The Startup Night is organized by TU/e, Tilburg University, The Gate, IQONIC, Round One, TIAS, and JADS. For the first time in the history of the event, this edition – the fourth one –  had a theme: innovation in health. The event revolved around three startups in different stages of their business development. TU/e alumnus Laure van der Sanden was invited to kick off the event. She’s the CEO of one of the latest TU/e spin-offs, ARTIC.

Van der Sanden explains their technology: “We make magnetic microhairs, which can create a current. It’s inspired by natural cilia, tiny hairs in people’s lungs that excrete waste products. This is also found in coral, but there it absorbs nutrients.”

The new pump technology can be used for many applications, but ARTIC is currently focusing on organ-on-a-chip applications, a chip that mimics an organ in the human body, which can be used to perform tests to map diseases or assess the effectiveness of medication. This requires mimicking a flow as it occurs in the body. “With our new technology, we can create a flow much easier and we’re much more in control than with other methods.”

Calls for help

Interestingly, all three startups ended their presentation with a call. Both ARTIC and Xeltis are looking for people with commercialization experience, and AINAR is asking for investments. It opens the door for more questions in the room, blending into a plenary start of the closing networking reception.

TU/e alumnus Rick Eurlings of Aumens has developed a compass that always points home, as an aid for people with Alzheimer’s disease. He’s competing for the National Care Innovation Award and is asking the public to vote for his startup. Before the meeting kicked off, he had put flyers with QR codes on everyone’s seats. Another Tilburg University student is developing a fluorescent walking stick for people with vision impairments. He’s looking for someone who knows how to apply for a medical device license. In the audience, a few hands shoot up.

Spontaneity

It’s exactly those spontaneous interactions that need to be encouraged more, Rector Magnificus Silvia Lenaerts believes. “It’s amazing how much time we save by doing this today. Like this, it’s immediately clear how we may be of service to one another,” she says afterwards, visibly excited.

“We’re bound by a lot of procedures at the university. If students find each other and want to do something together, we shouldn’t say to them: go and figure it out. I’ve seen many examples of it getting too complicated and ending in frustration. We have to make things simple, make them even more spontaneous perhaps.”

Spotlighting

In an interview with Cursor about the first allocated Beethoven millions, Lenaerts already emphasized that TU/e wants to strengthen its position in other themes besides semicon. The university is exploring its options in that regard.

Especially when it comes to health, Lenaerts sees many opportunities for TU/e. “We need to have some domains we can really make a difference in. We want to highlight our relevance to health, not just focusing on hospitals. On the contrary, the idea is to keep people living at home autonomously for as long as possible. We’re looking to see if we can make a difference in this regard as well.”

Lenaerts also sees opportunities in the context of Life Long Learning. “For example, by offering training attended by people who are already doing something in that sector and can meet their peers there.”