Photo credit: Getty Images
September 15, 2022 - Happitech has announced the launch of its FastStart Research app. The Amsterdam-based digital health company designed the app to support researchers and advance the adoption of digital health technology in cardiac practice.
The mobile research application uses photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to measure heart rate, heart rate variability, and atrial fibrillation. PPG is a non-invasive optical technique that uses light to detect changes in blood volume in the microvasculature. The app can be used with any smartphone that has a camera and a flash, making it widely accessible to researchers across the globe.
“Happitech is committed to providing researchers with the tools they need to conduct important research,” said Yosef Safi Harb, Founder and CEO of Happitech. He added, “The FastStart Research app is just one example of how we are working to support the cardiac research community, and we hope that by partnering with researchers, we can help advance the field of cardiac care and improve patient outcomes worldwide.”
The company is offering the application free of charge to cardiac researchers, and can customize the features to suit a variety of requirements, getting a project from idea to launch in 2-4 weeks. The app makes it easy to collect data from large numbers of participants which can be downloaded and exported for analysis, making it possible for researchers to quickly and easily access the data they need.
As noted in a news release announcing the launch, digital health technologies have proliferated in both clinical and non-clinical settings over the past decade. The Global Digital Health Market size is expected to reach $430.52 Billion by 2028, according to a report issued by Vantage Market Research. This industry growth has been driven by the continued expansion of digital connectivity, declining cost of sensors and other technology components, and an increase in patient engagement. Despite this growth, the announcement noted, digital health stakeholders lack a comprehensive understanding of clinical robustness and claims across digital health products and services. A lack of transparency and clinical validation prevents the digital health ecosystem from truly understanding the safety and efficacy of digital health therapies. Consequently, contends the company, it is essential for digital health stakeholders to invest in clinical validation studies that generate high-quality evidence to inform product development and widespread clinical adoption.
The company noted that it has multiple research partners including Mount Sinai, Boston Children’s Hospital, OLVG, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Hartstichting, and UMC Utrecht. The technology is also highlighted by the Dutch Heart Association and recommended in the screening guidelines of the Dutch Cardiology Association.
Dr. David Putrino, PT, PhD - Director of Rehabilitation Innovation, Mount Sinai Health System spoke about working with Happitech, noting "The team understood our requirements and were able to customize the features of the research app to suit our specific requirements. It was fast and easy to launch."
The company hopes that by providing this technology to researchers, it will help remove some of the barriers associated in launching cardiac research initiatives. Only through such efforts will the digital health industry be able to live up to its potential as a transformative force in healthcare.
Happitech’s PPG technology is CE certified and TGA approved to collect Heart rate, Heart rate variability, and Atrial Fibrillation Measurements through a modern smartphone’s flashlight and camera lens.
For more information: https://www.happitech.com/
June 16, 2025 
