Ibions, the Alicante startup in the health sector, integrated in the High Technology Incubator in Sustainable Food, AgrotecUV (UV-FPCUV), is working on the creation of a new platform to provide nutritional services effectively to cancer patients. In addition, among its future plans is the implementation of its solution in hospitals as part of the portfolio of medical services, and later expand its solution in hospitals in Latin America. The company was founded in 2021 due to the interest that both Julio Madrigal, PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine, and Sara Bañón, internist, had in the impact of nutrition on health, both in the origin of multiple diseases and in their treatment.
Since its inception, the startup has been working with classic online consultations, which after an in-person assessment, proposes an initial work plan of three months and eight sessions. However, from now on, Ibions will introduce a new platform where patients who wish to do so can learn how to manage their nutrition in a self-taught way through a self-guide with videos and sessions with the company to resolve any doubts that may arise. With it, they are going to develop pilot trials within the healthcare system together with oncologists and "thus be able to continue demonstrating that therapeutic nutrition does matter a great deal after a cancer diagnosis," emphasizes Sara Bañón, co-founder of the company.
Thus, the company, by carrying out its work online, can count on Lanzadera's facilities thanks to having been chosen by the company. Although in a couple of months, they will also have the new facilities offered by AgrotecUV for all companies that are part of the incubator, in which Ibions will have office and laboratory spaces. "We come from the pure scientific field, and Lanzadera and AgrotecUV are offering us the knowledge and tools we need to be able to grow and help more people in a human, efficient and complete way." They are also happy to be part of Emprende in Health, a project of Lilly and Unlimited to mentor companies with social impact.
"We come from the pure scientific field, and Lanzadera and AgrotecUV are offering us the knowledge and tools we need to grow and help more people in a human, efficient and complete way", Sara Bañón, co-founder of Ibions
Team
The startup's staff has been growing since its creation with new additions based on needs. Thus, they incorporated a gastronomist, María Carrasco, who helps patients in the practical part, facilitates the implementation of nutritional changes according to the circumstances and tastes of each person. In addition, she helps to disseminate scientific evidence in the field of nutrition and cancer, something key for people to understand the true importance of this change to improve their health and prognosis.
"Another fundamental need we discovered is that people need to be listened to and learn to manage all the emotions that arise at a time like cancer. For this reason we decided to incorporate a psychologist into the team, Ángel Vergara."
Over time and with more and more scientific evidence, they saw that it was essential to promote physical exercise in patients, most of them sedentary and afraid of exercise. Scientific data clearly show that muscle mass derived from physical exercise is fundamental to improve prognosis and decrease side effects after cancer diagnosis. For this reason, they incorporated collaborations with physiotherapists and personal trainers in the physical exercise part.
Brayan Clavijo, who is in charge of the financial side, also recently joined the team, "which in a startup is quite a challenge," according to Bañón. In fact, they are currently in the middle of an investment round with the aim of continuing to expand the team and boosting the technological part of their platform, introducing artificial intelligence, to be able to help more and more patients, also from within hospitals, in a more sustainable way for the healthcare system and democratize this nutritional service by helping any person with cancer who needs it in a personalized way and with prices within the reach of any pocket.
"Another fundamental need we discovered is that people need to be listened to and learn to manage all the emotions that arise at a time like cancer. For this reason we decided to incorporate a psychologist into the team, Ángel Vergara"
Milestones
From Ibions they assure that their biggest milestone is to be able to "help improve the health of many people with cancer, this for us has no comparison with anything, because it is the mission with which we created this project." In addition, 100% of the people they helped would recommend them to another person in the same situation. They also became part of a program led by Lilly Spain and Unlimited Spain in which they mentor just six social impact and health companies and with which they hope to offer a better service and go further within the healthcare system.
In 2022 they launched the Ibions School for patients, a very personal project with which they tried to find a formula to help more people more economically. "This school has been the embryo of our new telemedicine platform based on artificial intelligence." In this sense, if there is something that differentiates Ibions' proposal from others, it is that its recommendations are based on scientific evidence. They also provide medical accompaniment and are accessible for patients to resolve both their nutritional and medical doubts. They also do a lot of nutritional education, explaining the reasons for the recommendations they give so that people understand the scientific basis perfectly.
On the other hand, they are committed to innovation and the democratization of oncology nutrition. "Thanks to the development of our telemedicine platform based on artificial intelligence, we can reach any person with cancer who needs it, regardless of their geographic location. This allows us to scale our project and collaborate with the sustainability of the healthcare system," says the co-founder.
Future projects
Its goal in the short term is to expand its business model and establish partnerships with healthcare centers by selling the license of its AI-based telemedicine platform. "This collaboration will allow these organizations to integrate a nutritional quality service that will have an impact on the health of their patients in the satisfaction for the treatment received in their clinic or hospital."
Now, Ibions is focused on closing its investment round and further developing its advanced telemedicine and artificial intelligence technology platform. They are also committed to ongoing research and development (R&D) of their nutritional protocol, adapting it to the specific needs of each patient. They will also begin pilot clinical trials to demonstrate the efficacy of their nutritional and technological approach.
Its goal in the short term is to expand its business model and establish partnerships with healthcare centers by selling the license of its AI-based telemedicine platform
From 2024 to 2025 they want to achieve the implementation of their solution in hospitals as part of the medical services portfolio, the expansion of their presence at national level in other hospitals by signing agreements and continue with clinical trials to improve the efficacy of their nutritional and technological approach and continue generating and disseminating scientific evidence.
From 2025 they want to achieve international expansion of their solution by offering it to hospitals in Latin America. They will also continue research and development, in order to further improve the effectiveness of their approach and adapt to the changing needs of patients. They will also work on consolidating their position in the comprehensive cancer treatment industry, gaining the trust of the medical community and health insurers.
More information
Interview with Sara Bañón in Alicante Plaza