Meet Esmeralda, founder of Xsensio and winner of venture kick stage two
18.11.2014
Xsensio develops “intelligent stamps” the size of a credit card able to autonomously monitor our physical and physiological states as well as our direct environment. We grabbed the impressions of Esmeralda Megally, founder of Xsensio, before she goes to the big venture kick final.
 Esmeralda Megally founded Xsensio at the EPFL Innovation Park in 2014
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Hello Esmeralda. Can you introduce Xsensio?
Xsensio is a spin-off of the EPFL Nanolab. We develop a zero-power wearable platform of tiny intelligent stamps that accurately and robustly monitor our physical and physiological states and our direct environment.
These tiny intelligent stamps are autonomous, harvesting their energy from their immediate surroundings. They can be used directly as ultra-thin patches on the skin, or integrated in a garment or into objects, to help people make smarter health and wellness decisions.
Technology-wise, our intelligent stamp - the size of a credit card - integrates on a flexible substrate multiple sensors (physical but also physiological, including a unique sensor for sweat analysis), a local processor, a wireless antenna to transmit data to your phone or to your smart watch and an energy harvester to make the system autonomous.
At what stage is Xsensio today?
In the past months, we have worked on a proof-of-concept we showcased at the Swissnex Zero Power Smart Fashion exhibit in New York. We are now building a working prototype.
When and why did you launch Xsensio?
We created Xsensio because we knew that the cutting-edge zero-power technologies developed at the EPFL Nanolab could make uniquely smart and miniaturized systems that would improve our quality of life. We created the company at the EPFL Innovation Park in 2014, after I received an EPFL Innogrant to pursue the idea of a company, and we got support from SPECo.
Prof. Adrian Ionescu from EPFL Nanolab, our main technical and scientific advisor, had been involved in developing technologies for ultra-low power miniaturized devices for many years. He has been collaborating with multiple research centers and industry partners in Europe to advance the science in this field. Together with our colleague Karin Jaymes (our adviser and support for financial planning), we saw not only the commercial value of this work but also the importance of combining technology with design to create products of high commercial value.
How is your product positioned regards to your competitors on the market?
Compared to products currently on the market, our product differs in two major ways. First, they will have more local “smartness” than any existing wearable sensing solutions and consume significantly less power than any product on the market. We will rely on ultra-low power sensors and communication technologies developed at the EPFL Nanolab and by other research partners. Second, our products will be truly non-intrusive and non-invasive: our philosophy and technology target is that once one wears the miniaturized, autonomous wearable module, he or she forgets about them. They work in the background for the user, monitoring his body and his immediate environment, and notifying him in time so he can make smarter decisions that improve his quality of life. We would like to build a pipeline of many applications, in the area of health and wellness.
You are a founder of Xsensio. Can you introduce yourself?
I come from a business background, and wanted to start a tech company. After a master degree in Economics in Belgium, and an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Sloan), I joined an investment firm in Boston to work on an innovative health technology project with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A great learning experience! I came back to Europe and enrolled in the Management of Technology program at EPFL in 2013 to be close to one of the greatest European technology hubs.
What are the next steps for Xsensio?
We need to finalize the beta version of our prototype. Then we will showcase it in the US and in Asia at the beginning of 2015, at industry events. And next on our agenda: the planning of our first round of financing!
Why did you apply for venture kick?
We wanted to participate in venture kick for two reasons: first, to test our ideas and second, to access a network of advisors with a wide range of expertise. We are very happy we have done it!
In your opinion, how did you convince the jury on stage two?
I believe that we were able to show the jury that we had carefully invested the money from round 1, and that investment was starting to bear fruits. Between round 1 and round 2, we built a proof-of-concept which we showed to many stakeholders in Switzerland and in the US, from individuals to large technology and consumer goods companies. We received very valuable feedback that we are now integrating into our beta prototype. And we have also started working with a development partner in the US on a very specific application.
How will you convince the jury on stage three, in your opinion?
We would like to show the jury that our business model is scalable and that it has potential at a global level. We are currently working on a pilot project in the US. In a few months, we would like to show three things: first, that this pilot has been successful. Second, that we could extract key learnings to improve our product and service. And third, that we have a clear roadmap to reproduce our pilot with other partners.
First, the validation. The program pushes you to go out of your comfort zone and quickly validates your assumptions with potential customers. We all tend to delay that step, and remain in the lab until we are very satisfied with the technology or the product. But with venture kick, you learn to move fast and continuously integrate the feedback into the successive versions of your prototype. Second, the jury expertise: Every time we pitch, we get tough questions and that makes us progress (laughs)!
What do you think is the impact of the venture kick program on the Swiss startup industry?
Venture kick plays a crucial role in the Swiss startup ecosystem, by giving a chance to many aspiring entrepreneurs to work on a very concrete solution to a problem they have identified. Compared to other entrepreneurship competitions, venture kick forces these aspiring entrepreneurs to deliver results.
Would you recommend the venture kick program to other startups?
Definitely: I would for the opportunity to learn and improve. I particularly recommend the kickers camps: one learns to articulate a vision and pitch more convincingly. Listening to the other teams pitch is very valuable as well!
What kind of advice would you give to another young entrepreneur?
