German digital therapeutic startup, Perfood, has received €5 million in a Series A funding round to launch its first prescription therapeutic sinCephalea for the treatment of migraines and to prepare for the expansion of the technology into other countries.

This includes the conduction of clinical studies to advance its digital therapeutics products.

Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund led the round and is joined by German family office UV-Cap and Swiss investment platform investiere.

Dr Oliver Reuss will join Perfood’s advisory board for Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund together with Nicholas Vetter of UV-Cap, Jochen Brüggen, representing Perfood’s Seed investors, and Dominik Burziwoda.

WHY IT MATTERS

Scientific studies have shown that individual glucose metabolism plays a major role in the development of diseases such as migraine, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and cancer.

Perfood's product sinCephalea transfers science into digital health applications for the treatment of these diseases. Since 2017, the medical team at the startup has been developing digital therapy programs based on personalised, blood sugar-stabilising nutrition. 

The personalised nutrition intervention is enhanced with targeted behavioral modulation, such as features for adherence management and patient education.

Perfood tracks nutrition, activity, symptoms, and medication as well as glycemic responses for a limited period of two weeks, followed by a digital patient support program.

The Digital Supply Law (DVG) was passed by the German parliament on 8 November. Under the new legislation, doctors will be able to prescribe digital health apps to patients, which can be reimbursed by the country’s statutory health insurance. 

ON THE RECORD

Dr Oliver Reuss, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund explains: “There are numerous diseases related to blood-glucose metabolism. Perfood has developed a unique technology to address the underlying causes. This technology has the potential to perfectly complement the current standard treatments of various prevalent diseases, such as metabolic or immune diseases."

Dominik Burziwoda, founder and CEO of Perfood said: "With Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, UV-Cap and investiere, Perfood has an outstanding setup to bring sinCephalea onto the market not only in Germany but also internationally."

Dr Torsten Schröder, chief medical officer of Perfood, adds: “We are very pleased to have such excellent partners on board who combine first-class know-how from medicine and high-tech. Together we can offer a digital therapy solution as an innovative treatment option for millions of migraine patients."