Sleepagotchi raises $3.5M to gamify sleep with digital collectibles

Sleepagotchi is a mobile app designed to gamify sleep by rewarding users with digital collectibles for consistent sleep goals. Each morning users are provided with a digital collectible that they can use to create virtual collectible rooms. To receive rewards, users input their target bedtime and wake-up time and will receive different levels of rewards based on how close their actual bedtime and wake-up times are to their target and how consistent they are. Sleepagotchi offers a unique combination of gaming, incentivized health behavior and community-building. By rewarding individuals with collectibles for achieving their sleep goals, the app creates a social platform that encourages people to prioritize their health and fitness objectives.

The company's founders, Anton Kraminkin and Alex Karatkou, were inspired by Duolingo's use of gamification features and the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. They were also influenced by the success of Pokémon Go, which led them to develop Sleepagotchi and encourages people to build and follow a sleep routine in a fun and engaging way. Kraminkin believes that routine is the key to improving sleep, and that people should be able to make positive changes to their habits without noticing.

The idea for Sleepagotchi was first conceptualized as a side project with the goal to make sleeping more enjoyable. After releasing the closed alpha version of the app in mid-2022, Sleepagotchi was met with a positive response from users across Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. The app was also recognized by Product Hunt as Product of the Day, a website to showcase innovative products.

Just recently, Sleepagotchi has successfully raised $3.5 million from investors. One of these investors, Serge Kassardjian, general partner at 6th Man Ventures and CEO of Staytuned, will join Sleepagotchi's board of directors. Additionally, Derek Schloss, managing partner at Collab+Currency, will serve as an Observer.

With this round of financing, Sleepagotchi will have access to resources to develop the product further and scale it effectively. The seed round was closed in September 2022 and the app is set to be released on the app stores soon. The closed beta version of Sleepagotchi is now available in the iOS app store with an Android version currently in development. Access to the app is granted through current users, email waiting list, or Discord participation.

References

Takahashi, D. (2023, January 17). Sleepagotchi raises $3.5M to gamify sleep with digital collectibles. VentureBeat. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://venturebeat.com/games/sleepagotchi-raises-3-5m-to-gamify-sleep-with-digital-collectibles/