We create digital tools for behavior change.
Hoa's Tool Shop provides tools for a wide range of professionals working with behavior change - psychologists, organization consultants, therapists and coaches. We make your work measurable and more effective, and the client's process of behavior change easier, more fun, social and rewarding.
Our products are firmly grounded in behavioral science, and the company is closely tied to pioneer research on digitally distributed psychological treatment at Linköping University. The research is led by one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, Professor Gerhard Andersson.
Hoa's Tool Shop is based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Honors & awards:
- Nominated for Sweden's Golden Mobile awards 2011 in the health category.
- Honorable mention in Wall Street Journal's pick of Stockholm startups
- Selected as one of the most promising startup companies in Europe by Wired Magazine.
- Selected as one of the top web entrepreneurial companies in Sweden by Internet World.
- Selected as one of 16 european companies to participate in Seedcamp Stockholm.
- Selected as one of nine swedish companies to receive a €30.000 Vinn-Nu innovation grant by Vinnova.
HoasToolShop:
Tonight at the office - the Health Hack Day competition is in full swing! http://t.co/DVcx1A9c
Viary helps professionals reinforce, track and maintain behavior change.
Viary is an iPhone and web based tool for professionals working with behavior change. The iPhone application makes your work a natural part of the client's every day life, and makes it easier for your client to remember, perform, and register key behaviors.
Using Viary's web interface you can track the client's progress in real time, compile statistics over time and use micro communication to reinforce your client's behavior change between sessions.
Two academic pilot studies have already been conducted on the application prototype, and a full scale study will be carried out in 2011.
Make science of your life
A talk on how smartphones and scientific method can help us experiment with our lives and build smarter organizations. Click to learn more...
Recent updates from our blog
Zombies, Run! VS Nike Fuelband
Start the app Zombies, Run! when you’re about to go on a run, and your music will be mixed up with radio messages about you being chased by zombies. The app is similar to an audio book for workouts, with a story based on you being named “Runner 5″, who have to run to find [...]
Here are the contestants for Health Hack Day
We got loads of applications from extremely talented people from all over the world. Choosing the ten teams that will compete in Health Hack Day wasn’t easy but here they are:
Hacking the office
Even though our offices are very nice to begin with, we’re really hoping to take them to the next level during Health Hack Day. But, since none of us are interior decorators we’ve called in the troops from Konstfack to help us out. So, we are super proud to introduce the two wonderfully talented designers [...]
How to keep a weight your satisfied with (spoiler: it’s not nutrition)
Read this amazing article about the Weight Watchers’ new points program a few months ago and one quote has stuck with me ever since:
Space travel, Sidekick Studios and dub step mayhem in London
We decided we needed a change of scenery – so we went to London for a week! Or to be honest, we had a few legitimate reasons to go there.
Apply now for Health Hack Day!
If you’re a designer, developer or just a person whit ideas and talented friends you should visit Health Hack Day and apply for the worlds first Health Hack Day. Health Hack Day is a weekend to celebrate the field of health tech. Between the 18-20 of May we will have inspiring talks, a party and of course a 24 hour hackathon at our office located in the central part of Stockholm.
Creating balance and structure in an unbalanced life
Recently I’ve experienced the downside of having to much stuff going on. I divided my attention between being COO here at Hoa’s, working as a consultant at our other company Psykologifabriken, writing and blogging about my favorite subject, behavior economics, and at the same time finishing my master in psychology.
Welcome to Health Hack Day, Runkeeper!
We’re very happy to announce our first big partner for Health Hack Day: Runkeeper! Runkeeper and Health Graph have always been a big inspiration to us in our work with Viary so we’re very honored that they will join our event in Stockholm and help us and the contestants at Health Hack Day to create the future of personal health.
The world’s first study on a smartphone-based treatment
In February, I will be starting the world’s first scientific psychological study of a smartphone-based treatment. The study is conducted at the University of Linköping, and will investigate whether a completely new treatment for depression, administrated via smartphone, can reduce dysphoria and improve life quality. If you feel low or depressed, and have a smartphone, [...]
Stop blaming yourself, start blaming your context
When change isn’t happening it’s really easy to put the blame on your motivation. Sure it’s an important part but as a matter of fact a lot of people are motivated to change but still have a hard time following through. Instead of thinking that they lack motivation, they should focus on what things in their context can give them that extra push.
My Year In Review: What was shipped in 2011
2011 is coming to an end. This year has been amazing and I would like to summarize it with a Seth Godin-inspired-list: What I shipped in 2011. To ship is to deliver, no matter if people will like it or not. Shipping is trying ideas in the real world instead of just keeping them inside [...]
Instructions for your service should be the last thing to worry about
Lately we have been working a lot with tutorials for both the web interface that psychologists (among others) use and the smartphone app their clients use. We want to make it as easy for both parties to start using Viary.
Introducing the world’s first Health Hack Day
We were so inspired by the Music Hack Day event that we visited in Berlin that we felt we had to do something similar – but for health apps. The result is Health Hack Day!
My favorite bits from Good Morning
This Thursday we went to the event Good Morning. This was a event hosted by the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship which focus on trends, innovation, and of course entrepreneurship.
Introducing: Descriptions
This weekend we pushed a quite significant update of the admin website for Viary!
How your work is different to Usain Bolt
Think back to the last time you got feedback on something you’ve done at work. Or the last time that you gave a co-worker feedback on something he or she has done. For most of us this is really hard because the harsh reality is that we seldom get feedback on what we do.
Three reasons to celebrate
This week is turning out pretty good – and we actually have three reasons to celebrate. Hoa got a big research grant, our sister company turned three – and we’re nominated for an award!
A great thing: Users learning from each other
This morning we had our first Viary breakfast workshop, and what can I say, combining learning with a nice breakfast is a win!