Apply to venture kick: there is absolutely nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain. One’s initial idea will be challenged many times: venture kick is indeed a tough audience - but this is what will make one grow.
Xsensio is a spin-off of the EPFL Nanolab. We develop a zero-power wearable platform of tiny intelligent stamps that accurately and robustly monitor our physical and physiological states and our direct environment.
These tiny intelligent stamps are autonomous, harvesting their energy from their immediate surroundings. They can be used directly as ultra-thin patches on the skin, or integrated in a garment or into objects, to help people make smarter health and wellness decisions.
Technology-wise, our intelligent stamp - the size of a credit card - integrates on a flexible substrate multiple sensors (physical but also physiological, including a unique sensor for sweat analysis), a local processor, a wireless antenna to transmit data to your phone or to your smart watch and an energy harvester to make the system autonomous.
At what stage is Xsensio today?
In the past months, we have worked on a proof-of-concept we showcased at the Swissnex Zero Power Smart Fashion exhibit in New York. We are now building a working prototype.
When and why did you launch Xsensio?
We created Xsensio because we knew that the cutting-edge zero-power technologies developed at the EPFL Nanolab could make uniquely smart and miniaturized systems that would improve our quality of life. We created the company at the EPFL Innovation Park in 2014, after I received an EPFL Innogrant to pursue the idea of a company, and we got support from SPECo.
Prof. Adrian Ionescu from EPFL Nanolab, our main technical and scientific advisor, had been involved in developing technologies for ultra-low power miniaturized devices for many years. He has been collaborating with multiple research centers and industry partners in Europe to advance the science in this field. Together with our colleague Karin Jaymes (our adviser and support for financial planning), we saw not only the commercial value of this work but also the importance of combining technology with design to create products of high commercial value.
How is your product positioned regards to your competitors on the market?
Compared to products currently on the market, our product differs in two major ways. First, they will have more local “smartness” than any existing wearable sensing solutions and consume significantly less power than any product on the market. We will rely on ultra-low power sensors and communication technologies developed at the EPFL Nanolab and by other research partners. Second, our products will be truly non-intrusive and non-invasive: our philosophy and technology target is that once one wears the miniaturized, autonomous wearable module, he or she forgets about them. They work in the background for the user, monitoring his body and his immediate environment, and notifying him in time so he can make smarter decisions that improve his quality of life. We would like to build a pipeline of many applications, in the area of health and wellness.
You are a founder of Xsensio. Can you introduce yourself?
I come from a business background, and wanted to start a tech company. After a master degree in Economics in Belgium, and an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Sloan), I joined an investment firm in Boston to work on an innovative health technology project with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A great learning experience! I came back to Europe and enrolled in the Management of Technology program at EPFL in 2013 to be close to one of the greatest European technology hubs.
What are the next steps for Xsensio?
We need to finalize the beta version of our prototype. Then we will showcase it in the US and in Asia at the beginning of 2015, at industry events. And next on our agenda: the planning of our first round of financing!
Why did you apply for venture kick?
We wanted to participate in venture kick for two reasons: first, to test our ideas and second, to access a network of advisors with a wide range of expertise. We are very happy we have done it!
In your opinion, how did you convince the jury on stage two?
I believe that we were able to show the jury that we had carefully invested the money from round 1, and that investment was starting to bear fruits. Between round 1 and round 2, we built a proof-of-concept which we showed to many stakeholders in Switzerland and in the US, from individuals to large technology and consumer goods companies. We received very valuable feedback that we are now integrating into our beta prototype. And we have also started working with a development partner in the US on a very specific application.
How will you convince the jury on stage three, in your opinion?
We would like to show the jury that our business model is scalable and that it has potential at a global level. We are currently working on a pilot project in the US. In a few months, we would like to show three things: first, that this pilot has been successful. Second, that we could extract key learnings to improve our product and service. And third, that we have a clear roadmap to reproduce our pilot with other partners.
“We all tend to delay the validation step, and remain in the lab until we are very satisfied with the technology or the product”
What are the 1-2 most important benefits of the venture kick program for Xsensio?First, the validation. The program pushes you to go out of your comfort zone and quickly validates your assumptions with potential customers. We all tend to delay that step, and remain in the lab until we are very satisfied with the technology or the product. But with venture kick, you learn to move fast and continuously integrate the feedback into the successive versions of your prototype. Second, the jury expertise: Every time we pitch, we get tough questions and that makes us progress (laughs)!
What do you think is the impact of the venture kick program on the Swiss startup industry?
Venture kick plays a crucial role in the Swiss startup ecosystem, by giving a chance to many aspiring entrepreneurs to work on a very concrete solution to a problem they have identified. Compared to other entrepreneurship competitions, venture kick forces these aspiring entrepreneurs to deliver results.
Would you recommend the venture kick program to other startups?
Definitely: I would for the opportunity to learn and improve. I particularly recommend the kickers camps: one learns to articulate a vision and pitch more convincingly. Listening to the other teams pitch is very valuable as well!
What kind of advice would you give to another young entrepreneur?
Apply to venture kick: there is absolutely nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain. One’s initial idea will be challenged many times: venture kick is indeed a tough audience - but this is what will make one grow.