What is Mendi?
Mendi is the first clinical-grade brain training product designed for home use. With the headset and app software, Mendi measures activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and stimulates brain function with exercises to help you focus, relax, and more. With Mendi, anyone can train their brain like a muscle, building strength and improving performance.
Last updated: April 15, 2020 06:17
How does it work?
Mendi is the first consumer device of its kind to measure blood flow and oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Studies have shown that regulating blood flow in the PFC can help to address existing conditions, such as ADHD and social anxiety disorder.
The Mendi headset uses infrared light to monitor activity in the front of your brain. The app provides exercises to train your brain, requiring focus and calm to control the game, and subsequently increasing activity in your PFC.
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Are there any additional costs or subscription fees?
Nope, only the one-time cost of the headset (which you need in order to use the app).
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Have there been any clinical trials with Mendi?
Yes! We have concluded our first study with Lennart Högman, a Phd senior researcher and lecturer in the department of psychology at Stockholm University. The results showed that Mendi’s measurement capabilities are on par with clinical-grade technology. The results have been submitted for publication. And we are already underway with planning additional studies.
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How does Mendi compare to Muse?
Great question! There are a few important differences between Mendi and Muse.
First, the technology: Mendi is the first consumer device to measure blood flow and oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which provides a more accurate indicator of brain activity in the area we are working to strengthen. Muse, on the other hand, uses electroencephalography (EEG) which measures electrical activity in your brain from the surface of your scalp.
Second, the impact: Mendi is about strengthening your brain while Muse is about helping you relax (similar to a meditation app). By increasing blood flow to the PFC, you can improve the long-term health of your brain, not only helping you control your state of relaxation, but also helping to focus or process information.
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How does Mendi compare to Halo?
Mendi and Halo employ different methodologies. Mendi uses neurofeedback to provide live, visual feedback through the app based on your brain activity (which is monitored by the headset). This is a natural process to condition the brain to increase blood flow and other nutrients to the prefrontal cortex, which can help to improve brain performance and overall health.
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How do you manage data privacy?
We take privacy and user data very seriously. We are GDPR compliant and all data is only stored locally on your phone by default. We provide all users the option to share data with us so we can continue to improve the service. The data is then stored in aggregate, encrypted and anonymous.
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Who can use Mendi?
Mendi can be used by individuals of all ages. Existing studies show benefits of neurofeedback for adults and children across a variety of conditions, including anxiety, ADHD, and mental fatigue.
We are currently working to build new app exercises to help users train their brain based on different goals. While it is not currently possible to target neurofeedback to address specific mental health issues, we recommend Mendi for health-conscious individuals who are looking to improve their mental fitness (independently or as a result of existing conditions), including focus, relaxation, and energy.
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What funding has Mendi received?
Mendi is backed by government, not-for-profit, and private organizations. Among them, we have received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program; Vinnova, Sweden’s leading innovation agency; and Sting, northern Europe’s leading incubator.
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Why is Mendi doing a Kickstarter campaign?
(We think Moha explains it well in the video at the end of the KS video) Get feedback from Kickstarter community of early tech adopters to help shape the future of Mendi
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What will happen if you are not able to reach your target on Kickstarter?
As with all Kickstarter projects, if we do not reach the goal then no payment is charged. So when you pre-order, you will only be charged when the overall goal is reached and the campaign is finished.
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When do you intend to start real production?
We’re aiming to start mass production later this summer.
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When will you be shipping the devices?
We are aiming to get devices to your doorstep as soon as possible. With mass production starting later this summer, we are aiming to ship devices as early as September. For our early supporters, we’re pushing for it to be even earlier.
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What will the tax/custom implications be?
For customers based in the USA, we will be shipping from within the USA. For customers ordering from everywhere else, we will be shipping devices from the EU. Additional fees may apply depending on where you are in the world.
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How will I claim the Money Back Guarantee if I need to?
When your device is shipped and payment completed, your email confirmation will include information about how to claim your money back guarantee.
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Will I be charged in local currency or USD?
Kickstarter will charge in the project’s main currency which for Mendi campaign is USD. This is how Kickstarter as a platform works and Mendi does not have a say in this. However when we do launch our own e-commerce store we do intend to have multiple currencies available for payment. It is important to remember that Mendi, once in e-commerce, will cost $499, whereas on Kickstarter early birds start from $299.
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When will I be charged?
