[Edaily Marketin, Reporter YunJi Kim ] A German startup that helps people who grind their teeth while sleeping or suffer from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain manage their symptoms using a smartphone app has successfully secured investment. The technology, which allows users to perform personalized jaw muscle exercises at home without visiting a dentist and track changes in their symptoms using their smartphone camera, has attracted the interest of investors.

According to local industry sources on the 6th, the Germany-based digital healthcare startup “JoBuddy” recently secured 818,000 euros (approximately 1.25 billion won) in pre-seed funding from healthcare investment firm Halfteit and others.

Founded last year, Zoberdi is a startup specializing in jaw health management that is developing a smartphone app for people suffering from pain caused by teeth grinding, clenching, or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. While symptoms were traditionally managed by having a dentist prescribe an occlusal splint or through physical therapy, Zoberdi focuses on enabling patients to continue their exercises and self-management independently.

Management is carried out via the smartphone camera. When a user turns on the front-facing camera and opens their mouth, the app measures the degree of mouth opening and the range of lateral jaw movement. It then provides a personalized exercise plan that takes into account factors such as pain levels, teeth-grinding habits, and stress levels. Users follow the app’s instructions to perform exercises that relax or move their jaw muscles, and then record any changes in pain or discomfort. The accumulated measurement results are then compiled into a report that can be shared with a dentist or physical therapist.

The emergence of this service stems from the limitations of existing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) treatments. While symptoms of teeth grinding and TMJ dysfunction often persist for long periods or recur frequently, the reality is that it is not always easy for patients to visit a clinic for treatment every time. In particular, even when a dentist prescribes an occlusal splint, the responsibility for managing jaw muscles and consistently performing exercises in daily life often falls solely on the patient. JoBuddy aims to bridge this management gap that occurs between medical visits using a smartphone app.

Investors also took note of the potential to link everyday health issues to ongoing management services. Halftzeit, which led this investment round, was reportedly seeking business opportunities in fields—such as temporomandibular joint disorders—where there is a demand for treatment but insufficient ongoing management. It appears they judged that a stable revenue model could be established if self-management services via the app were adopted in medical settings and even covered by health insurance.

However, there are still significant challenges to overcome before the app’s actual therapeutic efficacy and business viability can be proven. Although the JoBudi app is registered as a Class I medical device under the European Union (EU) Medical Device Regulation, further clinical validation is needed to determine the extent to which it improves teeth grinding or TMJ pain. The company is currently conducting pilot projects at several medical institutions, including Aachen University Hospital in Germany, and plans to launch a multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial involving 130 patients this coming December.

Meanwhile, JoBuddy plans to allocate the funds secured in this round toward preparing for clinical trials and expanding health insurance coverage. The company is currently in discussions with major statutory health insurers in Germany regarding separate medical service contracts. If these contracts are finalized early next year, the availability of the service through insurance is expected to broaden, accelerating its market penetration.