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Writer's pictureUshma Issar

One year anniversary: The ups and downs of Rypple in an adventurous journey

Hello, dear friends!


This month, Rypple is blowing out its very first birthday candle! It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already—we’re practically toddlers now in the startup world. It’s been an adventure, to say the least, filled with brainstorming marathons, unexpected twists, and the occasional “What were we thinking?” moment.

It's going to be difficult to capture all highs and lows into one blog article, but we will do our best.


Tackling the Big Stuff


Right from the start, Rypple set out to address a tough reality: the healthcare system focuses too much on fixing problems rather than preventing them. It’s a bit like waiting for your car engine to explode instead of just changing the oil regularly.

 

Although this problem isn’t often discussed, it resonates with many. Many personal stories from victims of over treatment were shared, shedding light on the consequences of a system that often priorities intervention over prevention. For example, according to the NPR, in the U.S., many breast cancer patients receive more radiation therapy than needed. 


The Lancet Commission’s 2023 series on Commercial Determinants of Health delved into the injustice between the profits pursued by pharmaceutical companies and health equity, and disclosed an appalling finding that, four industries (tobacco, unhealthy food, fossil fuel, and alcohol) are responsible for at least a third of global deaths per year. This year, WHO also published a report echoing this finding.


Our Lightbulb Moment


How to address this issue in a sustainable and holistic manner was a question initially, but Rypple’s inspiration came from the energy and organic farming sectors. Sweden’s carbon tax and Denmark’s “active market development policy” were pivotal in shaping the vision for health system transformation.


As a result of these insights, we have a bold idea: “what if staying health (health-ing) is the easiest thing in the world?” That vision led to our mission of making health accessible and, dare we say, fun. 


Now, we did start with the term salutogenesis—a fancy word from Aaron Antonovsky that made us feel smart. But it turns out, most people aren’t fans of tongue twisters. So, we’ve embraced “health-ing” instead. It’s catchy, it’s clear, and it doesn’t make your spellchecker cry. However, we'll always give credit to Aaron Antonovsky - he is Rypple’s hero!


To address the root causes of the inequality in health, Rypple has adopted two key approaches---- to establish the Policy Action Lab and the Business Innovation Base. With our Policy Action Lab, we take the role of a Government Consultancy focused on health system transformation. With our Business Innovation Base, we partner with organisations that provide proactive health services or products. 


The Year in Snapshots


In the past year, Rypple attended several key events, the 16th European Public Health Conference in Dublin, The World Health Summit 2024 in Berlin, and the ImpactFest in the Hague, as well as Impact Week in Bilbao.


Observing the views of stakeholders at these events, I see Rypple as the key partner for health system transformation to governments.


I also learned that, in ancient China, there used to be practices that government paying the health system to keep the patients healthy rather than treating illness.


Every conversation and interaction with partners and stakeholders has helped refine Rypple’s value proposition, and made us more determined to achieve our mission.


Setbacks? Check. Determination? Double Check. 


There have been at least 30 versions (or more ;) ) of the Rypple website, and we kept continuously refining our problem statement and solution.


Yes, there were moments when the universe seemed determined to test our resilience. Funders said “No,” investors said “Maybe later,” and confidence took a few hits. But hey, we’re still here—and smiling! 


Of course, there are also successes to cheer for. We joined the World Start Up Incubator in the Hague; We became a member of The Hague Humanity Hub, and successfully joined Impact Europe’s network. Also, the health-ing podcast is in the making, and will be online soon.


A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Dream Team


Retrospecting the ups and downs for the past year, I am especially grateful for our volunteers, especially Giverny and Varsha, who have contributed significantly to our pilot projects in Nepal and Ghana.


I would also like to thank Shahd, Manar, Stuti, and Handson, for their support. 


Ash, Charlotte, and Zoe have been invaluable to our work, and I strongly appreciate the communication support from Celia, Emil, and Yingzhuan.


Last but not least, our thanks also goes to our advisory board:


Professor Simon Bacon from Concordia University, who is also our first advisory board member; Lindsay Clerkx, our industry expert;

Professor Wim Groot, for his time and interest in market development in prevention.


I would also like to thank our local partners: YLF in Ghana and KIOCH in Nepal.


Looking ahead, we are going to produce monthly blog articles and newsletters to keep the community updated on Rypple’s work and partnerships.


As a startup, we’ve officially conquered year one (cue the confetti)! 🎉 Now, we’re rolling up our sleeves for what’s next: finding funding partners and opportunities to turn our bold ideas into real-world impact.

To everyone who shares our vision for transforming health systems—thank you. Together, we can make change not just possible but inevitable.

We’re always open to your advice, opinions, and collaborative ideas. So, don’t be shy—reach out! Whether it’s to brainstorm, partner, or simply share your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s keep the conversation going and make health-ing happen!

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