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Second Heart Inc. (CEO: Yukihiro Ishida, Osaka Office: YUMEARATA, 1F Shin-Osaka Iida Building, 1-5-33 Nishimiyahara, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, hereinafter referred to as Second Heart) is pleased to announce that it has raised funds in its seed round from the Osaka Social Issue Solution Fund No. 2 and angel investors.

Second Heart Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture; CEO: Yukihiro Ishida; hereinafter referred to as Second Heart), which operates a health tech business, is pleased to announce that its cloud-based foot check app "Steplife" has been introduced to the Medical Corporation Ashi no Kai Foot and Walking Clinic Kamata (Location: Ota Ward, Tokyo; Chairman: Masanori Yoshihara; hereinafter referred to as Foot and Walking Clinic Kamata), a pioneer in podiatry treatment.
Second Heart will use this introduction of Steplife as an opportunity to further strengthen its collaboration with Foot and Walking Clinic Kamata and contribute to the advancement of podiatry treatment. In addition, it will continue to expand the functions of Steplife and support the promotion of digital transformation in medical institutions nationwide.

Many people who work in the medical field are thinking about how they can make a bigger contribution to society. What does it take to use medical knowledge and experience to launch a global business and make it a success? Participating in the Start-Up Program may be the catalyst for taking that first step. After meeting people from ASEAN, Yukihiro Ishida launched a business to prevent foot amputations for diabetic patients, and participated in the 8th Start-Up program. We asked him how his experiences and encounters there led to the development of his business and his personal growth.

Representative director Ishida Yukihiro has worked as a clinical engineer supporting dialysis for 20 years and has seen around 300 diabetic patients.
He says he has even seen some patients who were forced to have their feet amputated.
Based on this experience, Ishida has begun an initiative aimed at eliminating foot amputations. Utilizing his knowledge as a clinical engineer, he has developed a foot check app that allows medical professionals and patients to work together to manage foot information, a VR education system for diabetic patients, and protective socks to prevent foot amputations due to trauma.

In May 2012, we released the app "Steplife", which digitizes the foot check. The increase in diabetes and its relationship with loneliness among the elderly are attracting social attention. In particular, the lack of awareness among diabetic patients in self-management is a problem. Therefore, Steplife, which offers a groundbreaking approach to diabetes management, is attracting attention. This app is the first of its kind in the world and is also related to work style reforms in the medical field and the 2024 problem. It is supervised by a diabetic specialist and a nurse specializing in foot care, and strengthens communication with patients, enabling early problem detection. Therefore, it is expected to reduce the risk of complications and reduce the medical burden.