OsmoBlue and PB&B won 130.000 CHF each to kick their startup
03.02.2014
The winners of venture kick are: OsmoBlue, a startup based at EPFL which provides a new way to recycle waste heat into electricity and PB&B, a startup from EPFL as well, is developing bioengineered injections to render aesthetics procedures natural and non-surgical. The two startups now get 130.000 CHF each, the maximum funding granted by venture kick.
 PB&B: Dr. Sandeep Raghunathan (Co-Founder), Sergio Klinke (Co-Founder), Dr. Ali Modarressi (HUG) and Anthony Aho (Co-Founder) above
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 OsmoBlue: Dr. Anna Laromaine (co-inventor), Dr. Nicolas Abelé and above Dr. Elodie Dahan (co-inventor)
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Themes of high interest for the whole world are energy efficiency and recovery. Dr. Elodie Dahan, a micro technology engineerand Dr. Anna Laromaine, a chemist are the heads behind OsmoBlue. They developed a patented technology which changes low-temperature heat, as low as 30°C, into electricity. Until now no technology was able to convert industrial waste heat under 100°C into electricity. Furthermore the system can recycle heat from wide range of sources like air, water, gas or steam and is based on the principle of osmosis. The electricity which is generated, from hundreds of kW to several MW, can be then directly sold to the electrical grid or consumed by the customer.
Enough energy for every house in the U.S. and in Europe is unexploited
Enough energy to power every house in the U.S. and in Europe is released in the form of low-temperature heat by industries. Today, this is unexploited. The team of OsmoBlue is now finalizing its prototype and will realize a pilot unit which can produce 100 kW of electricity.
Dr. Elodie Dahan expressed her enthusiasm about venture kick: "The venture kick program provided very constructive feedback and advices to develop OsmoBlue's business plan. With the funds received OsmoBlue will grow and start developing its first pilot unit.”
Revolutionary new concept in medical aesthetics
The CEO from PB&B SA Anthony Aho had just started with the crazy idea of making aesthetic procedures non-surgical and with natural results. Ten years later with a team of highly qualified researchers from the EPFL and the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) behind PB&B, they have a big chance of revolutionizing the field of aesthetics. They are developing different types of injections of biodegradable microspheres for facial rejuvenation, breast and buttock enhancement, in addition to therapeutic applications such as post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. The effect of their injections is to mimic normal physiological processes. The risks, complications and inconveniences associated with surgery can be eliminated with this technique, while drastically reducing equipment needs and costs.
The future of aesthetics
Anthony Aho on the venture kick initiative: "The next 24 months will see the launch of pre-clinical trials necessary to pave the way for clinical trials. venture kick really gave a big momentum to turn PB&B from an idea perceived as impossible, into a company that keeps growing and attracting top tier scientists and doctors. PB&B sets out to raise over 1.5 million in funding in 2014 and is participating to other startup competitions at the European level."