Interview with second stage winner of Venture Kick: Meryem Gonzalez
26.02.2016
Enzian Pharmaceutics won the second stage of Venture Kick and its CHF 20’000 of pre-seed capital, in January 2015. We interviewed founder Meryem Gonzalez , a PHD student in the department of biology at ETH Zurich, about the great news - and her plans for the future.
 Meryem Gonzalez has won the second stage of Venture Kick
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Are you happy to have won the second stage of Venture Kick?
Yes, I am very happy. We are now in the process of incorporating the company. Winning the second stage of Venture Kick was a huge step towards achieving our dream of starting a successful business.
What kind of technology are you developing?
We are developing new processes that enable faster development and more economical manufacture of pharmaceutical dosage forms.
What stage is your startup today and what do you plan next?
We have just recently demonstrated the proof of the concept of our technology. Parts of this work have resulted in four scientific articles, one of which has been published already. The other three are under review by peer-reviewed journalists. Our next step is to further develop and optimize our technology. We hope to develop a strong patent portfolio and also write additional scientific papers. Additionally, we will also devote some of our efforts to finding seed funding and customer acquisition.
How did the idea of your startup come up?
The idea of starting a company came up because we felt that two major factors were necessary.
Firstly, there is a need to improve the manufacture of pharmaceutical dosage forms. Traditionally, pharmaceutical manufacturing has been largely a matter of regulatory compliance. As a result, it has been inefficient, but now it is growing more and more recognition as an opportunity for cost reduction and improvement of drug quality. Recent initiatives by regulatory authorities and by the industry aim towards easing regulations and encourage process innovation. Significant improvements have already been made, but the fundamental manufacturing process technologies have remained the same for decades.
Secondly, we believe that we have a novel technology that allows optimization of pharmaceutical manufacturing. During our studies and extracurricular work, we have acquired fundamental knowledge about properties and requirements of pharmaceutical dosage forms. While developing theories and conducting experiments on how the properties could be tailored to specific medical needs, we have identified some alternative process technologies which can produce the desired properties just as good as the state-of-the-art, or even better.
What distinguishes your technology from your competitors’?
When fully developed, our technology will be substantially less complex and more flexible compared to our competitor’s technologies.
Why did you apply for Venture Kick and what are the benefits of such a program for you?
Venture Kick is one of the best programs in Switzerland, perhaps in the world, to support early-stage technology startup companies. Venture Kick provides much-needed pre-seed funding and expert advice. Furthermore, it allows us to practice our business pitch and strengthen our confidence for later meetings with investors, prospective customers, and potential employees.
In your opinion, how did you convince the jury on stage two?
Well, let’s just keep it at being my secret.
And how do you think you will convince the jury at the final?
We are moving forward as fast as we can. I hope that in a few months, at the final, we will have made enough progress to convince the jury that we have a great chance to become a successful business.
Tell us a fun fact about you?
I love the mountains. Skiing, biking, hiking and so on and so forth.
Yes, I am very happy. We are now in the process of incorporating the company. Winning the second stage of Venture Kick was a huge step towards achieving our dream of starting a successful business.
What kind of technology are you developing?
We are developing new processes that enable faster development and more economical manufacture of pharmaceutical dosage forms.
What stage is your startup today and what do you plan next?
We have just recently demonstrated the proof of the concept of our technology. Parts of this work have resulted in four scientific articles, one of which has been published already. The other three are under review by peer-reviewed journalists. Our next step is to further develop and optimize our technology. We hope to develop a strong patent portfolio and also write additional scientific papers. Additionally, we will also devote some of our efforts to finding seed funding and customer acquisition.
How did the idea of your startup come up?
The idea of starting a company came up because we felt that two major factors were necessary.
Firstly, there is a need to improve the manufacture of pharmaceutical dosage forms. Traditionally, pharmaceutical manufacturing has been largely a matter of regulatory compliance. As a result, it has been inefficient, but now it is growing more and more recognition as an opportunity for cost reduction and improvement of drug quality. Recent initiatives by regulatory authorities and by the industry aim towards easing regulations and encourage process innovation. Significant improvements have already been made, but the fundamental manufacturing process technologies have remained the same for decades.
Secondly, we believe that we have a novel technology that allows optimization of pharmaceutical manufacturing. During our studies and extracurricular work, we have acquired fundamental knowledge about properties and requirements of pharmaceutical dosage forms. While developing theories and conducting experiments on how the properties could be tailored to specific medical needs, we have identified some alternative process technologies which can produce the desired properties just as good as the state-of-the-art, or even better.
What distinguishes your technology from your competitors’?
When fully developed, our technology will be substantially less complex and more flexible compared to our competitor’s technologies.
Why did you apply for Venture Kick and what are the benefits of such a program for you?
Venture Kick is one of the best programs in Switzerland, perhaps in the world, to support early-stage technology startup companies. Venture Kick provides much-needed pre-seed funding and expert advice. Furthermore, it allows us to practice our business pitch and strengthen our confidence for later meetings with investors, prospective customers, and potential employees.
In your opinion, how did you convince the jury on stage two?
Well, let’s just keep it at being my secret.
And how do you think you will convince the jury at the final?
We are moving forward as fast as we can. I hope that in a few months, at the final, we will have made enough progress to convince the jury that we have a great chance to become a successful business.
Tell us a fun fact about you?
I love the mountains. Skiing, biking, hiking and so on and so forth.