With a healthy dose of ambition, young entrepreneurs took to the stage on 28 August to pitch their ideas during the final of the 4TU Impact Challenge. Of all the participating start-ups, each of which is helping to advance society with their innovations, two teams won prizes. Vindi Biosystems won the Jury Award. This start-up is developing a portable device for real-time monitoring of biomarkers associated with various diseases. The Audience Award went to SimplyPill with their innovative pill dispenser.
by: Elcke Vels
The final took place on Thursday evening, 28 August, during Slush'D in Enschede, a major Dutch startup-event. Teams from the four technical universities in the Netherlands – TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente and Wageningen University & Research – took part in the competition. Each university sent two teams. The teams were selected from previous challenges, such as the TU Delft Impact Contest, de UT Challenge en de TU/e Contest.
Jury member Anja Sinke, start-up business mentor, is delighted with this year's winners. ‘It was a very difficult choice, though, and there were several candidates for the Jury Award. It's nice to have such a luxury problem as a jury (laughs). Of course, it's a disappointment for the teams that just missed out.’
According to Sinke, this year's teams focused on diverse target groups and were at different stages of development. Some teams are already ready for investors to look at, while others still mainly have a good idea that needs more time. ‘But the pitches were all strong, and every team had an original and interesting concept. As 4TU, we can be proud!’
Measuring Biomarkers in real time
Vindi Biosystems, affiliated with Delft University of Technology, is developing a wearable device that can continuously measure up to 24 important biomarkers from home. This gives doctors and patients real-time insight into the health of various organs. Physical problems can thus be detected at an early stage, providing greater insight into chronic diseases.
Isabella Walbeck, co-founder of the start-up, talks about the device's first application. ‘Worldwide, 64 million people suffer from heart failure. It is important to detect heart failure early. With our wearable technology, we can continuously monitor heart health, much more cheaply than existing solutions. We are starting with heart failure, but our system will also be able to detect other diseases in the future.’
A smart pill dispenser
SimplyPill, a start-up from the University of Twente, is developing a smart pill dispenser that is linked to an app. This provides real-time insight into medication use, enabling patients, healthcare providers and pharmaceutical partners to better manage medication routines.
The young entrepreneurs have a clear picture of what the future holds. Co-founder Luuk Spelbos: ‘We will soon be starting our first pilot. What we are going to do is distribute a number of devices to a diverse group of users. The main goal is to see whether the product works as we intended, whether the link to the app works properly, and so on. We will then use the feedback to develop an improved version.’
This will be followed by a test phase with ADHD patients. And there is more to come. The start-up is going to collaborate with a pharmaceutical company. Their pill dispenser will be used in a patient support programme. This is a programme in which patients receive medication and extra guidance to ensure that the medication is actually taken. They will organise this more efficiently with their pill dispenser.
International start-up missions
The two winning teams will be invited to participate in various international start-up missions organised by the 4TU Federation. This will give them international exposure and enable them to establish contacts with various investors and partners. They will also receive the title of ‘Best Student Start-up Team of the 4TU’ of the year.
Overview of the other participating teams
HeatLift Dynamics
HeatLift Dynamics is developing an innovative expansion valve for electric heat pumps. This design intelligently regulates the pressure in the system, saving up to 30% energy.
‘Approximately 20% of global CO₂ emissions are caused by industry, so sustainability is urgently needed. Current electric systems are often more expensive than gas boilers and are not competitive. We develop components that make these systems more efficient,’ says Ryan Dillmann, co-founder of HeatLift Dynamics.
Co-founder Sake Smits adds: ‘I assembled our first prototype in my room. With a few propane gas cylinders, we were able to set the pressure and test the device. This allowed us to demonstrate that pressure exchange works well.’ The start-up is less than a year old, but the entrepreneurs are already well on their way. They have already secured funding and want to focus on a pilot project with an industrial heat producer next year.
Bloombuoy
Bloombuoy is an aesthetic, ecological solution that promotes biodiversity in declining waterways. It supports pollinators in the air, insects on the water surface and aquatic life below.
MOTEX
MOTEX is developing a predictive safety system for motorcyclists that anticipates traffic risks and provides real-time warnings to help prevent accidents.
TutorMe
TutorMe is a peer-to-peer platform for student tutoring and is becoming a one-stop shop for all academic support services offered to students.
Sea to Skin (S2S)
Sea to Skin (S2S) converts brown seaweed into fucoxanthin and alginate. It offers a sustainable, reef-safe alternative for skincare and cosmetics and tackles waste streams in conventional seaweed processing.
FABBS
FABBS takes batteries to the next level with intelligent energy management, ensuring that every cell performs optimally.