The idea of Nutrihand started in 2001, when software executive Soraya Bittencourt's health started deteriorating rapidly due to diabetes. Soraya, the original creator of Expedia.com, could not find any services or tools available at the time to help control and better manage her disease.

She decided to start researching why there wasn't anything available. Was it that difficult to create a software application that could help? Soraya hired a couple of experts who spent the next two years using ethnography to create prototypes, test them and make a business case.

They found out that the reason why there was not a service yet available was due to four challenges that were very hard to overcome. A successful health management service focused on consumers and providers needs to:

• allow access to a very large database of nutritional food facts and exercises
• be extremely personalized to adapt to the users needs as they change
• be accessible anywhere, anytime, using any device and
• provide a connection between consumers and health care professionals

After the challenges were identified and a potential solution was created, the initial prototype was released.

Soraya was the first one to use the prototype. After tracking meals, fitness and medical information for a month, she started seeing changes in her weight and blood sugars. After one year of use, her A1C reduced by 1.3% and measured at 6%, which is very healthy for a person with type 1 diabetes.

This was the turning point when she decided it was time to invest and build a company around this idea. The technology could be used to help others manage their diabetes and could also be applied to other diseases.

Since then, Nutrihand took off. We now deliver a number of services and applications for consumers, patients, employees, health care professionals, and organizations.