Business

Belfast-made weight-loss headband wows exhibition in Las Vegas

The Modius weight-loss headband
The Modius weight-loss headband The Modius weight-loss headband

A BELFAST-based tech firm which has developed a headband which helps users lose weight while they sit down and relax is showing the product in Las Vegas this week at the tech world’s biggest event for innovators and breakthrough technologies.

Neurovalens, which was founded by Dr Jason McKeown and neuroscientist Paul McGeoch in 2015 and was later named as Northern Ireland's best start-up in the Invest NI Propel Programme awards, is showcasing the revolutionary Modius weight management wearable headband which it launched last year.

Modius is a headband that stimulates part of the brain that controls fat storage and metabolism, helping boost the latter while decreasing the user's appetite.

And its global reputation as a breakthrough technology has been furthered thanks to its success as the only Irish company short-listed to the top 10 in the ‘Last Gadget Standing’ Awards at CES Las Vegas.

The expo is expected to attract 4000 exhibitors and more than 170,000 visitors this week, and the winning gadget will be voted for and revealed before a live audience on Thursday.

It comes on the back of the overwhelming response from the 400-plus Modius users worldwide who were the first to receive their devices following its successful launch on crowdfunding-platform Indiegogo last August. Collectively they have lost more than a ton of weight over a matter of weeks.

This success has catapulted the company to a new level within the wearables market with Modius on target to help thousands of people shed more than 100,000 lbs throughout 2018. It also positions the Neurovalens’ team to lead the discussion at CES.

“With the first 400 Modius devices in the hands of consumers around the world, individuals are recording loses of 12-15 lbs over an average period of eight weeks,” said chief executive and co-founder Dr Jason McKeown.

“We view Modius as the first generation of ‘careable technology.’ In our case, helping people get lean simply through stimulation of the vestibular nerve – we’re confident we can help adults with weight-loss and weight-management. We’re in the early foothills of a neuroscience-led revolution in global health and proud to be leading such a massive push in this direction.”

The successful Indiegogo launch campaign for Modius surpassed all targets raising almost £1.2 million from 4,000 backers across more than 80 countries over a six-week period.

Neurovalens is using these additional funds raised to invest in additional research and further develop Modius.

The focus is now on facilitating the ModiusLife community to support users in a motivational and inspirational environment to improve their lifestyle and help them achieve the leaner, healthier bodies they desire.

During CES Las Vegas, consumers, industry professionals, and more can learn more about how the Modius headset leverages proven neuroscience to create learner, healthier bodies through vestibular stimulation, as well as how this technology will change the weight management and health industries in 2018 and beyond.