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‘HUGgy’ng innovation: Dolbomdream’s tech vest aims to bridge mental healthcare gap

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Studies have shown significant wait times of one to five years for treatment for individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism, who might be struggling with a high-level of anxiety and sensory challenges. This underscores a critical challenge in the field: a heavy reliance on human resources, which can limit access to timely care for those who need it most.

A South Korean social venture aims to address this challenge with a unique product. Dolbomdream has developed the HUGgy vest, designed to improve the quality of life. The vest utilises Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) to provide the calming effect of a hug for individuals with developmental disabilities. This aims to alleviate stress and anxiety, potentially contributing to a new paradigm in mental healthcare.

Dolbomdream specialises in mental healthcare solutions, offering the HUGgy smart care vest to address sensory challenges. Utilising DTP technology, the vest mimics the calming effects of a hug, fostering psychological stability. Equipped with inflatable technology and biometric sensors, the vest can monitor the user’s psychological state.

The HUGgy vest provides a lightweight alternative to traditional weighted vests, enhancing comfort and mobility. It benefits autistic individuals and has potential applications in supporting seniors and sleep disorder patients.

The vest features non-contact biometric sensors for heart rate monitoring, relaying data to caregivers through a dedicated app for real-time analysis.

In February 2024, Dolbomdream received undisclosed seed funding from Quest Ventures, advancing its goal to become the top mental healthcare provider by 2030. To achieve this, it is focused on developing an integrated management system that harnesses biometric data to enhance treatment outcomes for disabled individuals.

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Quest Ventures backs IoT hugging vest maker Dolbomdream

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South Korean startup Dolbomdream, which develops IoT-powered hugging vests, has secured undisclosed seed funding from Quest Ventures.

The company will use the funds for Southeast Asia expansion.

Kim Jihun, CEO of Dolbomdream, said, “Our collaboration with Quest Ventures is crucial in solidifying our expansion plans in Southeast Asia, which include building our network with local partners and conducting pilot tests to ensure the successful integration of their products in the regional market.”

DolbomDream develops smart HUGgy vests that incorporate research-backed Deep Touch Pressure technology to simulate the effect of hugs on wearers to provide psychological comfort to its wearers. The vests analyse wearers’ biometric data to give caregivers real-time analysis of their psychological status through an app, which can also activate the vest.

The target customers include special needs individuals, seniors, sleep disorder patients, and anyone who might benefit from the therapeutic power of a hug.

The product is particularly beneficial for special needs individuals with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who frequently grapple with heightened stress levels in their daily lives.

The vest also features non-contact biometric sensors that measure the wearer’s heart rate and other biometric data. The data is relayed to caregivers through a dedicated app, who obtain a real-time analysis of the wearer’s psychological condition. The app can also be used to activate the vest remotely.

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Quest Ventures Funds Dolbomdream’s IoT Hugging Vest Expansion in Southeast Asia

Startup Story

Quest Ventures has provided undisclosed seed funding to South Korean startup Dolbomdream, which specializes in developing IoT-powered hugging vests. The investment aims to support Dolbomdream’s expansion into Southeast Asia. According to Kim Jihun, CEO of Dolbomdream, the collaboration with Quest Ventures is pivotal for the company’s expansion plans in Southeast Asia. He emphasized the importance of building networks with local partners and conducting pilot tests to ensure successful integration of their products in the regional market.

Dolbomdream’s flagship product is the smart HUGgy vest, designed to incorporate research-backed Deep Touch Pressure technology. This technology simulates the effect of hugs on wearers, offering psychological comfort. The vests analyze wearers’ biometric data to provide real-time analysis of their psychological status through a dedicated app. Additionally, caregivers can activate the vest through the app.

The target customer base for Dolbomdream’s hugging vests includes special needs individuals, seniors, sleep disorder patients, and anyone who might benefit from the therapeutic power of a hug. Specifically, the product is beneficial for individuals with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), helping them cope with heightened stress levels.

The hugging vest features non-contact biometric sensors to measure the wearer’s heart rate and other biometric data. This data is transmitted to caregivers through the dedicated app, enabling them to monitor the wearer’s psychological condition in real-time. Moreover, caregivers can remotely activate the vest using the app.

