Health Cloud Alarm: Enabling Children to Intervene in Parents' Chronic Disease Management

Nearly all internet-based healthcare apps face a similar dilemma: the majority of individuals seeking medical consultations and health management services are middle-aged and elderly, yet this demographic is often unfamiliar with smartphones and lacks the skills to navigate complex applications. Although various apps have strived to streamline user interactions—simplifying processes to one-click uploads or even enabling automatic data submission—the reality remains that a significant number of older adults do not use smartphones at all.

The Health Box, however, takes a different approach by enabling children to monitor their parents’ measurement data via smartphones and remotely intervene in elderly health management, thereby conveying their filial piety and care.



Higher Education Levels Correlate with Greater Health Awareness

The core product of Health Box is the Health Cloud Alarm Clock, which, when used in conjunction with a portable blood glucose meter or blood pressure monitor and a child’s Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, forms a comprehensive system.

Yan Xuan, founder of Health Box, told VCBeat that after purchasing the product, children should download the Health Cloud Alarm Clock app on their smartphones, while leaving the alarm clock and the blood glucose and blood pressure monitoring devices with their parents. Each alarm clock is associated with a unique sharing code; once the code is entered into the app, users can access the data from the corresponding internet-connected alarm clock.

(From left to right: Zhou Jiaqi, Yan Xuan, Cai Chang)

How to Connect the Alarm Clock to the Internet? There are two methods: GPRS and Wi-Fi. GPRS-enabled products come with a built-in SIM card from China Unicom or China Mobile, allowing for immediate use upon purchase, whereas Wi-Fi models require password entry for internet access. Yan Xuan stated that the alarm clocks and monitoring devices are paired and sold as a bundled set. Currently, the system supports a one-to-one configuration (one device per user), meaning each alarm clock can only record data for a single elderly individual.

The software development within the Health Cloud Alarm is one of the product’s key features. Its built-in signal analyzer can distinguish whether data originates from a glucometer or a blood pressure monitor. Through remote software updates, it can also interface with blood pressure monitors and glucometers from various brands. After viewing their parents’ measurement data on their smartphones, children can leave voice messages via their phones—similar to setting an alarm—to remind them to take medication on time. The alarm will then play back the voice message at the scheduled time, repeating it five consecutive times.

Yan Xuan told VCBeat that the Health Cloud Alarm is a trendy product, encompassing cutting-edge technologies such as internet healthcare, the Internet of Things (IoT), and smart home solutions. However, it goes beyond mere conceptualization. “Since elderly individuals in their sixties and seventies often find it difficult to adapt to high-tech products, we enable their concerned children to access health data more quickly and conveniently. This allows them to seek medical care for their parents with greater evidence-based support and implement effective interventions.”

Currently, Health Cloud Alarm has entered into a partnership with Yicheng Bioelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. Following this collaboration, the two parties conducted joint market research and identified a notable phenomenon: among patients with diabetes, intellectuals such as teachers demonstrate higher motivation and a more conscientious attitude toward blood glucose monitoring, adhering strictly to regular testing schedules. In contrast, other patients exhibit relatively weaker self-management awareness, necessitating external intervention. Furthermore, given the prevailing social context in China where children generally attain a higher level of education than their parents, and in accordance with the general principle that higher educational attainment correlates with stronger health awareness, it becomes feasible for children to intervene in and support their parents’ chronic disease management.

Product sales are expected to exceed 5,000 units

Yan Xuan believes that the project’s inherent advantages enabled its entry into the Zhongguancun Incubator—Jinzhongzi Entrepreneurship Park. In November 2014, Health Box was successfully established by leveraging the park’s provided company registration address. Other convenient conditions offered by the entrepreneurship park included office space with six months of rent-free occupancy, comprehensive logistical support, and regularly scheduled weekly investor meetups. These resources undoubtedly provided significant assistance to bootstrapped micro-startups.

In fact, it was precisely the favorable entrepreneurial environment that prompted Yan Xuan to take a bold leap, with the aspiration of building a successful venture. Holding a master’s degree in computer science, he previously spent ten years engaged in software technology development at Motorola. In 2013, he resigned to launch his own startup. Together with his friends, he devoted one year to developing a prototype, which underwent three iterations before ultimately evolving into its current tetrahedral design. He has also applied for a design patent for the product’s appearance.

During that year, Yan Xuan also met Cai Chang on Yuanchuang.com. With five to six years of experience in microcontroller units (MCUs) and embedded systems, Cai later became a co-founder of Health Box. Another key team member is Pang Di, who previously worked in sales at Xiaomi and is now responsible for market expansion.

Leveraging the brand advantages of partner manufacturers to promote its own products will be Health Box’s primary marketing model in the future.

Yan Xuan told VCBeat that in China, a single brand of blood pressure monitor sells 3 million units annually, while glucose meters sell 2 million units per year. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among individuals aged 60 and above is conservatively estimated at 40%, corresponding to a potential user base of 2 million. Assuming only 300,000 of these users purchase the Health Cloud Alarm Clock, the company’s annual user growth would reach 300,000. “In terms of financing, with a market valuation of RMB 100 per user, the company’s annual valuation is expected to increase by RMB 30 million.”

The Health Box plans to establish extensive collaborations with the top five domestic manufacturers of mainstream blood glucose meters and blood pressure monitors in the future, initially securing partnerships with one or two companies during its early development stage. In addition to leveraging partners’ offline distribution channels—such as Yicheng’s—to drive product sales, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign for the “Health Cloud Alarm Clock” on a crowdfunding platform, bundling the health alarm clock with a Yicheng blood glucose meter at a total price of 199 yuan. Furthermore, search engine bidding for ad placement is also considered as part of its promotional strategy.

In July 2015, the first batch of Health Cloud Boxes rolled off the production line. “Although only 200 units were produced, our supply chain is fully established and ready for mass production. If we receive large orders, we can immediately ramp up production,” said Yan Xuan. “With a technical background, I am able to keep R&D costs under control. To date, the company has spent approximately RMB 1 million in self-raised funds. Future financing, if secured, will be primarily allocated to market development.” Yan Xuan added, “For this year, we optimistically project sales of 5,000 units, with a conservative estimate of around 2,000 units.”

Responsible Editor: Bu Yan

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