Why we exist
Three years ago, Josh's father was diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. For years before that, he knew something was wrong — but fragmented care across three countries meant crucial information never made it to the right doctor at the right time.
During treatment, he tracked everything in a meticulous Excel sheet. His doctors appreciated it. They never had time to read it.
That gap — between what patients live, what they can communicate, and what clinicians can act on — costs lives.
The current state of UK healthcare
People with chronic health conditions feel these pressures the most. Having to explain a complex health history (often spanning multiple conditions) in the same ten-minute window as everyone else leads to incomplete consultations, missed context, and mounting frustration on both sides of the desk.
Our mission
"Yarn empowers every person to take ownership of their health journey and communicate it with confidence."
Listen first, structure later
You can speak naturally and share what matters in your own words. Yarn organises what you say, making it easier to record the details without filling in forms.
Your data stays yours
Patient data is encrypted and stored under UK GDPR laws. You can export or delete everything, anytime.
Prepare, don't replace
Yarn helps patients and clinicians prepare for their conversations. We believe technology should support the care they give and receive, without replacing it.
Built with users
Patients and practising clinicians have shaped every feature in Yarn. We work with them throughout development instead of relying on focus groups or assumptions.
Reflect, don't interpret
Yarn brings together what you've said without interpreting it. Clinicians use that record to inform their judgement.
The people behind Yarn
Clinicians, designers and engineers working together to make care less fragmented. Many of us have lived with chronic conditions, and those experiences shape how we build Yarn.
Josh Williams
Co-Founder"Keeping the user at the heart of a project is critical"
Anne Lee
Co-Founder"No one should be too complicated to be seen"
Josh Reynolds
Co-Founder"Yarn exists because of a community generous enough to share their experiences and strong enough to face chronic illness every day"
Krzysztof Wancerski
Co-Founder"Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection"
Stefan Saar
Co-Founder"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
Supporting Specialists
Dr Suzie
"You'll often be halfway through and think, 'hang on, no one's actually diagnosed you with IBS — you're just telling me you've got IBS.' You have to always start from the beginning of the symptoms."
Tristan Taylor
"The clinical and the diagnostic world is broken. It's very peristaltic and it starts, stops and there's no viewpoint or insight into the welfare of the individual in between those diagnostic points or stamps in time."
Dr Laura
Factors that aggravate or relieve a symptom — if you ask 'is it aggravated on exertion?' they'll look at you blankly. You have to make it real: 'Do you get it when you're running the Hoover?'
Rafael Calvo
Rafael A. Calvo internationally recognized and cited for his work in design research, Human-Computer Interaction and Intelligent Systems. He focuses on systems for learning, wellbeing and health.
Dr Sylwia
"I have not seen the chronic conditions diaries on the NHS app. There is quite a lot of room for putting new diaries, new sorts of software into the system."
Dr Tao Bi
"Through self-reporting, people gain greater self-reflection and self-awareness. They develop a more holistic understanding of when pain might occur and how they respond to it. This level of self-learning is one of the primary outcomes or benefits."
Vicky Grandon
"Yarn gives you the space that you find difficult to create for yourself — to explore what's going on with your physical health."
A closer look
How Yarn fits between appointments.
Start with your own words, keep track of your entries and prepare for your next conversation with your doctor.
Start with what matters to you.
Your conditions, medications and priorities.
Tell Yarn what you would like to keep track of. This gives your entries context as you record how you are feeling.
