It was an auspicious time to be getting into the brain-training business. Another co-founder was David Drescher, who oversaw the company’s products and technology. Then he left school after a few years to start Lumos Labs with Kunal Sarkar, a fellow Princeton alumnus who had been working at a private equity firm. While Lumos Labs, Theranos, and Zenefits all have different business models and answer to different regulatory agencies, their newly public struggles have helped spur regulators, investors, and customers to more closely scrutinize the claims of startups, health-related and otherwise.Īfter graduating from Princeton University in 2001, Michael Scanlon moved to Palo Alto to study neuroscience at Stanford University his research centered around how environmental conditions and certain behaviors affect the brain. And it was an example of a startup whose buzz and private valuations rose sharply despite such questionable evidence. It was a cautionary tale for a cottage industry that’s risen sharply despite debatable scientific evidence that the products actually work. It was a stumble for a company that had, up until that point, been a bright light in the booming online brain-training game industry. Earlier this year, the company settled the charges by paying $2 million into a fund for refunds, though it’s by no means going away or giving up - it has a new CEO at the helm and a plan to create new games and bring on more customers. And it just seems like games, but it’s serious brain training.”īut these claims sounded a little too rosy to the Federal Trade Commission, which cited these and other ads in alleging that Lumos Labs, the maker of Lumosity, preyed on people’s fears with non-scientifically validated claims. “But it’s harder to take care of my brain. Control and improve your memory with, the personal trainer for your brain.”Ī TV spot offered similar reassurances. “Most people find that memory declines with age. “Can you remember the name of that song you just heard?” one announcer asked Pandora listeners. And they were persuasive: Playing Lumosity games would do your brain good. ![]() The ads were pervasive, popping up on CNN, Fox News, NPR, and Google searches.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |