By Jeff Kiger
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
A Mayo Clinic-spawned weight management company is on the move with a new CEO and a push to bring its device and program to market.
Muve Inc., based on research from founder Mayo Clinic Dr. James Levine, recently announced that Tom Hudson stepped into the role of CEO in May, replacing John Montague.
Levine and Montague launched the company in 2007, and it won the Minnesota Cup award for best new business. Levine is still an ongoing adviser to the company, and he is writing a book related to the system.
The nine-person company based in Wayzata is preparing a wearable device called Gruve Go that tracks a person's every move, down to each fidget, and calculates how many calories have been burned.
Muve aims at people who work at desks all day.
It also plans to create on online community where people can track their progress, receive advice and connect with others using the system.
"Things on this end are really starting to take off," says Joel Silverman of Muve.
He says the goal is to try to introduce the Gruve device in early 2009. The first target is have Fortune 500 and Fortune 1,000 companies adopt the system.
Hudson describes the business model as a "B-to-B-to-C."
That means Muve will sell to businesses for its employees. Once those employees take the device home, Muve will sell to spouses, families and neighbors.
A pilot study with an early version of the device is under way with companies such as Best Buy.
Silverman says the final version will feature a light system.
"You'll start the day with red lights, and the goal will be to end with the light being green," he said. "That will mean you burned the number of calories needed to reach your goal of keeping a certain weight or losing so much each day."
The Gruve also will vibrate to help people burn calories. Silverman says a motionless body eventually starts to react like it is hibernating.
"The buzz gives you a hint you are sitting too long and you have to get moving," he says.
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