Lifesciences startups mature for sustainable growth

Startups that have successfully completed the Innosuisse Core Coaching program can request the Innosuisse certificate. They are awarded the certificate if they are able to handle growth in the future, prepared to receive external funding, have demonstared they can access the market and have a professional management team. Four life sciences companies met these requirements and obtained the Certificate in Q2.

Terapet – quality assurance for proton therapy
Aiming to make nuclear medicine imaging more accessible for every patient, Terapet in collaboration with leading research institutes CERN and Politecnico di Milano, is developing next-generation imaging technology. The first product, Qualγscan, is an all-in-one proton-therapy quality-assurance device designed to assess real-time dose distribution. The device will be validated with clinical partners at the Karolinska Institute and Skandion Clinic. In the coming years, the same technology will enable medical doctors to monitor the delivered dose inside the patients during cancer treatment: in-vivo, non-invasively, in 3D and in real-time. Terapet has won multiple awards and secured funding to advance its novel approach.

Bionomous – automating test with small biological entities
Founded in 2022, Bionomous combines micro-engineering design and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to build the world’s first provider of AI-powered solutions for screening, sorting and dispensing of small biological entities. With EggSorter, Bionmous has developed a cost-effective device that automatically screens, sorts and dispenses small biological entities (from 0.5 to 2 mm). The EggSorter, initially developed for zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, works for multiple models: from zebrafish eggs to xenopus oocytes and embryos, flower seeds, and many more. Bionomous' first device obtained CE certification in December 2022. Currently, the company counts customers in Europe, USA and China. 

Artiria Medical – guidewire for brain surgeries
An estimated 12 million people worldwide suffer from stroke and its associated deaths or disabilities annually. Currently, the best remedy for stroke patients is based on minimally invasive X-ray-guided interventions. Artiria has developed a deflectable guidewire that gives physicians better control and an improved way to navigate the complex network of cerebral arteries compared to existing devices. The distal tip can be shaped, in real-time, without removing the device from the patient.

The medical device has been granted the 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to commercialise the product in the U.S. As part of the next steps, the company plans to further gain clinical experience through collaboration with U.S.-based centers to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of its product.

Magnes – gait analysis with sneakers
Founded as a spinoff of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems of ETH Zurich, Magnes developed the world’s first medical-grade gait analysis system that delivers complex motion analysis from simple sneakers. In addition the technology can provide vibrotactile biofeedback to interact with the wearer. The AI-powered gait analysis provides 40+ gait parameters and allows healthcare professionals to monitor patients inside and outside the clinic. Use cases of the technology range from management of neurological disorders, fall prevention, AR/VR rehabilitation and digital biomarkers for new drugs. One concrete example is the latest European project. Together with two partners Magnes develops a wearable, at-home gait rehabilitation system for stroke survivors.

(RAN / SK)