Super Powers: the App Instilling Courage in Children at the Hospital

BRAVE POTIONS, THE STARTUP FOUNDED BY BOCCONI GRAD ALBERTO PIRAS WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THE CES OF LAS VEGAS, LAUNCHES AN APP THAT TRANSFORMS HOSPITALS INTO MAGICAL PLACES

An injection of courage for children who have to go to the doctor. This was the goal of Brave Potions, a startup born in 2015, when they launched Super Powers. “Super Poteri” is an app that uses augmented reality to transform a visit to the hospital or dentist into a magical experience. Already in the waiting room, the child will be able to choose one out of six heroes to impersonate and interact with the surrounding environment through their parents’ smartphone or tablet. The hospital will populate itself with magical characters, a series of stickers will cover drills and syringes and, after the treatment, the doctor will give the little patient a card where the acquired ‘power’ is recorded. The child will also be able to take a selfie with some filters that will show the transformation", explains Alberto Piras, CEO of the startup who graduated in Management at Bocconi in 2009. All this with a dual purpose: to make the experience less traumatic for the child, who will thereby be more quiet and collaborative, allowing doctors to work at their best.

“Participating in the Bocconi Startup Day was fundamental to start our project because on that occasion we closed the first round of financing", says Alberto, who founded the startup together with Benedetta De Magistris and Federico Simionato, and who brought Brave Potions to the Global Stage of Innovation –CES- of Las Vegas. “Over 600 dental centers and two hospitals in Italy use our service. Our goal is to expand in Italy and in the United States, which is why we have launched an equity crowdfunding campaign”. 

The initial thrust came from his fear of needles, "which can sounds funny, since my parents and my sister are all dentists", jokes Alberto, who, before launching himself in this project, worked in the management of two dental clinics. In particular, the idea of Super Poteri came after having seen a photo taken in a Brazilian cancer center where Warner Bros made superhero-themed covers for IV bags. “But we wanted to do more than camouflage medical devices, so, with the help of a team of psychologists and a series of tests and focus groups, we created an immersive experience," he continues. “Not only data, but also personal stories confirm that we are on the right track: I recently talked to a nurse who is treating a 3-year-old thalassemic girl who has always been closed and fearful. But as soon as she tried Super Poteri and she saw one of the magical characters, when the nurse asked her to offer her arm for transfusion, she immediately offered both of them. These are the experiences that push us to move forward, more determined than ever.”
 

by Benedetta Ciotto