NeuroNation
Type of site | cognitive training |
---|---|
Available in | German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Russian, French |
Created by | Rojahn Ahmadi and Jakob Futorjanski |
Website |
www |
Alexa rank | 28,089 |
Commercial | yes |
Users | 10 million |
Launched | 2011 |
NeuroNation is a cognitive training website and app. Created by programmers Rojahn Ahmadi and Jakob Futorjanski, NeuroNation launched in 2011. Its use is reimbursed by several German health insurers, including Deutsche BKK.[1]
History
Synaptikon GmbH, the company that developed NeuroNation,[2] was founded by programmers Rojahn Ahmadi and Jakob Futorjanski in Berlin, Germany, in 2008.[3] The two were programmers and students of artificial intelligence, which led to an interest in human cognitive development.[4] Their venture was funded by a bank loan, a grant from Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, and by 50000EUR raised on the crowdfunding site Seedmatch.[4][5] The online platform was launched in 2011, and initially served Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.[5]
Over the next three years, the ptogram acquired more than 100,000 subscribers. In 2014, Der Spiegel and XLHealth AG bought a 25% stake in NeuroNation, financing an expansion into French, Spanish, Russian, and Portuguese markets.[5] That year, it experienced 1200% growth, which Futorjanski attributed primarily to word-of-mouth.[6] In 2015, it was made available on Amazon Underground.[7]
As of 2016, NeuroNation has more than 10 million registered users.[8]
Description
NeuroNation's cognitive training content was developed in concert with psychologists of the Free University of Berlin and Technische Universität Dortmund.[4][6] The program began with a single-payment model, later shifting to a subscription business model.[4] The app offers some content free, while other activities are available through in-app purchases.[9] The app invites users to register to create customised training regimens.[10] Its algorithm is designed to adapt to each user and continue to challenge them as they progress, selecting from approximately sixty activities.[11][12]
The app is available on Android and iOS.[13] As of 2015, it is offered in eight languages.[14]
Recognition
In 2013, the Federal Ministry of Health awarded NeuroNation its Leonardo Award for Digital Prevention.[15] Deutsche BKK, a German health insurance company, approved NeuroNation as a treatment for stroke victims in 2014, citing studies of its benefits for patients with cognitive defects; the insurer Deutsche Krankenversicherung also reimburses its use.[1][16] The app received a five-star rating from PC World in 2014.[17] The German magazine Capital named NeuroNation one of the "seven best apps for learning,"[18] and the Dutch magazine Computer Totaal selected NeuroNation as one of the "best Android apps to train your brain."[19] Apple named NeuroNation one of its "Best iPhone and iPad Apps in 2014," and Google named NeuroNation one of the "Best Apps of 2015."[20][21]
References
- 1 2 Checkout pays first digital-health application, ArzteZeitung, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Koch, Larissa (2015), Brain Training App with distinction, InfoRadio, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Company Overview of Synaptikon GmbH, Bloomberg, retrieved 15 June 2016
- 1 2 3 4 Rojahn, Jakob & Ilya, Founders Of NeuroNation, The Asian Entrepreneur, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- 1 2 3 Spiegel picks up stake in Berlin brain-training startup NeuroNation, Venture Capital Post, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- 1 2 Rath, Georg (2015), 1,200 percent growth with mouth-to-mouth, GrunderSzene, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Candido, Roman (2015), Amazon Underground in Italy: avalanche of apps and games for free, International Business Times, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Brain Power and Memory Improvement Games, Increasing Brain Power, 2016, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ NeuroNation, Bangkok Post, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Memory Training: why it is so important and you can do that, Westfaliche Nachrichten, 2015, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Bruggeman, Felix (2015), Neuronation: Warum Gaming auch bilden kann, Wirtschafts Woche, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ New industry: Health apps, Deutsche Welle, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Two Applications to Train the Brain, La Republica, 2015, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Senior Startups: Old but Powerful, Wirtschafts Woche, 2015, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Behind NeuroNation, NeuroNation, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Deutsche Krankenversicherung, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Train Your Brain with NeuroNation, PC World, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ The Seven Best Apps for Learning, Capital, 2014, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Walter, Derek (2015), The Best 11 Android Apps to Train Your Brain, Computer Totaal, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ Bremmer, Manfred (2015), Die besten iPhone- und iPad-Apps 2014, ComputerWoche, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ↑ NeuroNation, Google, 2015, retrieved 15 June 2016