Jéssica Vázquez Fernández was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 15 years ago. She explains that more and more people, like her, suffer from some type of diabetes. Luckily, she indicates that there are also more and more resources available to combat this chronic disease that requires specific care and nutrition. Both realities led Vázquez to consider entrepreneurship in this field.
The entrepreneur explained her idea at a meal with two friends. The partner of one of them, Juanfran Cano Romero, was enthusiastic about the proposal from the first moment. Even though neither of them had previous experience in the world of entrepreneurship, they decided to jump into the pool. “We are not the typical entrepreneurs, but we saw the opportunity and we really wanted to promote a business project on our own,” recalls Cano. For the co-founder, “after a long time working for multinationals and large companies, this new project involves leaving the comfort zone and accepting a personal and professional challenge that I face with great desire and enthusiasm.”
Vázquez and Cano formed the startup Diabify at the end of 2022, after first carrying out a feasibility study. This online store with products for the treatment, prevention and management of diabetes has been operational since May 2023, a year that closed with sales of 42,000 euros in the nine months that the platform was operational. They market third-party products, especially food, “because it is one of the categories that causes the most headaches for people with diabetes,” explains Vázquez. Based in Barcelona, ??they distribute throughout the national territory, where an important part of the products they sell also come from.
The launch of Diabify has involved an initial investment of 250,000 euros, half of which has been contributed by two capitalist partners, while the other half comes from an Enisa loan. This year, which will be their first full year, the founders expect to have a turnover of 160,000 euros, although they recognize that the rise in inflation is negatively affecting sales. Despite this, a point in favor of this emerging company is the little competition that exists in Spain.
Cano advances that they plan to launch an investment round to “consolidate the business model and invest in continuing to create a brand.” More in the long term, entrepreneurs do not rule out creating their own brand of products for people with diabetes. To face all these challenges, Vázquez and Cano have the help of the Netmentora network of entrepreneurs and businessmen. At the moment, they do not have employees.