A small device that makes a world of a difference

Editor’s note: Modoo is a China-based startup that has created the smallest fetal monitoring patch in the world—and took home the Judge’s Choice award at the Google for Startups Asia Demo Day in Bangkok last week. Their founder shares his story of the company. 

If I had to sum up my approach as an entrepreneur, it’s that I simply want to use technology to help people. I’d spent years developing technology for fun, or for leisure. And then the unthinkable happened—a very good friend of mine lost her baby just two days before her due date. She was young and healthy, and they had no reason to think that anything could go wrong. It was heartbreaking. 

Seeing her go through that experience made me want to learn more about what was available for expectant mothers. I didn’t find much. I remember thinking, “Wow, I’m an engineer developing cool gadgets, but there’s no technology to help expectant mothers through probably the most anxiety-ridden stage of their lives.” I wanted to do more. 

I founded Modoo in 2015. We created the smallest fetal monitoring patch in the world to help mothers-to-be monitor their unborn baby’s movement and heartbeat anytime. It connects with an app that provides information and health advice, and through AI, we can detect complications early, to prevent fetal distress. 

I was shocked when they called out Modoo as the winner of Google for Startups Demo Day in Bangkok last week. Demo Day brings together talented entrepreneurs giving them the opportunity to shine, connect, and realize visions to solve big problems. I’d spent a few days with the 11 other teams, and saw how they had achieved amazing progress and made a huge impact on society. I remember thinking it would be tough for the judges to make a decision!

But then I thought about our journey and the impact we’ve made. We’ve already served 60,000 mothers and given them much-needed peace of mind. And with the help of early detection of fetal distress through our technology, we’ve helped save the lives of 87 babies. The mission to save lives and make life better is what drives my team and me. 

What’s next? We want to take our product to more parts of the globe, and are looking at ways to help mothers monitor their health postpartum, as well as ways to monitor the health of babies and young children. 

Google for Startups Demo Day reaffirmed my passion, and gave me a platform for more people to learn about the work that we’re doing. It was also inspiring to meet other entrepreneurs from all over the region, who are similarly passionate and mission-driven. Our ideas will change the world.