{"id":30089,"date":"2026-09-28T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/?p=30089"},"modified":"2026-09-25T11:50:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T09:50:47","slug":"the-pilot-is-just-the-beginning-bewe-css","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/the-pilot-is-just-the-beginning-bewe-css\/","title":{"rendered":"The pilot is just the beginning: What Bewe and CSS Teach Us About True Digital Health Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"
Thanks to neuroscience, the Bewe app reduces binge eating.<\/span><\/div>\n\n

The Bewe app addresses a very specific problem: It\u2019s designed to help people reduce binge eating by using digital exercises\u2014based on more than fifteen years of neuroscience research\u2014to combat cravings for certain foods. The fact that such a solution is scientifically effective is one thing; whether it proves its worth in the day-to-day operations of insurers and healthcare providers is another. That was precisely the focus of the pilot project with CSS, and the insights gained from it show how a test can evolve into a genuine partnership. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

As part of Phase Three of the Future of Health Grant<\/a> (FoHG), Bewe<\/a> has moved from clinical evidence to real-world validation. Approximately eighty CSS policyholders tested the app as part of the insurance company\u2019s health coaching program. That initial large-scale pilot has since been followed by others, including one with FoHG partner Ensemble Hospitalier de la C\u00f4te. Barnab\u00e9 Delarze, Head of Growth at Bewe, makes a clear distinction between a study and a pilot: Randomized studies show that the intervention works. The pilot assesses whether it can be easily implemented, fits into existing workflows, and creates value for all stakeholders. <\/p>\n\n

Why Pilots Are Valuable to Insurers<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n

For Jade Sternberg, Open Innovation Manager at CSS<\/a> and the person in charge of the Future of Health Grant, pilot programs offer a structured method for identifying and validating innovative solutions for policyholders. As part of the health coaching program, CSS can thus assess how digital tools complement human coaching and where they enhance its own service portfolio. <\/p>\n\n

The Bewe pilot ran for a little over a year, accompanied by close collaboration between the teams. Participants were recruited through the CSS program\u2019s coaches as well as through readers of a CSS Magazine article, and both groups showed positive results. Those who had closer contact with the coaching team benefited even more, demonstrating the value of hybrid models that combine digital solutions with human support. <\/p>\n\n

Measurable results instead of gut feelings<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n

Among Bewe\u2019s key metrics is the internally developed \u201cCraving Delta,\u201d which measures changes in cravings for specific foods, supplemented by user satisfaction and retention. Regular feedback from the pilot has significantly improved the product, from simplified onboarding to new reminder features. Next, Bewe and CSS plan to jointly develop more robust indicators to systematically assess cost-effectiveness, operational acceptance, and scalability within the Swiss healthcare system. <\/p>\n\n

The real challenge begins after the start<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n

According to Delarze, the first pilot is usually the most difficult because it requires trust\u2014something the Future of Health Grant helped foster through its mediation. The biggest hurdle after that is that a new solution can quickly fall by the wayside in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even after the pilot has gotten underway. Keeping the relationship alive is more challenging than the launch itself. CSS also had to be patient, as startups and insurers operate at different paces, and contractual issues surrounding data protection and access rights, in particular, required ongoing dialogue. <\/p>\n\n

The Way Out of the Pilot’s Purgatory<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n

Many startups get caught in what\u2019s known as \u201cPilot Purgatory\u201d: projects pile up one after another without ever reaching market readiness. Delarze sees the solution in relationships and structure: If both sides are motivated and the solution delivers on its promises, a way forward can be found\u2014even if goals and metrics for truly innovative solutions can rarely be clearly defined in advance. <\/p>\n\n

From Pilot to Partnership<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n

Bewe is now transitioning the CSS pilot into a broader commercial partnership and, at the same time, preparing additional pilot projects. Structured, repeatable pilots are also crucial for CSS because they provide comparable real-world evidence and help accelerate future decision-making. Starting this summer, CSS policyholders will be able to purchase the Bewe app at a discount through the company\u2019s in-house health store, enjoy365<\/a> \u2014a concrete example of how a successful pilot is not an end in itself, but can open the door to commercial partnerships and wider adoption. Delarze\u2019s takeaway for other startups: It\u2019s worth investing time in the right projects with the right partners.i <\/p>\n\n

Binci Heeb<\/p>\n\n

See also: Neuria (now Bewe): Thanks to a gaming app, I no longer crave<\/a>sweets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bewe app addresses a very specific problem: It\u2019s designed to help people reduce binge eating by using digital exercises\u2014based on more than fifteen years of neuroscience research\u2014to combat cravings […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5100,5134],"tags":[14155,6081,6366,8041,11408,14154,7605,5417,6936,14156,9929,14157,5255,12910,9493,5356],"class_list":["post-30089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current","category-general","tag-beginning","tag-cooperation-en","tag-css-en","tag-digital-en","tag-effect","tag-food","tag-future-of-health-grant-en","tag-insurer","tag-move","tag-neuroscience-research","tag-pilot","tag-pilot-purgatory","tag-scalability-en","tag-startup","tag-teaching","tag-the-challenge","ownarticle"],"acf":[],"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":"Thanks to neuroscience, the Bewe app reduces binge eating.","source_text":"","source_url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30089"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31365,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30089\/revisions\/31365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}