have trouble falling asleep at night could receive afternoon alerts reminding them to stop consuming coffee for the day. Others might get offers to buy relaxing music or a more comfortable mattress (with Zeo getting a chunk of the revenue if users acted on these offers).
It’s through these integrations that Zeo plans to make most of its money moving forward, says Rubin. The company’s original system sold for $399, went down to $199, and will drop to $149 once the mobile version comes out. Sleep Manager Mobile, which will be available for sale in late October, will cost $99. (For those who aren’t fond of the headband, which can slip off during the night, Zeo also offers a stick-on version that you can affix directly to your forehead.) “Hardware margins are not wonderful,” says Rubin. “Instead of trying to make money on hardware all the time, we’re moving into the world of what else we can do for you to help you manage sleep.”
Zeo has deals with wellness-focused partners like Boston-based FitnessKeeper, which uses the Zeo data to help users of its RunKeeper app see how their sleep affects their runs. It has similar partnerships that integrate sleep data with calorie-counting and calorie-burning apps and personal health management mobile applications. Rubin says he sees this all pointing to the mobile phone becoming a personal health coach. “The phone is going to remain at the center of your health and wellness life,” he says. “We’re going to do sleep really well, and be the experts in sleep.”
