Sleep.ai is a company transforming how the world understands and improves sleep by combining decades of clinical science with AI-powered technology. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Sleep.ai CEO Colin Lawlor to gain a deeper understanding of the company’s vision, data-driven platform, and the role of its B2B API in reshaping sleep health.
Colin Lawlor’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Lawlor said:
“My journey started in marketing at Trinity College Dublin, where I graduated in 1989. I began at Guinness, learning the details of marketing, but soon realized I wanted to do something that could create a broader impact. During my five years in management consulting, my mentor posed questions about how we could increase output by getting more sleep. It stuck with me, and I found my passion in health and wellness, especially sleep technology.”
“My personal motivation grew stronger when my father, diagnosed with terminal cancer, survived 14 years by prioritizing rest and medical advice. This experience reinforced my belief in sleep’s powerful role in transformation. I joined BiancaMed, a sleep-focused startup, which was later acquired by ResMed. Back then, society thought ‘sleep was for wimps, ’ and we had to convince people that it mattered. Now with Sleep.ai, I am committed to helping people understand and improve their sleep, knowing with more certainty every day that better sleep leads to better health, performance, and overall quality of life.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Lawlor shared:
“From inside ResMed, I had access to the latest research and data, and it was abundantly clear that as many as half of the population struggle with their sleep. They don’t get enough, or they struggle to get the quality of sleep they need. We ran a lot of consumer research. We saw tired, weary people, struggling to understand what they should do. One poor person was trying to hold down multiple jobs to feed her family and had to resort to sleeping aids, even for her kids. Like many people, she tried solution after solution but never found the answer.”
“We had to do something. I realized that sleep is incredibly complex and involves many factors; that different conditions require different treatments. I also learned that there is only one sleep doctor for every 43,000 people in the U.S. and that the average primary care doctor only studies sleep for 2-3 hours. With a problem this big and this complex, only technology could help. We needed a way to gather detailed data and connect people to personalized solutions. Ones that would work for them with confidence, but outside of medical solutions, there was very little scientific evidence.”
“By partnering with Pegasus Capital Partners and Dr. Oz through his TV show, we spun out Sleep Score Labs. Our primary mission was to gather high-quality sleep data and combine it with evidence on solutions, so that we could connect each person to the right solutions for them.”
“We made a strategic acquisition of a sleep AI tech company seven years ago (long before AI became this popular!). Our aim was to create deep, predictive models that help people understand and enhance their sleep using data-driven, scientifically supported insights. Today, with 840 million hours of sleep data and over 250 intervention studies, we’ve evolved into Sleep.ai, ready to help millions sleep better.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Lawlor reflected:
“That happens almost every week. If you attend an event, dinner party, or conference, people often ask what you do, and when you tell them, a long line forms, and you end up spending the rest of your evening explaining what you do.”
“Seeing the “penny drop” moment when someone realizes that sleep influences so many aspects of their health and that we can help them improve is incredibly rewarding. We’re not just collecting data; we’re helping people understand their sleep and empowering them to understand and make positive changes. Whether it’s helping someone see why they crave sugar when tired or jet-lagged or showing how sleep impacts overall wellness, these personal transformations help people see hope and identify pathways towards the right solutions for them.”
“Each milestone—from collecting our first million hours of data to completing clinical trials—has been exciting. But ultimately, you can’t do anything without a team, and we are blessed with an amazing group of people who wake up every day to make sure that people get the sleep they need, high-performing teams work together in the most amazing ways, and just never give up.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Lawlor explained:
“We help people unlock the power of sleep through proven data and tools. For health & wellness apps, we provide the sleep intelligence and tools they need to unlock better results and drive better retention. Think about it. From weight loss to mental health, fitness to women’s health, chronic disease management, and all things in between, sleep is a core driver. Think of us as Sleep.ai inside the health & wellness apps that work. Our R&D services assist companies in developing sleep-improving solutions by leveraging our extensive data. We’ve collaborated with great companies like International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) and Therabody to develop specific ingredients that boost sleep quality.”
“Second, we offer reimbursed digital services, such as our Dein Schlaf app in Germany, which provides accurate sleep measurement using sonar technology. This service is now covered by all statutory health insurance companies (>74 million people), demonstrating our commitment to leveraging sleep as one of the most powerful preventative health tools. Consumers outside Germany can use our SleepScore app, which is still available.”
