Companion Medical was founded on the belief that people’s lives shouldn’t revolve around diabetes. After I was diagnosed with type 1, I was really frustrated with the limited management options available.
While insulin pumps certainly have benefits, the majority of people living with diabetes are not willing to use them—we wanted to give those people an alternative option. Our ultimate goal is to improve Population Health, so we built our affordable, easy-to-use, and clinically useful system that would appeal to a larger group of people.
Now, we are thinking even bigger. We created the InPen, America’s first and only FDA cleared smart pen+app system, and are constantly working towards making diabetes management even more personalized. Our system takes the guesswork out of diabetes management, allowing people to spend more time focusing on the things they love.
Our main focus at the beginning was creating a smart insulin pen that had many of the benefits of insulin pumps without the burden point of having a device physically attached to your body 24/7.
What does Companion Medical do?
Companion Medical develops easy-to-use, affordable diabetes technology focused on advanced insulin delivery and real-time actionable insights.
The company’s flagship product, InPen, is the first FDA-cleared smart insulin pen and mobile app–based diabetes management system providing patients and healthcare providers with essential data to optimize insulin regimens.
How does Companion Medical foster innovation?
Companion Medical starts with empathy, not technology. Only by understanding what people are doing and why they are struggling can we provide the right solutions to help them.
We believe that too often in the past, the industry thought the highest tech solution was the right one, regardless if people were willing to use it. As an example, pumps have been on the market for 30+ years and yet only about 7% of people with diabetes use them.
We innovate through knowledge, empathy, and by creating a culture of respect and encouragement. Throughout our innovation process, our number one question is, “Will this new technology make people’s lives easier and better?” If the answer is no, we find an alternative solution.
Not every idea will work, but we won’t know until we try. If we can all approach the problem with understanding and empathy—which we don’t see enough of these days—then we can create better solutions.
What does Sean do through Companion Medical to engage in innovation?
Right now, 10% of employees at Companion Medical are living with diabetes and understand the challenges firsthand.
As part of that 10%, I consciously make an effort to share my experiences with employees in hope that it will empower them to ask questions and share their own stories. Everyone has been impacted by diabetes in some way, whether it is a family member, colleague, or friend. Just by sharing experiences, we can all help uncover trends and identify innovative solutions.
What are some ways Companion Medical innovates internally?
We invest in our employees by offering perks and benefits that really matter. We offer unlimited paid vacation, stock options, and internal career growth and hiring. Companion Medical wants everyone on the team to be aligned and working toward the same goals.
We’ve created a culture where new employees can come in and make an immediate impact. Teams are encouraged to be self-directed and to take initiative. We look for task execution, but unique, new ideas and challenging the status quo are always welcome.
What is Companion Medical most excited about going forward?
We are most excited about discovering solutions that have never been considered before. In the coming months, we are aggressively working to change the paradigm of diabetes management to lift the burden of those living with diabetes by providing real-time coaching and improving the communication between the healthcare provider and the patient. All of these things have never before been possible with previous systems.
