Pregnolia: pitching by candlelight

Equipped with only a pink balloon and a few slides, Sabrina Badir stood on the stage in Berlin at the «Falling Walls Lab» last November where she presented her project called Pregnolia. The spectators and the jury have been delighted and she won the prize as «Innovator of the Year 2015». But what does Pregnolia actually? «Pregnolia develops a diagnostic tool to detect premature birth. The probe of the tool is put vaginally on the uterine cervix and is measuring the stiffness of the tissue in only a few seconds», as Badir tells. If a uterine cervix is soft, the gynaecologists adopt pregnancy conservatory measures. A typical measure is a hormone therapy with Gestagen, which stiffens the tissue. Or a so called «Cerclage», where a sustaining strap is slung around the uterine cervix.


At the falling walls Sabrina Badir presents a pink balloon... It depicts a uterus.

In July, Badir and her colleague and cofounder Francisco Delgado (CTO) decided to take the gloves off with Pregnolia. At this time the project was called Pregnostics. Badir explains why there was a change in the name: «Recently we had to note that another company registered the name of Pregnostics in the trademark register in summer, after Pregnostics has won a contest for the first time. Finally we are in the news and then this happens – it was an unpleasant find. » It was clear for Badir and Delgado that now Pregnostics wasn’t anymore a choice. After a long back and forth they decided for Pregnolia. In September Annette Burggraf (Clinical Operations Manager) joined the company. «We have founded the Pregnolia AG last week», Badir said. The Swiss market entry is planned for 2018. Europe and the USA should be following soon after.

To act internationally, an appropriate network is necessary. Badir already has a plan for this: «We will apply for the venture leaders program, because we want to sell our device internationally. » She is convinced that she will come out on top against the other competitors. Recently she learnt at the workshops from Venture Kick, the so called Kickers Camps, what is necessary to succeed in competitions and how to convince investors: «I could really take profit of the direct manner of the two coaches, Jordi Montserrat and Beat Schillig and I try to implement their feedback. I became aware, of what investors want to see and how I can present it such that is clear and does not evoke misunderstandings. » Investors want to see the potential of a company and also want to know how we are different from our competitors. Those core information make the Business Case by far more interesting for potential investors.

Improvisation because of a blackout
Badir has got to know several new people at the already mentioned Falling Walls Lab in Berlin. «The event was a very inspiring and exciting occasion. The winners could present the day after at the Falling Walls Conference besides Nobel Prize winners – an indescribable feeling! » The next success, which Badir and her colleagues could celebrate, happened at Venture Kick, where they won 20‘000 Swiss Francs at the second round of Pitch in December and where it is possible to go further and win more trainings and the final prize money of 100’000 Swiss Francs. «This was a very special experience because at this day the Lettenwerk was to fall out and half of Zürich was incapacitated – also the current in the Impact Hub Zürich, where the pitches took place, failed. I had to improvise and do my pitch by candlelight. I was very glad that the presentation could convince even without slides», says Badir, and laughs.



The ideas are present. What is now only lacking is the money. Sabrina Badir is hoping on a round of financing. «We need around 1,5M CHF to be able to take the next steps. » Like this they want to terminate the clinical study, build a commercialised device out of the prototype, foster the KOL-Network (=Key Opinion Leaders), present the scientific results at congresses and prepare for the anticipated market entry in 2018. «Recently we got 300‘000 CHF as support from a foundation and we have submitted for further project proposals. » That the rest of the money will not be scraped up is out of question for Badir and her colleagues. A good idea will always win through at the end, and we wish the whole team a lot of success at the Venture Kick Finals.

The Pitch of Sabrina Badir at the Falling Walls Lab in Berlin has been video-recorded:

Sabrina Badir - Breaking the Wall of Pre-Term Birth - Falling Walls Young Innovator of the Year 2015 from Falling Walls on Vimeo.