Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the healthcare industry. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising nanotechnology startups impacting the healthcare industry.
Heat Map: 5 Top Nanotechnology Startups impacting Healthcare
For our 5 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 interesting examples out of 282 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
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Nanowear – Health Monitoring Nanosensors In Clothing
When heart patients get discharged, they need to be continuously monitored to ensure their condition does not relapse. Cloth-based health monitoring nanosensors allow patients who have a heart condition to be monitored remotely to detect symptoms for worsening conditions. This enables hospitals to save money by avoiding the re-admission of patients. The US-based startup Nanowear develops cloth-based nanosensors which are approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The nanosensors are mounted in undergarments to capture and algorithmically score phono cardiography and impedance cardiography. These sensors measure stroke volume and cardiac output and assess multi-channel electrocardiogram (ECG) for variability in heart rate, respiratory rate, thoracic impedance, general activity, and posture. Machine learning algorithms provide scores that physicians and care management teams use to detect deteriorating heart conditions weeks before the condition forces the patient to enter a hospital.
Causeway Sensors – Nanosensor Diagnostic Test For Infectious Diseases
With ever-evolving bacteria, viruses, and parasites, the threat of infectious diseases also grows. New methods for diagnostic testing have been developed using nanosensors and, more specifically, their interaction with biomass to identify numerous infectious diseases. British startup Causeway Sensors create and develop chips covered with gold nanorods that interact with optical antennae. These nanostructures resonate at a certain frequency making them extremely susceptible to modifications in the mass of the surface. The company constructed a device that reads biological detection events sensitively on the chip surface, making them suitable for diagnostic tests.
Dendro Pharm – Nanotechnology Drug Delivery System
Compared to traditional methods of drug delivery, systems that now use nanotechnology significantly minimize side-effects and reduce both drug dosage and its frequency. Nanocarriers are enhancing the loading of a specific drug and, therefore, their solubility and bioavailability. German startup Dendro Pharm develops DendroSol, nanocarriers which help drugs penetrate the outermost layer of the skin. These allow for bringing in higher quantities of drugs to affected areas and significantly improving the drug delivery system, making it more effective and efficient.
Vecoy – Viral Infections Treatment
Infectious diseases are the leading cause of deaths worldwide, with viruses, in particular, having a global impact on healthcare. Nano-medical therapy is based on various nanotechnology platforms which are essentially tailor-made virus-traps that mimic human cells to serve as a decoy for viruses. Israeli startup Vecoy develops technology which incapacitates viruses trapped in their human decoys. Unlike existing antiviral treatments that target infected human cells, Vecoy targets the virus before a cellular infection occurs.
Nanobiotix – Nanotechnology In Cancer Treatments
Radiotherapy as a way to treat cancer still has limitations, the most important one being the damage done to healthy tissues surrounding cancer cells. As a consequence, a dose that is insufficient for destroying the tumor is received by many cancer patients. One of the solutions is to use nanoparticles to target only tumor cells. When they are irradiated, nanoparticles generate electrons which cause localized destruction of the tumor cells. French startup Nanobiotix develop NanoXray products, which accumulate nanoparticles on cancer cells due to their size and surface coating. They use hafnium-oxide (HfO2) in the nanoparticles that produce large amounts of electrons when exposed to ionizing radiation. This then amplifies the amount of energy supplied to the tumor. A dose given by irradiation to the tumor is magnified, while the dose passing through healthy tissues remain unchanged.
What About The Other 277 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence for your Proof of Concept (PoC), partnership, or investment targets. The 5 startups showcased above are promising examples out of 282 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.