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Quest Ventures invests in South Korea’s Dolbomdream

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Dolbomdream, a South Korean company specializing in the production of a compression garment supporting individuals with special needs, has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Quest Ventures.

Known as Huggy (stylized as “HUGgy”) vests, Dolbomdream’s product is aimed at providing benefits to individuals with special needs, particularly those with conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It utilizes a “Deep Touch Pressure” technology to replicate the comforting sensation of hugs, thereby stimulating the wearer’s parasympathetic nervous system to alleviate heightened stress levels. Each Huggy vest is equipped with non-contact biometric sensors to continuously monitor the wearer’s heart rate and other biometric data, enabling caregivers to stay informed in real-time about the wearer’s psychological state. Additionally, the vests can be remotely activated using a complementary app.

“Our collaboration with Quest Ventures is crucial in solidifying our expansion plans in Southeast Asia, which include building our network with local partners and conducting pilot tests to ensure the successful integration of their products in the regional market,” said Kim Jihun, CEO of Dolbomdream.

“[Dolbomdream’s] high-performance vests elevate the standard of care for special needs individuals and provide peace of mind to their caregivers,” said James Tan, managing partner of Quest Ventures.

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Top Venture Capital Firms in Singapore 2024

Startup Savant

In this guide, we’ll highlight the top venture capital firms in Singapore that aren’t just the finance powerhouses of the region but also have a proven track record of backing the brightest and most innovative startups.

In the next section, we’ll walk through a list of some of the best Singaporean VC firms, picked based on their investment portfolio, successful startups they’ve helped fund, industry focus, and overall reputation.

With an investment focus on the flourishing digital economy across Asia, Quest Ventures stands at the cutting edge of technological innovation. From artificial intelligence to ecommerce, their portfolio shows a diverse range of startups making waves in their respective markets.

Backed by a commitment to social initiatives and industry transformation, Quest Ventures gives startups not just funding but also a platform for creating meaningful impact.

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The not-so-secret pet economy

The Edge Singapore

The cat’s out of the bag: Venture capitalists and savvy investors have uncovered the next booming market — the business of pampering pets.

According to a Bloomberg Intelligence report, the global pet industry is expected to grow to US$500 billion ($670.43 billion) by 2030, from US$320 billion as of March 2023. The growth is attributed to a growing global pet population and the premiumisation of food and services from the humanisation of pets. The US will likely remain the largest pet market in the world, with sales approaching US$200 billion by the end of the decade.

Another report by Morgan Stanley, dated March 3, 2021, notes that the pet sector could become a long-term trend, with the industry expected to reach US$275 billion by 2030 from US$100 billion in 2021.

James Tan, managing partner at Quest Ventures, notes that the demand for pet-related products and services will rise as more people in Southeast Asia see their pets as family members. One of the companies backed by the Asian venture capital firm is ZumVet Singapore, which provides a one-stop service for pets — from veterinary (vet) teleconsultations to test kits and over-the-counter (OTC) medication and accessories.

“The pet industry as a whole has grown. It grew during the Covid-19 pandemic, and by all estimates, did not shrink back to pre-pandemic levels after we emerged from it,” says Tan on the industry’s growth potential.

In his view, all aspects of the pet sector are “interesting”.

“Compelling sub-sectors emerge from time to time, and, depending on factors such as the readiness of technology, prerequisites and adoptions, [there will be] a rapid or slow emergence of these sub-sectors,” he adds.

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Top 6 Venture Capital Firms in Kuala Lumpur in 2024

Failory

The venture capital ecosystem in Kuala Lumpur has undergone major growth over the last decade.

In this article, you will find some of the top venture capital firms in Kuala Lumpur investing across various sectors and industries.

Quest Ventures joins 500 Startups, Gobi Partners, Cradle Fund, NEXEA Venture Capital, and Acadian Ventures as the “top 6 venture capital firms in Kuala Lumpur”.

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For press enquiries, please contact [email protected].

Brand assets available here.