Startups developing a software for epilepsy diagnosis, a platform to coordinate space traffic, single-protein sensors, and a sealant to detect digestive fluid leaks each get CHF 10,000
26.08.2024
dEEGtal, Spacetalk, UNOMR, and Veltist were selected at Venture Kick's first financial and entrepreneurial support stage. Their projects develop a software to assist neurologists in the diagnosis of epilepsy; offers a digital platform for all space actors worldwide, providing operational points of contact for all space objects; develop a sensor technology enabling protein modification-related diseases like cancer to be diagnosed years in advance of symptoms; and provide an innovative surgical sealant designed to prevent and detect digestive fluid leaks.
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 dEEGtal: CTO Stefano Gallotto, Advisor and Co-Founder Margitta Seeck, and CEO Eric Ménétré
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 Spacetalk, from left to right: CCO Jérôme Bontron, CSO Elisabeth Tripod-Fatio, CTO Michel Fischer and CEO Dr. Benjamin Guyot
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 Unomr: CTO Julian Hengsteler, COO Julia Wagner, and CEO Til Schlotter
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 Veltist CEO Alexandre Anthis
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dEEGtal: Empowering Epilepsy Diagnosis
The diagnosis of epilepsy is mostly based on visual interpretation of the electroencephalogram (EEG). This method inherently does not provide a diagnosis in 75-80% of the cases, making the diagnosis challenging, in turn affecting patients' quality of life and worsening their prognosis.
dEEGtal stems from Dr. Eric Ménétré and Dr. Stefano Gallotto who, by bringing together expertise in clinical research, neuroscience, and AI, are developing a software to assist neurologists in the diagnosis of epilepsy. The software extracts information from the EEG that is not available with current EEG reading methods and provides an AI-calculated risk-score of epilepsy. In a growing global epilepsy diagnostics market valued at $3.3 billion, dEEGtal is part of an environment that provides a substantial opportunity for growth.
Securing the first stage of Venture Kick funding will enable dEEGtal to conduct thorough market research and validate their market entry, regulatory and IP strategies. This will set the stage for successful market entry.
The increasing number of satellites is crowding Earth's orbit, along with space debris. The lack of a unified space traffic coordination system endangers satellites and increases their operational costs due to more frequent collision avoidance maneuvers.
The founders and board members team includes a space law expert, an IT engineer with extensive experience, an entrepreneur with a broad network in the public sector, and a design engineer who is a seasoned entrepreneur. They are supported by an advisory board consisting of experienced representatives from the space sector.
Spacetalk offers a digital platform for all space actors worldwide, providing operational points of contact for all space objects. It targets a worldwide market of approximately 900 customers and a space situational awareness market valued at about USD 1.7 billion in 2023, with a CAGR of around 4.6%.
The VK Stage 1 funds will be used for the company’s commercial development and to support the fundraising process for developing the platform MVP.
Veltist: Eradicating post-operative leaks
Unomr: Single-protein sensors to revolutionize medical development.
Medical advancements are limited as the ability of analytical instruments to measure modifications of proteins and the sequence of single proteins is limited. Based on Unomr’s sensor technology, pharma industry will identify new drug targets, biotech companies can improve their cell line development, and protein modification-related diseases like cancer will be diagnosed years in advance of symptoms.
Unomr is a spin-off from ETH Zurich and co-founded by Dr. Til Schlotter (CEO), Dr. Julia Wagner (advisory COO), and Julian Hengsteler (CTO). During their PhDs, Til and Julian developed the underlying interface nanopore sensor technology and currently focus on the application development and scale-up of the sensor. Julia holds a PhD in mathematics, has deep tech VC experience, and advises on operations, fundraising, and legal topics.
Protein characterization and identification represents a global market of USD 15 billion annually and is expected to reach more than USD 30 billion by 2030.
The Venture Kick funds will contribute to the business model validation, customer acquisition, and prototype improvements allowing Unomr to provide a protein modification analysis service to first customers.
Veltist tackles the critical issue of post-operative digestive fluid leaks in abdominal surgeries, a complication affecting over 10% of the 14 million procedures performed annually worldwide. These leaks can lead to severe complications and increased mortality, with existing solutions often failing due to poor adhesion and chemical instability in digestive environments.
Led by Dr. Alexandre Anthis, Veltist is developing AnastoSEAL, an innovative surgical sealant designed to prevent and detect digestive fluid leaks. AnastoSEAL combines high-performance adhesion with early leak detection, a breakthrough developed in collaboration with top surgeons over nearly a decade. With an estimated USD 7 billion market potential, Veltist is set to disrupt the surgical field by addressing a critical unmet need.
Veltist will use the Venture Kick Stage 1 funds to drive AnastoSEAL through regulatory processes and business development, paving the way for first-in-human trials and positioning the technology for successful market entry and widespread adoption in surgical practices.