How does becoming a TFHC Partner help you realize your international ambitions? Even when, in your first year, a pandemic strikes? Tover decided to become a Partner in early 2020. Back then, nobody knew about the enormous consequences COVID-19 would have for the world and international business. Still, Tover’s first year as a TFHC Partner turned out to be valuable.
Tover (formerly known as ActiveCues) strives to create a more caring and inclusive world for those of us who live with cognitive challenges, for instance, because of dementia. Tover develops serious games that have proven to make a positive impact on their quality of life. Their products are gaining traction in several foreign markets.
We asked Tover’s Sjoerd Wennekes (International New Business manager) and Netty de Graaf (International Sales Director) about their international journey, and how they have benefited from the TFHC Partnership so far.
The challenge
Tover’s well-known Tovertafel allows for purposeful play for people with cognitive challenges of all ages. After launching the Tovertafel in The Netherlands in 2015, Tover soon received requests from all over the world but Tover started its foreign business in Belgium, United Kingdom and Denmark. Sjoerd Wennekes started the first steps and Netty de Graaf was hired to support this business development and the international roll-out of Tovertafel.
In this time Sjoerd Wennekes attended many conferences and events to grow Tover’s international network. “As soon as you start your international journey as a Dutch organization in Life Sciences & Health, you encounter TFHC,” says Sjoerd. “They provided us with relevant information and contacts and invited us to interesting events. It was a very warm welcome.”
After they had been familiar with Task Force Health Care for several years, they became a TFHC Partner. Like TFHC, Tover believes in sustainable partnerships. Sjoerd: “We became a Partner to secure the collaboration with TFHC and make them an integral part of our international journey. Our ambition? Once we reach our 10-year mark, we want to reach 1 million players daily.”
“This gave us the unique opportunity to present our solution and generate new business.”
The approach
Tover took part in several TFHC activities before becoming a partner. Netty tells us the Paris Healthcare Week (SantExpo) in 2019 with former Minister Bruno Bruins proved to be a great opportunity to expand Tover’s network. Sjoerd points out the trade mission to Germany in 2018, accompanied by His Majesty Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, was highly valuable. “We visited several care homes, took part in matchmaking sessions and we had the opportunity to pitch our solution,” Sjoerd says. “For instance, we presented to a major German healthcare provider in elderly care. This resulted in a lot of new business.”
Since then, Tover continued to make a name for themselves in Germany. Netty: “TFHC invited us to meet delegations of German Bundesländer who were interested in dementia care. This gave us the unique opportunity to present our solution and generate new business.”
TFHC’s activities have continued during the pandemic. “The digital events are very useful,” says Netty. “We participated in the digital mission to the UK, which allowed us to connect with local stakeholders in spite of the COVID-19 chaos.”
The benefit
What has been the biggest benefit of working with TFHC so far? “Tover’s Partnership with TFHC gives us the opportunity to connect with stakeholders we would otherwise never meet,” says Netty. We are proud to help such a promising company find its way abroad. If you are interested in gaining access to our global network and building relationships with healthcare stakeholders, find out more about becoming a TFHC partner.
If you want to know how a TFHC Partnership can help you boost your international journey, feel free to contact Task Force Health Care via info@tfhc.nl
