Jason Tafler, the CEO of Unyte wrote the following introduction to the ‘new’ company in May of 2019.
Greetings,
Today, we are very excited to share three important updates that we believe will shape the future of Unyte and our industry over time:
- A strategic partnership with Dr. Stephen Porges, a leading nervous system scientist;
- The acquisition of a neurotechnology company called Integrated Listening Systems; and
- An investment in Unyte by the Canadian Business Growth Fund
But before we provide more detail on each of these initiatives, I want to share some relevant background on why Unyte was founded to put them into context.
Unyte’s Story & Mission
In early 2016, two decades of overworking and ignoring my stress and anxiety finally caught up with me, and I faced and overcame a life-threatening health condition. While there were many factors in my recovery, I truly believe learning to calm my mind and body was the most important part of my healing process. So I decided to leave the corporate world and found Unyte, in search of evidence-based solutions that could help people retrain their nervous systems to reduce stress and improve health and well-being.
Unyte's mission is to create and acquire a suite of effective neural or mind-body solutions that will guide tens of millions of people to happier, healthier and more meaningful lives. We are a passionate, purpose-driven team that has been personally affected by mental health challenges. This is why we are so excited to share the following news:
Dr. Stephen Porges Partnership
Unyte has signed a long-term partnership whereby Dr. Stephen Porges will become our Chief Scientific Advisor. Dr. Porges is a world-renowned scientist and professor who has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers and who in 1994 founded the Polyvagal Theory. Dr. Porges is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University, where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.
The Polyvagal Theory links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to many innovative treatments, including the Safe and Sound Protocol, an auditory intervention that calms the physiological and emotional state, which reduces stress and enhances social engagement and resilience.
Dr. Porges is very excited to work with our team and customers on new product ideas, research and education. Specifically, he will help us enhance the iom2 device’s physiological measurements, integrate his calming auditory frequencies into our Journey programs, and work with us on scientific, training and educational initiatives. Dr. Porges was actually one of the first researchers in the world to utilize Heart Rate Variability (HRV) back in 1969! Read more about Dr. Porges and his work at https://www.stephenporges.com/.
Acquisition of Integrated Listening Systems (iLs)
In mid-2018, I was introduced by Dr. Porges to iLs, a Denver-based neurotechnology company that integrates auditory, movement and cognitive exercises to improve brain function. Dr. Porges was very excited about his partnership with iLs to develop the Safe and Sound Protocol mentioned above, and he thought that there would be a way for Unyte and iLs, with similar missions and values, to work together.
After learning more, we were incredibly impressed with iLs, and we felt the company fit very well with our growth plans. Specifically, we loved the purpose and passion of the team, efficacy of the products and programs, loyalty and dedication of its customers, focus on youth, and the potential to grow and help many more people around the world. Fast forward several months, and we have completed the acquisition of iLs.
Clinical and research results on iLs products have consistently demonstrated better learning, attention, behavior and performance as a result of an improved ability to integrate sensory input. The iLs community has grown to more than 10,000 professionals in over 30 countries, serving hundreds of thousands of children and adults. iLs products can be integrated into a broad variety of practices, such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, ADHD coaching, Autism specialists, psychology/counseling, neurofeedback, executive function and academic coaching, sports coaching and others. To learn more, please visit https://integratedlistening.com/.
Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF) Investment in Unyte
We are very excited to share that Unyte has received an investment from CBGF that helped us acquire iLs and that will support our future expansion and innovation plans. We are grateful to the CBGF team and our other shareholders for their commitment to our mission and to helping us build a purpose-driven organization that can help so many people around the world.
CBGF helps privately-owned Canadian businesses with the capital, talent, and expertise they need to drive growth and realize their potential. Supported by Canada’s leading banks and insurance companies, they have a national mandate to provide long-term, patient, minority capital to entrepreneurs pursuing growth and expansion strategies. CBGF is an independent, values-driven partner for teams committed to taking their business to the next level. For more information, please visit https://cbgf.com/.
What Does This Mean For You?
We will continue to focus on growing our Interactive Meditation suite and will be looking for ways to integrate and enhance our offering with iLs products. As valued customers, you will be the first to learn about these new capabilities and features. We also look forward to your feedback and guidance on how we can continue to enhance our products and service, with the goal of helping as many people as possible alleviate suffering and thrive in their lives.
Thank you very much for your support of Unyte over the years - we very much appreciate having the opportunity to be of service to you. We couldn’t have gotten to this point without each and every one of you, and we will continue to share updates on our partnership with Dr. Porges and new additions to the Unyte and iLs product offerings.
As always, please reach out to us anytime at success@unyte.com if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas.
With gratitude,
Jason Tafler
CEO, Unyte Health Inc.