Announcing the 8 startups joining the Techleap.nl COVID-19 program

What they do:

UV Smart helps hospitals and healthcare centres maintain a clean working environment. They have developed an innovative solution based on UV light that helps disinfect medical instruments and devices within 100 seconds - such as masks, which are in scarce supply and now can become reusable with their solution.

Traction:

The first 25 products were delivered in the last week of March and they will deliver an additional 60 product in the first half of April. From now on, they have to scale up production as fast as possible to get our devices available for the various hospitals. 

What they're looking to achieve:

Their dream would be to get their solution into the hands of hospitals and medical professionals in need internationally to help ensure their safety when dealing with infected patients.

What they do:

Happitech provides CE certified convenient and medical grade heart monitoring using simply the smartphone with no additional hardware. Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability, all measured directly via smartphone with no add-ons. 

Happitech provides their technology to Telehealth organizations offering care at home in an SDK Software Development Kit. Telehealth organizations seamlessly add heart monitoring to current apps using Happitech’s SDK and can be up in running in a matter of 1-2 weeks versus 8-12 months due to regulatory constraints. Last two weeks Happitech received its CE certification at a critical time to be recognized as the first heartrate and heart rhythm medical device in SDK form.

Traction:

This month OLVG Hospital and Luscii asked Happitech to provide their heart rate technology as a module in the Corona Check App. Elevated heart rate might be a sign of infection and used in combination with the symptoms can help prioritize patient care.  Furthermore, they have received requests from Utrecht, Sweden, Spain, Ecuador and UK for our technology.

What they're looking to achieve:

We would love to help millions of people through the “main European COVID 19 symptom trackers apps” by contributing Happitech’s, easy to integrate, heartrate technology.  

What they do:

ASPRA air purification from VFA Solutions is an effective filtration and purification system that removes airborne viruses, pathogens and dust particles. Viruses, bacteria and fungi are biological particles, referred to as bioaerosols. Inside the device, these bioaerosols are guided through an electric field, where the majority is killed or deactivated. The viruses, bacteria and other pathogens are then captured in the collector (the filter) and permanently removed from the air. Reducing the risk of spreading.

Traction:

An established technology and innovation working within an array of industries and verticals. Experience building out and executing projects with healthcare and medical centres.

What they're looking to achieve:

Our ambition is to create Clean and Safe Air Everywhere. Our first priority is implementing the solutions in the healthcare sector, mainly the IC departments and the temporary IC and isolation facilities to prevent and control the airborne spread of the COVID-19, other pathogens by killing the airborne pathogens and capturing their carriers quickly and continuously at the source. Herewith we protect the personnel from COVID-19 but also the patients from any potential complications. 

What they do:

The catheter developed by PulmoTech, an innovative small tube with pressure sensors, is inserted via the nose or mouth into the oesophagus, allowing the possibility to accurately measure the function of the respiratory muscles and the lungs inside the body. This enables additional diagnostic possibilities, individualizing mechanical ventilation, to increase chances patients can be ventilated safely and breathe spontaneously as soon as possible.

Corona causes Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and available solutions that assess respiratory physiology are not optimized for the current (and general) clinical workload, whereas our catheter can quickly be inserted and measurements acquired, to apply safe pressures and individually guide patients off the ventilator. 

Traction:

Strong, diverse and motivated team aiming to develop a product that is able to make an impact in a rapidly growing market. With investment closed and ready to accelerate their growth.

What they're looking to achieve:

PulmoTech was founded on the basis to improve care for ICU patients. With the team having experience in (pediatric) intensive care units since 2011, patients are not a ‘number’ to them but have a face and family. Their ultimate goal would be to improve the technical know-how of ventilation for physicians, without increasing the clinical workload. Accordingly, decreasing mortality, but also improving the quality of life after a stay on the ICU.

What they do:

Clinicards by Synappz is a scalable and secure digital healthcare platform that allows patients to be monitored, educated and coached in their healthcare process. Monitored using specifically developed HealthCards that capture one medical variable (e.g. level of coughing, body temperature, blood oxygen level, etc), educated through a dedicated content management system and coached using a specifically configured care pathway combining HealthCards with Content. The uniqueness is that healthcare organizations can use predefined HealthCards, content and care pathways (available for COVID-19), or fully customize these themselves.

Traction:

A long term and the dedicated player with significant competencies and experience in the field of digital healthcare having an existing and proven platform that is flexible and scalable for the current and future needs that arise in healthcare. Currently, their technology is used in almost 200 care organizations amongst several regional and academic hospitals. 

What they're looking to achieve:

To make Clinicards the golden standard for patients around the world to help them going through these uncertain times by providing the right insight, information and access to medical help if needed.

What they do:

AirBliss+® smart mask is designed for prolonged hours and daily usage. Its enhanced comfort will enable mass adoption especially for people who are in contact with others for a long period. The BreatheEase fan system does the “heavy lifting” for the wearer and gets air through the filter while creating a cooler feeling; a unique soft and airtight seal that fits properly to wearer’s facial structure to prevent the ingress of unfiltered air. The filtering medium is FFP3 and will deliver the highest protection. This solution would help control the propagation of the virus and hopefully avoid a new confinement period, which is extremely painful on the personal level and the Netherlands’ economy.

Traction:

Soaring demand for a product that is in dire need to help to battle the spread of this epidemic. 

What they're looking to achieve:

Make AirBliss+ mask the must-have in every household around the world! Saving the maximum lives while delivering better protection against other pandemics, air pollution, and natural disasters (i.e. forest fires).

What they do:

Post-IC by Games for Health is a digital diary for ICU patients, nurses and close family members. It’s an app that prevents Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) from being developed. This is a Post Traumatic stress syndrome, that can affect up to 70% of the patients leaving the ICU, and even their loved ones. The Post-IC app provides the opportunity to upload text, pictures, sound fragments and videos to the patient's virtual diary. It can be used at home by family and friends, but also in the ICU by the medical staff as it's integrated into the patient’s bedside monitor.

Traction:

Health insurers Netherlands is aware of the importance of the Post-IC diary for tomorrow, and makes this possible. The Rabobank has indicated herein to contribute. The Dutch Association for Intensive Care, patient organization IC Connect and foundation Family and patient Centered Intensive Care (FCIC) support this initiative. Under the leadership of Games for Health together with the Catharina Hospital, the diary was entirely co-created according to the Brainport concept. The Catharina Hospital is the first hospital in the Netherlands to use the diary. With the help of our implementation partner EIFFEL we aim to connect all hospitals in the Netherlands in the coming weeks.

What they're looking to achieve:

Our dream is that all IC patients in the world and their loved ones get access to use the Post-IC diary for tomorrow.