K-Staters use AI technology to create next-generation health and nutrition app
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Tony Stark a.k.a. “Iron Man” relies on the
voice inside his helmet to help him communicate with his teammates, track logistics
during a battle, and assess how much damage his superhero suit may have sustained.
That artificial intelligence voice — nicknamed J.A.R.V.I.S. or “Just A Rather Very
Intelligent System” — may be fiction, but it inspires Paraguay-based entrepreneurs
Santiago Racca ’17 and Valeria Rodriguez ’15 with their work on their health app MorFit that interfaces with an AI “coach.”
“We're working on making it seamless to be able to integrate it into your daily life,”
Racca said. “That's why we call it the J.A.R.V.I.S. of personal nutrition, because
it's always helped Tony Stark be able to make good decisions and know what to do or
what to find out. It's definitely a crazy and exciting road. It's also been amazing
to see people become healthier and appreciate all the effort we're putting into providing
them with personalized coaching.”
“We currently have over 600 users, and we are excited to see our hard work paying
off,” adds Rodriguez, MorFit’s first client and later cofounder. “Our goal is to expand
and reach as many countries as possible.”
Racca graduated from K-State with a degree in management, while Rodriguez graduated
with a degree in political science and a minor in leadership studies.
Racca said the idea for Morfit sparked during his time as a student at K-State. In
his junior year, he developed an interest in the science behind the fitness and food
industry and the ways technology could help people reach their health goals.
Although there were already apps available to help people track their progress, he
felt the technology at the time was not up to par with what he thought should be the
ideal user experience.
And so, he decided to build a better app himself.
He learned coding so he could bring his vision to life, and the app launched in 2021.
He said the most important part of the app development process was answering the question:
What makes it hard to be healthy?
As an entrepreneur, it can be easy to get caught up in the design phase and your vision
for a product, but if the end result isn’t user-friendly and doesn’t solve the customer’s
key problem, it won’t be successful.
With today’s fast-paced lifestyle, a health and nutrition app needs to offer a personalized
experience that makes it quick and easy for people to log their information, so they
are motivated to stick with their healthy habits. Racca and Rodriguez also believed
it was key for MorFit to have a social component for those looking for a community
experience.
They have been soliciting feedback on the app and its features from their customers,
so they can make adjustments and more effectively meet users’ needs. The free model
offers basic options, while a premium service offers enhanced features such as unlimited
messages with the AI-powered coach.
As the technology continues to evolve, they hope that clients will be able to use
MorFit to connect with doctors and personal trainers for an integrated and holistic
health management experience.
Racca and Rodriguez are excited to be a part of the growing start-up community in
Paraguay and are looking forward to promoting the network between mentors, coaches
and investors. They are continuing to seek new investors for their MorFit app as they
work to take their business to the next level and revolutionize personal nutrition.
Racca said that Paraguay’s culture of warmth, kindness and family reminds him of his
time in Manhattan, Kansas. He and Rodriguez look back at their time at K-State as
laying a solid foundation for their current success.
“My experience at K-State was awesome,” Rodriguez said, adding that her time here
taught her independence and organizational skills and inspired her to achieve her
goals. “I think I became a more mature person going there,” she said.
While forging a career as an entrepreneur can be daunting, Racca encourages K-State
students to go for it and live their dreams.
“I would advise them to just do it — they could pretty much learn anything they need
to learn on the go,” he said. “Do not try to build the perfect thing at first; do
not waste that time doing that. Just show it to your users, and they will tell you
where you should go.”