“Ultimately, we’re offering more than just a product—a smart platform that connects people to the right sleep solutions tailored to their individual needs.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Lawlor acknowledged:
“We started with a $200 device to measure sleep and quickly realized that we would never reach one billion people if we required them all to use the same bedside device. This led to a breakthrough, which means we can collect highly accurate sleep data from everyone with a smartphone, initially via our sonar technology, but then via wearables, nearables, and the phones themselves. Now we can liberate reliable and accurate sleep data for anyone with a smartphone. This is key because everyone has their own preferences – for us, we know the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system, which means we also know how to use the data to help people get better sleep – after all, that is what they really want.”
“Another significant challenge was building credibility in a market flooded with unsubstantiated health claims. We overcame this by investing heavily in scientific research—completing over 90 scientific publications, conducting and publishing randomized controlled trials and peer-reviewed papers, always maintaining rigorous evidence-based standards. By prioritizing science over marketing, we’ve built trust with partners and consumers who are tired of ‘snake oil’ promises.”
“Our strategy has always been to make complex sleep data accessible and actionable, turning potential obstacles into opportunities for innovation.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Lawlor noted:
“Our technology has advanced significantly through the collection of data, analytics, and the application of AI. We began with data from our own devices and then expanded to our app, utilizing sonar technology, which significantly increased our data volume. We then opened our platform to accept data from all wearables, further expanding our insights. Today, we also collect data from all phones, allowing us to understand how a person sleeps, even if they have never been tracked before.”
“Today, we have 840 million hours of sleep data, amounting to tens of billions of data points. No human or spreadsheet could process this volume, making AI essential. We’ve developed increasingly complex predictive models that extract meaningful insights about sleep patterns, lifestyle factors, and personalized interventions.”
“Our AI now goes beyond simply measuring sleep; it can also understand the environmental and behavioral factors that affect sleep quality. We’ve built models that can predict and screen for specific conditions like sleep apnea and insomnia, using data people already have at home.”
“The key evolution has been transforming raw data into actionable, personalized insights. We’re not just gathering information; we’re creating a sophisticated platform that helps millions understand and improve their sleep through advanced, evidence-based AI models.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Lawlor cited:
“There are quite a few, but approval by the German healthcare system for reimbursement of our digital sleep improvement service is special. This marks a groundbreaking moment in preventative healthcare, with the second-largest healthcare system in the world mandating investment in sleep as a core prevention tool.”
“Other key milestones include completing a randomized controlled trial that scientifically validated our sleep improvement methods, expanding our data collection to over 600 wearables, and growing our sleep data to 840 million hours. We’ve also published over 90 scientific publications, establishing ourselves as a leader in sleep science.”
“Our partnerships have been crucial, too. Working with companies like International Flavors and Fragrances to develop sleep-improving ingredients and creating a reimbursed service in Germany that helps citizens improve their sleep demonstrates our commitment to making a meaningful impact.”
“These milestones reflect our core mission: to build an evidence-based platform that helps millions of people understand and improve their sleep through advanced, scientifically validated technology.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Lawlor highlighted:
“Two customer success stories stand out. With IFF, we helped them develop sleep-improving ingredients by analyzing our extensive data. We discovered fascinating insights, for instance, that different lavender strains can either improve or disrupt sleep. This collaboration is now leading to the commercialization of sleep-enhancing products in consumer goods worldwide.”
“Another notable success is with Therabody, a premium athletic recovery company. We worked together to develop and validate their sleep-improving masks using massage techniques. By leveraging our data and scientific approach, we helped them create products that genuinely enhance sleep quality.”
“These partnerships exemplify our approach: we don’t just provide data but work closely with companies to develop scientifically validated solutions. Our goal is to help partners create products that can meaningfully improve people’s sleep and overall health.”
“The most rewarding aspect is the potential to help hundreds of millions of people improve their sleep through innovative, evidence-based solutions.”
Funding
When asking Lawlor about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“We’ve raised about $15 million in funding since becoming an independent, venture-backed startup. What makes our approach unique is that we’ve been generating revenue from the start, which allows us to be strategic about our growth and go a long way with limited funding.”
“Our revenue is currently growing strongly year-over-year, and we’re at an exciting inflection point. We’re experiencing significant growth in our APIs and reimbursed services in Germany, with several major insurance partnerships set to launch in the upcoming quarter.”
