Bewe: Reprogramming eating habits with games

Bewe (formerly Neuria) is a Swiss health tech start-up from Fribourg that uses game design to influence the reward centers in the brain with its app. The result: 30 percent less cravings and consumption of unhealthy foods, two ongoing pilot projects with a health insurer, a French-speaking Swiss hospital, and a vacation from unhealthy habits. The two co-founders Frédérik Plourde (CEO) and Lucas Spierer (CSO) can now count on 11 employees.

In an interview around a year ago, Neuria, now known as Bewe was still in the proof-of-concept phase. Today, two projects are underway, one with a Health Insurance and another with a hospital in French-speaking Switzerland. The app is available on a subscription basis and is designed to encourage users to play for five to ten minutes a day for at least three weeks.

According to the startup and scientific publications, 95 percent of participants reported a 30 percent reduction in cravings for and consumption of unhealthy foods. The aim of the Action Game routine is to repeatedly create a conflict between the natural craving for junk food and the task of resisting it in a time-limited context, which ultimately changes the brain’s reaction to these foods.

The first mobile game based on neuroscience combats cravings on a neuronal level and helps to develop lasting, healthier eating habits in a fun way.

What has happened in the meantime?

1. name and financing

The company now operates under the name Bewe (formerly Neuria) and has received a total of over CHF 1.2 million in funding, including Venture Kicks, Future of Health Grant, Innosuisse, University of Fribourg, CHUV, FIT tech, Promotion Fribourg, Biopole and angel investors, to further develop the commercial alpha version and expand sales and marketing.

2. pilot projects in concrete implementation

Since July 2025, the two announced pilot projects have been running with the integration of the app into a health insurer’s prevention programs and its use as a supplementary tool for consumption-related illnesses in hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland.

3. scientific progress and validation

Bewe uses a neurocognitive training system based on around 15 years of research, which has been patented and integrated into mobile games. The aim is to permanently rewire the reward systems in order to reduce cravings in the long term.

4. effects and measurements from 4 double-blind randomized studies in the laboratory with over 550 participants

In initial studies, the app shows after 3 weeks with 5-10 minutes of playtime daily:

• up to 28 percent less consumption of unhealthy foods,
• 21 percent less cravings
• and 95 percent of users report effects that last longer than six months, without strict diets or great willpower.

What happens next?

Bewe has made the transition from start-up to marketable solution by changing its name, securing funding, launching two important pilot projects and achieving measurable success in initial user studies.

The subscription model (CHF 60 per month) will initially focus on partnerships with insurers, clinics and healthcare professionals with direct human support and follow-up. With a pipeline of over CHF 34 million in prospect and a commercial launch in Switzerland and the US in the near future, Bewe is poised for growth. With sustainable solutions for overweight people, Bewe aims to revolutionize the CHF 1 billion weight loss app market. With Europe and the United States as its main markets, the startup plans to launch a direct-to-consumer version without human interaction by early 2026, which will be available to everyone for around USD 15 per month.

What remains the same – and what has changed?

The gamified subscription model with a daily application time of 5-10 minutes over at least three weeks has remained the same. New are existing pilot projects with a health insurer and a hospital in western Switzerland in practical application as well as the first measurable effect: a significant reduction in cravings and consumption behavior.

Status today vs. one year ago

Outlook

Bewe is in the transition from the proof-of-concept phase to the pilot phase and soon to the beta phase: the app is now integrated into real prevention structures and initial clinical experience is being incorporated into the optimization process. With growing interest from international partners and imminent series financing, the company remains on course for scaling.

Binci Heeb

Read also: Neuria: No more cravings for sweets thanks to gaming app