Dicronis joins the Merck accelerator program

This year marks the seventh round of the Merck Accelerator program. More than 565 applications from 68 countries worldwide were submitted. Only ten startups from the fields of healthcare, life science and performance materials from nine countries joined the program. One of them is Dicronis from Switzerland.

Lymphedema is a severe and chronic condition that can occur after some common types of cancers. The Ticino based Dicronis is on the mission to enable early diagnosis and efficient monitoring. The startup is developing lymphit, a diagnostic tool for early tracking of lymphedema. It comprises of a wearable patch with microneedles that applies a fluorescent substance to the patient's skin and measures its uptake into the lymph vessels with a portable detector. The data collected is crucial to determine the best therapeutic strategy for a patient. With their solution, Dicronis not only brings a new approach to addressing lymphedema, but also a cost-efficient and easy-to-use solution for patients in their homes.

During the three months program, Dicronis and its peers in the cohort will receive individual support and coaching from experts as well as up to €50,000 in funding. The program also grants participants access to workplaces and laboratories for the production of prototypes at the Merck Innovation Center and access to Merck’s network of more than 50,000 experts from 66 countries.

This year for the first time, the startups will have the opportunity to join the Merck China Innovation Hub in Shanghai for an extension of the program to explore the Chinese market. Start-ups can apply for a place during the Accelerator.

Photo: Jovan Jancev, Cofounder and Head of R&D, Patrizia Marschalkova, Co-founder and CEO of Dicronis.