Swiss women’s health startup Ava: "The trust from investors is a great motivation"
12.11.2015
Renowned institutional investors and business angels invest USD 2.6 million in Ava This large seed-round underlines the company’s ambition to become a relevant player in women’s health. The startup was winner of the third Swisscom StartUpChallenge and completed in October a week-long mentoring programme in Silicon Valley. Earlier this year Ava's CEO Pascal Koenig traveled with the Swiss National Startup team to the US and creamed off 130'000 Swiss francs at the Venture Kick final.
 CEO and co-founder of Ava Pascal König
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Ava empowers couples who are trying to get pregnant by giving them precise insights about the menstrual cycle. Ava has developed a sensor bracelet for women to be worn at night. Based on 3 million data points measured every night, the Ava bracelet offers key cycle health information and precisely predicts fertile days and ovulation in advance. 80% of pregnancies happen within this two day fertile window. Ava thus helps couples maximize their chances to conceive and gives them certainty along their exciting journey.
Renowned investors
The seed round was raised from institutional investors and business angels. ZKB and Swisscom – two of the most renowned Swiss early stage investors – invest in Ava. An international group of scientists, gynecologists, entrepreneurs, and executives will join as business angels. Among them are Yonca Even Guggenbühl (co-founder MediService) and Dr. Valentin Chapero (former CEO Sonova).
“The interest in our financing round was very high – we could have raised twice as much”, says Pascal Koenig, co-founder and CEO of Ava. “The money will be used to accelerate industrialization of the technology and to bring the product to market. The trust from investors is a great motivation for our team to realize our vision and make a difference in women’s health.”
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The Ava team
Strengthened board
In context with the financing round, Ava will strengthen its board of directors. Dr. Ruedi Gygax, former Managing Director of Novartis Venture Fund, will bring in his expertise in scaling innovation companies in the healthcare space. Renate Schreiber, former CEO of Medela, will bring in her expertise and global network in women’s health. “Two things were crucial for me to get involved at Ava. First, the fact that the product can make a true difference in many people’s lives. Second, Ava’s team, which is composed of a group of smart, complementary, and highly committed people”, explains Renate Schreiber.
Promising outlook
Supported by the University Hospital of Zurich, Ava has built up a database of six billion data points referenced to hormonal measurements. This is the largest such database in the world. While the company will focus on the conceiving market at the beginning, the patented technology will also be used to detect pathologies during pregnancy, and for non-hormonal contraception. Ava is currently building up an office in San Francisco to prepare market entry which is planned mid-2016. Earlybird subscriptions are accepted on www.avawomen.com.
A year of great successes for AVA
The company has won several innovation prices for its technology, and was selected by TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco among the world’s most promising tech companies. Right after their trip to Boston and New York last June, Ava won the final of Venture Kick and announced opening a new office in San Francisco. Ava is also a finalist of the TOP100 Swiss Startups this year as a newcomer, at rank Nr. 94. And the American dream of Ava was not over by then: In October they visit the Silicon Valley with the Swisscom Startup Challenge.
A year of great successes for AVA
The company has won several innovation prices for its technology, and was selected by TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco among the world’s most promising tech companies. Right after their trip to Boston and New York last June, Ava won the final of Venture Kick and announced opening a new office in San Francisco. Ava is also a finalist of the TOP100 Swiss Startups this year as a newcomer, at rank Nr. 94. And the American dream of Ava was not over by then: In October they visit the Silicon Valley with the Swisscom Startup Challenge.