October 21, 2025
The wellness technology sector has been dealing with a fundamental problem for years: high initial sales followed by product abandonment rates that would make any CEO nervous and this isn’t just anecdotal evidence but actual data showing that standalone wellness devices struggle to keep users engaged past the first few months which creates a massive retention challenge for companies trying to build sustainable business models. According to research from Deloitte’s 2025 health tech outlook, standalone wellness devices show user retention rates hovering around 60% after just three months. Pretty terrible when you think about the customer acquisition costs in this space. But integrated platforms that combine hardware with app-based tracking and personalized guidance? Those are showing 40% higher retention, which explains why E-FACTORY GROUP SRL just announced it’s launching a patented next-gen breathing device alongside a companion app for its NoMore® line.
The Italian wellness tech company said last month it’s accelerating global distribution (excluding EU markets) while unveiling plans for the new device and app that’ll track user progress, offer optional clinician oversight, and provide community perks. Not exactly a huge suprise given where the market’s headed. But the timing is interesting.
The Retention Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
Here’s what’s really happening in wellness tech right now. Companies are shipping millions of units – E-FACTORY GROUP itself has moved 50,000+ NoMore® devices globally since 2023 – but the industry’s dirty secret is that alot of these devices end up in drawers after a few weeks. The thing is, this isn’t a new problem.
Market analysis from Grand View Research projects the wellness tech sector hitting $275 billion by 2028, driven primarily by consumer demand for drug-free alternatives and preventative health solutions. Strong growth projections. But when you look at the data on actual sustained usage, the picture gets more complicated and you start seeing why companies are pivoting toward integrated platforms rather than just shipping better hardware. Most consumers buy wellness devices with good intentions and then life gets in the way, routines break down, and the device becomes another piece of unused tech collecting dust.
What’s changed recently is that companies are finally figuring out that the solution isn’t better hardware – it’s better engagement. Apps. Progress tracking. Social proof. Optional professional guidance. All the stuff that turns a one-time purchase into an ongoing relationship.
“We’re seeing increasing demand from customers who want to track their progress and have the option to connect with clinician for guidance,” said Riccardo, CEO of E-FACTORY GROUP SRL. “The data we’re seeing suggests that people stick with wellness routines when they can see their improvement over time, which is fundamentally changing how companies like ours need to approach product development.”
Why the App Integration Trend Matters (and Why Now)
So E-FACTORY GROUP’s move to pair its next-gen device with an app isn’t exactly revolutionary – it’s following a pattern that’s become pretty standard across wellness tech. But here’s where it gets interesting for the broader market.
The company’s focusing on three specific app features: personal progress tracking, optional access to clinicians, and exclusive community perks including discounts and early product access. That combination addresses what McKinsey’s research on the wellness market identifies as the three main drivers of sustained engagement – visible results, professional validation, and community belonging.
Nearly 80% of consumers now prioritize wellness in daily routines according to McKinsey’s data, but the gap between intention and sustained behavior remains massive which is the fundamental challenge every wellness company faces. Which is why we’re seeing this industrywide shift toward integrated platforms rather than standalone products.
“Our advantage isn’t just the 10-minute routine or the portable design – it’s understanding that the market needs ongoing support and validation, not just a device,” Riccardo explained. When customers tell us they’ve avoided sinus surgery or stopped relying on nasal sprays every night, that feedback loop is what keeps them engaged and coming back.”
Look, the shift toward integrated platforms makes sense from a business perspective too. Customer lifetime value goes up dramatically when you move from one-time hardware sales to ongoing app engagement. Especially in tech.
The B2B Angle Nobody’s Talking About
What caught my attention in E-FACTORY GROUP’s announcement was the emphasis on B2B expansion alongside the consumer app launch and this dual-channel approach is getting more common in wellness tech but most companies struggle to execute both well. The company’s seeing early traction with clinics placing multi-unit orders for resale, which suggests they’re positioning NoMore® as both a direct-to-consumer product and a professional-recommended solution.
Research from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America shows over 50 million Americans deal with nasal allergies annually, while millions more struggle with chronic sinus congestion. That’s a massive addressible market, but reaching it requires multiple touchpoints – both consumer marketing and professional endorsement.
The B2B strategy also provides validation that matters in a skeptical market. When clinics are willing to stock and recommend a product, it carries weight that no amount of consumer advertising can match. It’s better than most. E-FACTORY GROUP’s betting that combining clinic distribution with an app that offers optional clinician oversight creates a virtuous cycle – professionals recommend the device, users engage through the app, data validates effectiveness, more professionals buy in.
“The competitive landscape is interesting because everyone’s focused on either pure DTC or pure B2B, while the real opportunity is in serving both channels with different value propositions,” Riccardo noted.
The question becomes whether companies can actually deliver on both consumer and professional expectations simultaneuosly. Different sales cycles. Different value propositions. Different support requirements.
What This Means for the Breathing Wellness Category
The red light therapy space for sinus and breathing wellness is still relatively small compared to other wellness tech categories. But the fundamentals are solid. Harvard Medical School research has validated light therapy applications across various wellness purposes, and consumer preference for drug-free solutions continues accelerating.
E-FACTORY GROUP’s announcement positions them at the intersection of several converging trends: integrated wellness platforms, professional-recommended consumer products, and habit-based health solutions and the timing suggests they’re trying to establish market leadership before larger competitors enter the space. Whether that translates to meaningful market share remains to be seen. But the strategic logic is pretty sound.
The company’s also enhanced packaging integrity, clarified user instructions, and improved onboarding processes to support international expansion – all the operational stuff that matters when you’re scaling but doesn’t make headlines. Which suggests they’re thinking beyond just the announcement to actual execution.
This announcement positions us at the intersection of consumer wellness demand and professional guidance, which is exactly where we want to be as the market matures,” Riccardo said.
The Bigger Industry Picture
What E-FACTORY GROUP’s moves tell us is that wellness tech companies are moving beyond the “ship units and hope for the best” model toward integrated engagement platforms and this shift is happening across the entire sector not just in breathing wellness. The numbers support this shift. Retention matters more than initial sales when customer acquisition costs keep climbing and competition intensifies.
The companion app with optional clinician oversight represents a specific bet about where breathing wellness is headed – toward personalized, trackable, professionally-supported routines rather than standalone devices. Time will tell if that bet pays off. But given the broader market trends and consumer behavior data, it’s not a bad wager.
For the wellness tech sector overall, expect to see more of this kind of integration. Standalone devices are becoming commodity products. The value is shifting to the engagement layer, the data insights, the professional networks, and the community features that keep users coming back. Companies that figure out that combination will likely capture disproportionate market share over the next few years.
E-FACTORY GROUP’s limited early-access beta for non-EU markets suggests they’re testing carefully before full rollout, which makes sense given regulatory complexity and operational challenges of launching integrated platforms across multiple markets. The staged approach lets them validate the model before commiting to massive scale which is smarter than trying to launch everything everywhere at once.
Where this goes next depends partly on execution and partly on how quickly the breathing wellness category matures. But the directional trend is clear – integration wins, standalone loses, and companies that combine hardware, software, and professional networks will define the next phase of wellness tech growth.
About E-FACTORY GROUP SRL
E-FACTORY GROUP SRL, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, develops the NoMore® line of non-invasive, drug-free red-light therapy devices. The company serves customers globally (Europe excluded) through direct-to-consumer channels and selective B2B partnerships, focusing on portable, habit-friendly wellness solutions backed by photobiomodulation research.
Media Contact:
Riccardo, CEO
efactorygroupsrl@gmail.com
Website: https://try-nomore.com
