Everybody’s gotta eat, but our daily food choices make (and sometimes break) our waistbands. Pant size aside, these decisions also play a heavy role in the rising costs of healthcare, not to mention serious health risks like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. With nearly 78 million adults facing the effects of obesity, an onslaught of health and fitness apps have hit the market. The only problem is, accurately measuring what you eat can be tricky, but that’s where Spün serves best.
Spün is a calorie-counting and nutrition tracker using innovative utensils that tell you if the juicy filet you’ve just consumed was 6oz or 8oz (a difference of over 130 calories). The Atlanta-based startup has been featured by the likes of ABC News, Tech Times, and Buzzfeed, and are set to present at the TechCrunch Pitch-Off this Thursday. We recently sat down with CEO & Founder Umar Bakhsh to find out how Spün is serving up a plate of success.
“I first started using MyfitnessPal a year ago, but the problem I faced was that I never knew how much I was eating unless I measured every ounce of food,” stated Bakhsh. “Those ounces make a world of difference on your caloric intake, so I thought, there’s gotta be a way to do this – so I built Spün.”
The initial product was created using a 3D printer and proves that sometimes the best things come in small, sleek packages. The portable utensils can track up to four different types of food on your plate by recognizing your unique gestures (whether you’re pinkies out or death gripped like The Beast). Spün also has disposable heads for when you’re on the run, a library of your food favorites, and a feature that gives you a little buzz if you’re eating too fast.
The first round of shipments will start hitting tabletops this summer after Bakhsh puts the final touches on the product, including magnetic heads that are easy to remove and a mobile app for iOS. Bakhsh also has his eyes on integrating his utensils with platforms like Myfitnesspal or Weight Watchers so members can use Spün while accessing the food databases they know and love.
Check out Spün during the TechCrunch Pitch-Off, and stay up-to-date on their launch by following them on Twitter and LinkedIn.
