Breakthrough technologies: Two ETH spin-offs win at the Venture Kick final 130.000 CHF each
17.02.2016
Artificial implants often cause complications because the body's immune system can identify them as foreign objects. The ETH spin-off HYLOMORPH has developed revolutionary cellulose layers that allow surgeons to minimize foreign body reaction and fibrosis upon operation, thus reducing patient’s pain and revision surgery rates. However, the ETH spin-off InterAx Biotech helps pharmaceutical companies to develop new and better drugs which reduce risks and costs in clinical trials. Both spin-offs convinced the distinguished jury at the Venture Kick final and can look forward to a start capital of 130.000 Swiss francs each.
 The HYLOMORPH team
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 The InterAx Biotech team
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When a person is affected by an infection, the body creates specialized immune cells and antibodies that attack foreign infectious agents. This is very useful, but it can become quite a problem if patients require an artificial implant like a pacemaker or a heart assist device.
Dramatically improve safety and quality of life of patients
Simone Bottan, co-founder of the ETH Zurich spin-off HYLOMORPH, and his collaborators have developed a revolutionary anti-fibrotic solution for soft tissue repair which minimizes foreign body reaction and fibrosis upon operation. In 2015, the startup has been integrated into the HeartOne project of Wyss Zurich, a translational research center of ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, for further development towards the clinic. The project aims to improve heart pumps, notably by preventing implant-induced foreign body reactions, which significantly complicate subsequent surgeries and patient recovery. This technological advancement has the potential to dramatically improve safety and quality of life of patients, whilst reducing healthcare costs. The spin-off also works together with the University Hospital Zurich and with the Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin. In 2015 co-founder, Simone Bottan, had the chance to present the project in Boston and New York to high-profile investors and industry leaders with the venture leaders program. Now he got a further “kick” from the Venture Kick initiative: “The biggest message we learnt during our time at Venture Kick is “it is ALL about execution!”. The program is not just about winning money; it takes you on a journey and makes you experience that entrepreneurship does not wait for you: you have to get things done before your customers and investors ask for it."
Helping pharmaceutical companies to develop new and better drugs
Currently more than 193.000 clinical trials are registered at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US. Only one in ten drugs completes this trial successfully; this costs the pharmaceutical industry billions. The main reason for the numerous failures lie within the drug discovery: The current methods for selecting drug candidates are not predictive enough, as they provide an insufficient amount of information about safety and effectiveness.
The ETH and Paul Scherrer Institute spin-off InterAx Biotech helps pharmaceutical companies to develop new and better drugs at a higher rate of succession. The multitude of information they are able to provide about drug-induced effects in cells helps to select the most promising drug candidates early on and reduce risks and costs in clinical trials. Thanks to the Venture Kick program, the startup can now speed up with their first product RescueVision: “Venture Kick was more than winning a price, it was a process in which our team was challenged and during which the business case continuously improved. It helped to expand our network of investors and advisors, and also to connect with other startups. The lessons we learned were essential and made us advance faster and made us more focused towards our goal,” said co-founder Martin Ostermaier.
Dramatically improve safety and quality of life of patients
Simone Bottan, co-founder of the ETH Zurich spin-off HYLOMORPH, and his collaborators have developed a revolutionary anti-fibrotic solution for soft tissue repair which minimizes foreign body reaction and fibrosis upon operation. In 2015, the startup has been integrated into the HeartOne project of Wyss Zurich, a translational research center of ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, for further development towards the clinic. The project aims to improve heart pumps, notably by preventing implant-induced foreign body reactions, which significantly complicate subsequent surgeries and patient recovery. This technological advancement has the potential to dramatically improve safety and quality of life of patients, whilst reducing healthcare costs. The spin-off also works together with the University Hospital Zurich and with the Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin. In 2015 co-founder, Simone Bottan, had the chance to present the project in Boston and New York to high-profile investors and industry leaders with the venture leaders program. Now he got a further “kick” from the Venture Kick initiative: “The biggest message we learnt during our time at Venture Kick is “it is ALL about execution!”. The program is not just about winning money; it takes you on a journey and makes you experience that entrepreneurship does not wait for you: you have to get things done before your customers and investors ask for it."
Helping pharmaceutical companies to develop new and better drugs
Currently more than 193.000 clinical trials are registered at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US. Only one in ten drugs completes this trial successfully; this costs the pharmaceutical industry billions. The main reason for the numerous failures lie within the drug discovery: The current methods for selecting drug candidates are not predictive enough, as they provide an insufficient amount of information about safety and effectiveness.
The ETH and Paul Scherrer Institute spin-off InterAx Biotech helps pharmaceutical companies to develop new and better drugs at a higher rate of succession. The multitude of information they are able to provide about drug-induced effects in cells helps to select the most promising drug candidates early on and reduce risks and costs in clinical trials. Thanks to the Venture Kick program, the startup can now speed up with their first product RescueVision: “Venture Kick was more than winning a price, it was a process in which our team was challenged and during which the business case continuously improved. It helped to expand our network of investors and advisors, and also to connect with other startups. The lessons we learned were essential and made us advance faster and made us more focused towards our goal,” said co-founder Martin Ostermaier.