MonsterShack: Digital Therapy Adherence for Children

What if therapy doesn’t fail because of missing knowledge, but because everyday family life gets in the way?

In this interview, Dr. Daniel Voigt, Co-Founder & CEO of MonsterShack (Hamburg), shares how playful digital solutions can fundamentally improve motivation, self-efficacy, and therapy adherence in children. In October 2025, MonsterShack presented their approach at Insuring Digital Health, showcasing how storytelling and serious games can create real impact in prevention and care.

Interview with Dr. Daniel Voigt ((c) Thomas Mohn )

How would you explain your solution to a healthcare professional in three sentences?

MonsterShack develops digital prevention and support solutions for children that playfully strengthen health literacy, self-care, and therapy adherence. Our apps use storytelling, serious games, and positive reinforcement to sustainably anchor health-related routines in families' everyday lives. The solution works across indications and is used B2B2C via health insurance companies, pharmaceutical, and dermocosmetic partners.

MonsterShack Application

What problem motivated you to found MonsterShack?

MonsterShack arose from a very specific care problem: in the dermatology practice of our co-founder Lisanne (Drerup), it became apparent time and again that neurodermatitis is less a failure of available therapies than of their implementation in everyday family life. Regular application of cream is medically simple, but for many families it feels stressful, conflictual, and emotionally burdensome. This motivated us to take action: to strengthen treatment adherence not through instruction, but through motivation, self-efficacy, and joy, making everyday life noticeably easier for both children and parents.

Founding team Lisanne Drerup & Daniel Voigt (c) Thomas Mohn )

How do you convince pharmaceutical companies, health insurance companies, insurers or other potential customers to set up a pilot project with you?

We convince potential partners primarily by emphasizing that MonsterShack is not designed as a traditional digital health tool, but rather as a behavioral science-based experiential world. While many solutions focus on information, tracking, or reminders, we address the real hurdles in prevention and therapy: motivation, routines, and emotional acceptance in everyday life—especially for children. Our USP lies in the combination of storytelling, serious games, and clearly defined health routines. Children take responsibility for their monsters and experience immediate self-efficacy. Parents are relieved without having to control or explain. For partners, this means higher usage, better adherence, and a positive, non-stigmatizing brand experience.

Pilot projects with MonsterShack are deliberately designed to be low-threshold, modular, and evaluable. We can quickly integrate topic-specific applications (e.g., neurodermatitis, sun protection, injection therapies). Pharmaceutical and dermocosmetic companies benefit from emotional support for their therapies, while insurers benefit from sustainable care, prevention, and brand loyalty. In short, MonsterShack creates measurable added value where health behaviors originate: in the everyday lives of families.

Who are your current customers (groups) and who are the potential customers?

Our current customer groups include statutory and private health insurance companies, dermocosmetic brands, and initial pharmaceutical partners who use MonsterShack as a digital companion service for prevention, therapy adherence, and health literacy. We are currently primarily active in the DACH region, with ongoing collaborations in Germany.

Looking ahead, we are targeting health insurance companies, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies in Europe, as well as Scandinavia and France in 2026. Expansion will take place gradually through pilot projects with local partners, adapted to the respective healthcare systems and regulatory frameworks.

Where do you see yourselves in 3 years' time and how can 5-HT support you?

MonsterShack is the established European platform for playful health literacy and therapy adherence in children, with several cross-indication applications. Our solutions are an integral part of preventive and supportive care concepts. 5-HT can support us in this by strategically accompanying us as we enter new European markets and network with relevant partners.

You took part in Oktober 2025 at Insuring Digital Health. What is your impression of the event and what have you gained from participating (so far)?

Insuring Digital Health (IDH) was a focused event with high-quality content for us. The open exchange with health insurance companies in the 1-on-1s was particularly valuable. Participating in the event provided us with concrete contacts to potential partners, valuable feedback on our use cases, and new ideas for collaborations that we are currently pursuing. Overall, IDH was a relevant building block for our network and our strategic development.

Dr. Daniel Voigt, Co-Founder & CEO of MonsterShack, at the 5-HT Insuring Digital Health event in Mannheim in October 2025