24 Mar “Keep learning, and always focus on the problem”
HeidiMed is an international team dedicated to creating a digital health ecosystem that assists seniors on their wellness journey, ensuring they feel valued and supported every step of the way.
Founders Micaela Piscione and Ajit Naik joined the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator in July 2024.
What inspired both of you to embark on your entrepreneurial journey?
Heidimed was born out of a deeply personal challenge—both my co-founder and I are expats with elderly loved ones living afar. They experienced firsthand the challenges seniors face in managing medications independently and the constant concern of family members regarding adherence. This led to the idea of creating an intuitive, human–like assistant to bridge the gap between seniors, their families, doctors, and medication routines.
What problem or unmet need motivated you to build Heidimed?
The primary issue identified was inconsistent medication adherence among seniors, causing stress for both patients and caregivers. HeidiMed’s mission is to simplify medication management, making it engaging and intuitive. By interacting through WhatsApp—simulating real human conversation—HeidiMed’s guides seniors effortlessly through their routines without the need for learning new technology.
Reflecting on Heidimed's early days, what vision did you have for the company?
From the beginning, we envisioned a support solution that would be simple to use, especially for seniors who are not tech-savvy. We knew it would be a challenge because medication adherence is a global problem that many companies have attempted to solve, yet it remains largely unresolved.
However, the journey turned out to be even more complex than we expected. The biggest challenge was not just designing an intuitive product but integrating it into seniors’ daily routines in a way that felt natural and non-intrusive. We also had to navigate regulatory requirements and determine the best approach to bringing Heidi to the right audience.
User feedback became our most valuable asset, helping us refine Heidi’s interaction style and ensuring that the experience was not only simple but also engaging.
Could you walk us through how your product has developed over time?
Initially, we envisioned Heidi as an app, but early user testing quickly showed that seniors preferred something integrated into their existing communication habits. This led us to develop a WhatsApp-based assistant instead.
Additionally, our initial focus was solely on solving medication non-adherence, but we soon realized that making seniors feel cared for and secure was just as important.
This insight led us to incorporate a stronger human-like element into Heidi’s interactions to help combat loneliness and encourage long-term engagement.
We also recognized the value of having a human-in-the-loop model, which could further motivate seniors and ensure that Heidi remains a trusted companion rather than just a reminder system.
What were some of the key challenges you encountered during the early stages of your journey?
We are still refining our strategy, but we now have a clearer direction on how to build an effective and engaging product. Some of the key challenges we faced were:
Navigating data privacy laws and understanding the implications of becoming a regulated medical device shaped how we designed Heidi’s features. We made conscious decisions to avoid regulatory complexities that would slow down our ability to reach users.
Initially, we weren’t sure if we should focus on direct adoption by seniors or targeting family members as decision-makers. Through research and testing, we realized that family members play a critical role in adoption, so engaging them became a core part of our approach.
How do you make seniors WANT to use a digital companion? Through experimentation, we learned that keeping interactions simple, conversational, and emotionally engaging was key. Addressing loneliness and creating a sense of companionship became a major motivator for sustained engagement.
In what ways have you grown personally throughout your entrepreneurial journey?
The founders have experienced personal growth by continuously learning and focusing on solving real problems. Their journey underscores the importance of adaptability, user-centric design, and the value of addressing both the functional and emotional needs of their target audience.
“I had to step into the world of business, product development, and technology—areas that were completely new to me. This journey has taught me to listen more, iterate quickly, and embrace uncertainty.”
HeidiMed’s story exemplifies the impact of empathetic design and the significance of understanding user needs in developing effective digital health solutions.
What has been your main takeaway from building Heidimed?
Build with your users, not just for them.
We started with assumptions about how seniors would interact with Heidi and what features they would need. But real-world testing revealed completely different behaviors. We also made the following three learnings:
… a simple, well-integrated solution works better than a feature-heavy one.
Seniors are more likely to engage if Heidi feels like a caring companion rather than just a reminder system.
Being willing to pivot and adapt has been crucial to creating something that truly works.
What are the next steps for Heidimed?
We are currently refining our go-to-market strategy by deciding on our first target market and defining the best business model for Heidi. She we will launch pilot programs with healthcare providers and organizations working with seniors. We will explore partnerships with startups in the digital health space to integrate Heidi into broader healthcare solutions and we also need to test different engagement models.
What is the best piece of advice you would offer to other founders?
- Validate your idea with real users before building too much—but start testing fast.
- Be flexible—your product will evolve based on what users actually need, not just what you initially envisioned.
- Surround yourself with people who challenge you and help you grow.
"The journey is unpredictable, but the key is to stay adaptable, keep learning, and always focus on the problem you're solving rather than the solution you initially envisioned."
