San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 12, 2014
Beneufit’s cFIT™ was selected as a semifinalist to move on to the second phase of the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s inaugural Big C competition, aiming to change the way the world lives with cancer. cFIT, that applies data-driven exercise protocols to help patients manage cancer, will now compete for one of 20 spots in the contest’s next round, the venture accelerator program.
Headquarted in San Francisco, Beneufit entered the competition in the Health category and is unique because of their scientific approach to applying exercise to augment cancer treatment.
“All semifinalist entries have the potential to be game changers in improving the lives of people affected by cancer now,” said Heather Wajer, VP of marketing at the LIVESTRONG Foundation. “We’re so thrilled with the quality of the entries and are lucky to have so many entrepreneurs interested in helping cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.”
cFIT™ will benefit patients as they go through treatment and as they rebuild their post-treatment quality of life. Strength and weight loss programs help reduce the likelihood of cancer developing in the future. Workout protocols are personalized and quantifiable. The system measures how closely patients follow their protocol and map their performance vs clinical assessments of quality of life (QOL) such as the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and other QOL measures.
This innovation allows physicians to prescribe exercise and quantify the impact of specifically followed exercise programs to QOL in cancer survivors. Patients are assured that they are leveraging the power of exercise in the most powerful way.
The open nature of the platform supports the work of all researchers and organizations. Protocols 'compete' against each other in a quantified and massively scalable manner. This feedback loop will push the most effective protocols out to patient populations. The power of exercise research will vest in patients, where it belongs.
The semifinalist entries represent possible solutions to the biggest challenges people affected by cancer face following a diagnosis, according to LIVESTRONG Foundation research. Of the remaining ventures, 20 will move on to the venture accelerator phase from July 14-Sept. 15, where contestants will be paired with cancer survivors and business mentors to turn their ideas into action. On Sept. 29, five finalists will be announced and flown to Austin, Texas, to present their innovations during the Ride for the Roses weekend, where the grand prize winner will be selected. Sixty ventures will receive a total of $140,000 in seed funding, based on their innovation’s utility, ingenuity and benefits to cancer patients and survivors. The grand prize winner will receive $25,000.
About Beneufit
Beneufit provides personalized exercise systems for people fighting chronic disease, tapping into the body’s natural ability to self-heal. Our patent-pending technology combines exercise, mobile devices, wireless sensors and analytics to minimize a condition’s impact on patients, increase function among individuals, reduce the costs to society and advance the understanding of exercise’s molecular therapeutic benefit and impact on health. Their first product pdFIT™ helps Parkinson’s disease patients fight symptoms and disease progression.
About the LIVESTRONG Foundation
The LIVESTRONG Foundation fights to improve the lives of people affected by cancer now. Created in 1997, the Foundation is known for providing free cancer support services and advocating for policies that improve access to care and quality of life. Known for its powerful brand – LIVESTRONG – the Foundation has become a symbol of hope and inspiration around the world. Since its inception, the Foundation has served 2.5 million people affected by the disease and raised more than $500 million to support cancer survivors. One of America's top non-profit organizations, the Foundation has been recognized by industry leaders including Charity Navigator, the National Health Council and the Better Business Bureau for its excellent governance, high standards and transparency. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org.