PainDrainer, cloud-based web app for patients with chronic pain

PainDrainer has raised €600K in total. We talk with Prof. Carl A.K. Borrebaeck, its CEO.

PetaCrunch: How would you describe PainDrainer in a single tweet?

Prof. Carl A.K. Borrebaeck: PainDrainer is the first cloud-based web application that will allow patients with chronic pain to define pain triggers/protectors, leading to an improved quality of life. PainDrainer uses a proprietary advanced artificial intelligence engine that analyses activities and delivers patient-specific recommendations on what activities result in a certain pain. Patients will have their own pain coach in the pocket.

PC: How did it all start and why?

CAKB: We have built several companies before and are experienced in defining solutions to problems found in society. A few of us had a discussion over a cup of coffee and realised that chronic pain patients have very few tools to help them improving their quality of life. Since only a fraction of these patients will receive professional help from pain specialists it was obvious that a drug free, self-management tool would be in high demand and would offer new possibilities for each patient to improve their life.

PC: What have you achieved so far?

CAKB: We have built the company and designed a digital product in less than a year, by combining the expertise of physicians, patients, business and IT individuals. The PainDrainer product is now in clinical trials in high level clinics both in Scandinavia and the US and will be launched in Q2 next year.

PC: How will you use your recent funding round?

CAKB: We recently raised seed funding, which is now used to built both technical and digital sale/marketing teams with a strong focus on time-to-market for PainDrainer 1.0.

PC: What do you plan to achieve in the next 2–3 years?

CAKB: The company recently moved into new facilities at Medicon Village in Lund, Sweden, where the sale/marketing team will focus on launching the first generation of PainDrainer to specialised pain clinical, as well as directly to chronic pain patients, using social media. Furthermore, the digital design team will focus on developing the next generation of self-management tools for chronic pain patients, including advanced wearable sensors.