
Sweatcoin
Sweatcoin incentivises physical activity through a mobile app. It does this by tracking the number of outdoor and indoor steps a person takes and converting these into points, or Sweatcoins, which can be redeemed for products, goods and services
Find your nearest AHSN

Overview
Physical inactivity is a leading cause of obesity. In 2019, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported[1] that 64% of adults in the UK were either overweight or obese, which comes at a huge cost to the NHS. Through promoting and incentivising physical activity, Sweatcoin has the potential to have a big impact on public health. Over 7 trillion steps have been converted so far, and the app reached No. 1 in the UK App Store.
We’ve made some great connections on the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme, including partnering with the Diabetes Prevention Decathlon following a pitch we gave at the launch event for the 2019/20 cohort. We went on to co-develop a bespoke product with the team that is now being piloted in south west London. It has the potential to stand alongside the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme as a highly engaging national prevention programme. The national programme has a 20% completion rate, whilst over 90% of our participants are still engaged four weeks in, so early signs are very positive. Our business is growing and developing, and we are happy with the opportunities and connections we’ve had since being on the Accelerator programme.
Shaun Azam, CEFO at Sweatcoin
How did the Innovation Exchange help?
Sweatcoin is part of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme for 19/20, supported by the London-based AHSNs. This gives them a dedicated NHS Navigator, opportunities to network with senior decision-makers and participation in developmental workshops and ’Meet the Expert’ events. The programme provides in-depth knowledge of the wider UK health and care sector, alongside helping the companies to refine, develop and scale their innovations. This support resulted in a pitching opportunity for Sweatcoin at Health Innovation Network’s Innovation Grants launch, where they were introduced to the Diabetes Prevention Decathlon team. They went on to partner with the project (funded by HIN’s Innovation Grant) to create a digital reward solution for people at risk of developing diabetes.
Impact & Outcomes
• An academic study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that Sweatcoin users walked 20% more steps per day
• Sweatcoin had 20 million downloads as of October 2018, just 20 months after launching, with 5 million monthly users
• Sweatcoin has created a bespoke version of the app with the Diabetes Prevention Decathlon
• 26 out of 29 participants on the Diabetes Prevention Decathlon signed up for the app. In their first week, the average participant step count was 5,984 steps, more than double the pre-programme average of 2,772