombinator seed stage funding, there is just nothing remotely close in terms of quality and prestige in Europe. Once you're in, you might as well rebase to San Francisco or elsewhere in the US for the massive network and talent pool that just got opened to you. You're kind of seeing the effects of this here.
From some search it looks much more detailed than an app. They have coaches, shakes I think (they sell them? Or give instructions?) and all kinds of stuff.
From Google search AI
Key Aspects of the Oviva Program:
Multidisciplinary Support: Access to a team including dietitians, psychologists, and doctors to help change habits and behavior.
Remote Delivery: Support is provided entirely remotely, typically through telephone calls or the app's secure messaging feature.
App-Based Tracking: The app allows you to log food, activity, mood, and weight to track progress and receive feedback.
Medication Access: Eligible patients may receive weight-loss medication (e.g., Wegovy).
Structure: Offers a 12-week program or specialized, longer-term, "Tier 3" weight management for complex obesity.
Great investigative breakdown. The fact that raising €200M for what's basically a diet tracking app does sound fishy until you realize most of it probaby went to lobbying and paperwork, not tech development. The contrast with US startups that dump funding into actual product innovation is pretty stark. I've noticed this patern with lots of European "healthtech" where the business model is regulatory capture first, technology second.
As a software engineer, the biggest problem I see in European startups is adverse selection. Most of the genuinely capable and brilliant entrepreneurs will attempt to get YCombinator seed stage funding, there is just nothing remotely close in terms of quality and prestige in Europe. Once you're in, you might as well rebase to San Francisco or elsewhere in the US for the massive network and talent pool that just got opened to you. You're kind of seeing the effects of this here.
From some search it looks much more detailed than an app. They have coaches, shakes I think (they sell them? Or give instructions?) and all kinds of stuff.
From Google search AI
Key Aspects of the Oviva Program:
Multidisciplinary Support: Access to a team including dietitians, psychologists, and doctors to help change habits and behavior.
Remote Delivery: Support is provided entirely remotely, typically through telephone calls or the app's secure messaging feature.
App-Based Tracking: The app allows you to log food, activity, mood, and weight to track progress and receive feedback.
Medication Access: Eligible patients may receive weight-loss medication (e.g., Wegovy).
Structure: Offers a 12-week program or specialized, longer-term, "Tier 3" weight management for complex obesity.
Tbf, there's a subset of American "health care" companies that aren't really different than European ones.