As with all Kickstarter projects, your payment method will only be charged if the campaign is fully funded after its 30 day period. Depending on your preferred payment method, it is possible for the issuer to reserve funds or put a hold on the card before the end of the campaign. Nevertheless, it will only be charged at the end of the campaign and if it is fully funded.
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Can I change my mind before being charged?
Yes, you can change your mind and remove your pledge before the campaign ends. In this case, you will not be charged.
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How often should I use Mendi to see results?
The app offers training exercises ranging from 3-15 minutes. Continuous use is most important to make a positive impact, starting with just 5-10 minutes 3 times per week.
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Is this a medical device?
Mendi is a health device, not a medical device. We are using clinic-tested technology to make brain training available to consumers.
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Will Mendi enhance dopamine and serotonin as well?
We have not yet conducted studies with Mendi to measure increases in dopamine or serotonin.
Understanding that low dopamine and serotonin levels are often linked with anxiety or depression, we can offer this published study that talks about the positive impact of neurofeedback on people with social anxiety disorder: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30498952/
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Does Mendi use EEG?
Mendi does not use EEG. Instead, our headset is based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology which, among other things, measures blood flow and oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which provides a more accurate indicator of brain activity in the area we are working to strengthen.
If you’re curious to learn more, we recommend this study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30498952/
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Can the headset be used without a phone?
You need both the app and headset to use Mendi. The headset measures your brain activity while you focus on training exercises in the app.
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Does the app need to be connected to WiFi or data for it to work?
Mendi does not require internet/WiFi or data. The headset and app connect via Bluetooth or USB cable if preferred.
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Does Mendi increase alpha or beta frequencies?
Mendi does not use electroencephalography (EEG), which includes alpha and beta frequencies. Rather, Mendi is based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) which measures blood flow and oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and provides a more accurate indicator of brain activity in the area we are working to strengthen.
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Will there be a warranty?
Yes, there will be a 1-year International warranty.
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Are you able to use the app on a computer?
Thank you for asking. While it is not currently possible to use Mendi on a computer, we are looking into adding this functionality in the future. Let us know in the comments if you would find this functionally helpful?
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Will the app be available in different languages or just English?
Great question! At the moment, the app will only be available in English. But we are planning to roll out more languages in future. Let us know in the comment section which languages would you like?
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Will you make the headset in different colors?
Yes! We will have multiple skins for the Mendi device. Let us know in the comments section the color would you like to see us roll out?
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Will there be a microUSB or USB-C charging and cable included?
We had early prototypes made with microUSB but due to demand from backers and community, our team has amended this and confirmed we can upgrade to USB-C charging. So we can confirm USB-C charging and cable will be included.
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Do you have a press kit?
Yes we do! Here is the link to our press kit which includes images: bit.ly/MendiKS
Last updated: April 17, 2020 08:13
What is BackerKit?
BackerKit is a service that crowdfunded project creators use to keep track of hundreds to tens of thousands of backers—from shipping details, pledge levels, preferences and quantities, whether they have paid or had their card declined, special notes, and everything in between!
The BackerKit software and support team is independent from the campaign’s project team—BackerKit does not handle the actual reward shipping. For more information about the preparation or delivery status of your rewards, please check the project's updates page.
How does BackerKit work?
After the campaign ends, the project creator will send you an email with a unique link to your survey. You can check out a walkthrough of the process here.
I never received my invitation. How do I complete the survey?
The most common reasons for not receiving a survey email is that you may be checking an email inbox different from the email address you used to sign up with Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Tilt Pro account, or it may be caught in your spam filter.
Confirm that the email address you are searching matches the email address tied to your Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or Tilt Pro account. If that doesn’t work, then try checking your spam, junk or promotions folders. You can also search for "backerkit” in your inbox.
To resend the survey to yourself, visit the project page and input the email address associated with your Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Tilt Pro account.
How do I update my shipping address?
BackerKit allows you to update your shipping address until the shipping addresses are locked by the project creator. To update your address, go back to your BackerKit survey by inputting your email here.
When will my order be shipped, charged or locked?
That is handled directly by the project creator. BackerKit functions independently of the project itself, so we do not have control of their physical shipping timeline. If you want to check on the project’s status, we recommend reading over the project's updates page.
I completed the survey, but haven't received my rewards yet. When will they arrive?
As BackerKit does not actually handle any rewards or shipping, the best way to stay updated on the shipping timeline would be to check out the project's updates page.