“The goal is to build the world’s leading sleep.ai platform, which can genuinely help millions improve their sleep through intelligent, personalized solutions by supporting the companies that reach and service them.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Lawlor assessed:
“Sleep is the biggest market of all. Every one of 8.25 billion people sleeps every day, and more than half struggle. More than 4 billion people already have the technology we need to help them (a smartphone in their pocket). However, we are focused on three major use cases within this, and the addressable market is at least $2.5 billion. First, our APIs for health and wellness apps represent a market exceeding $1 billion. Second, our R&D services for companies developing sleep-improving solutions are valued at around $500 million. Third, our reimbursed digital health services have a potential market of about $1 billion.”
“But this is just the start. We see additional untapped markets in areas such as hospitality, travel, and specialized health outcomes, including oncology therapy timing and the influence of sleep on various medical treatments. Our data could create value in sectors we’re only beginning to explore.”
“What makes our approach unique is that we’re not just offering a product but an intelligent platform that can be integrated across multiple industries. With 840 million hours of sleep data, we’re positioned to help companies understand and leverage the vital role of sleep in health, performance, and wellness.”
“Our ultimate goal is to be the world’s leading sleep AI platform, reaching hundreds of millions of people through personalized, scientifically validated solutions.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Lawlow affirmed:
“People are tired of snake oil in every part of health. They hear all the claims, and many have even tried the products or services (especially in the area of sleep), but they don’t see the scientific evidence and rigor they want. Serious companies in the space face a similar challenge: they want to build, develop, and market better products, but struggle with the data and sleep science they need. That is why our key differentiator is our strong commitment to scientific rigor and evidence-based solutions. While many companies make bold sleep claims, we’ve published over 90 scientific papers and conducted extensive clinical trials to validate our approach.”
“We have built a consumer panel of more than 96,000 people who have consented to participate in sleep research, so we can identify specific sleep issues effectively and quickly work with partners to test interventions to gather scientific data on performance. We can do this quickly.”
“We’ve also set ourselves apart by making our technology easy to integrate. Our APIs and SDKs allow health and wellness apps to quickly add top-tier sleep insights without needing to build complex systems from scratch. We’re not just offering a product but creating a partner ecosystem dedicated to improving sleep health.”
“Most importantly, we refuse to make promises we can’t keep. We deliver robust, scientifically validated solutions, emphasizing expertise over marketing hype. Our goal is to become the most trusted, evidence-based sleep intelligence platform in the world.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Lawlor emphasized:
“We want to continue to grow the world’s leading sleep AI platform, reaching hundreds of millions of people through our APIs and reimbursed services. We’re focused on expanding our data sets to develop even more advanced predictive models that can help people improve their sleep.”
“In the near term, we’re launching predictive screening models for sleep disorders like apnea and insomnia, using data people already have at home. We want to make it easier for individuals to understand their sleep health and connect them with appropriate interventions for them – ultimately all highly personalized.”
“Our broader goal is to be the sleep intelligence platform integrated into the apps people already use—whether it’s mental health, fitness, diabetes management, or chronic disease apps. By demonstrating how sleep impacts various health outcomes, we can help millions live longer, healthier lives.”
“Ultimately, we aim to gather more data, develop more sophisticated AI models, and create a cycle where better insights lead to better sleep, which in turn generates even more valuable data. Our mission is to transform sleep from an overlooked aspect of health into a vital driver of overall wellness.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Lawlor concluded:
“One key point I want to highlight is the importance of making sleep technology accessible and easy to implement. While we have strong scientific capabilities, we are equally committed to ensuring our solutions are practical and user-friendly.”
“For our partners in mental health, diabetes, fitness, and chronic disease management, we have simplified the way they can see how sleep affects their specific results. Our APIs and SDKs enable quick integration, so companies don’t have to start from scratch.”
“For consumers, we understand that meaningful change takes time. You can’t change your sleep overnight, so we offer actionable, personalized insights that help people make sustainable improvements. It’s about making progress step by step, whether that’s understanding your unique sleep issues or gradually improving sleep quality.”
“Ultimately, our mission goes beyond technology – we are helping people see that sleep isn’t just passive downtime, but an active, vital part of health, performance, and overall well-being. By making sleep data accessible and actionable, we can help millions lead healthier, more productive lives.”
