CHF 4 million for Bottneuro

CHF 4 million for Bottneuro unknown

Bottneuro, a startup of the University of Basel, is working on a personalized, patient-specific, multifocal electrical stimulation therapy for Alzheimer’s patients. The startup has closed the first tranche of the bridge round, bringing its total capital raised in 2022 to CHF 4 million. The company will start clinical trials in 2023 in Switzerland to validate the efficacy of its Miamind® Neurostimulator.

Private and institutional investors such as DART labs, HEMEX and Zühlke Ventures are supporting Bottneuro in its mission to fight Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), which due to demographic changes, will be one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Worldwide more than 50 million people are affected, and in Europe and the US, a new patient is being diagnosed with AD every seven seconds. The disease burden is expected to increase to more than $1 trillion annually as the global population ages. Yet today, we still have only limited treatment options to delay, prevent or slow this disease.

Research shows that early diagnosis and intervention are key to managing AD. Pre-clinical data suggest that by inducing neuronal oscillations, Aβ plaques and phosphorylated tau can be reduced and that the inflammatory response of microglia can be reversed. Bottneuro contributes to this development with a non-invasive treatment for use at home or in clinical environments.

Its innovative method consists of periodic brain stimulation sessions, applied through fully personalized, 3D-printed, wearable headsets. The system integrates software and hardware components, including a large tablet, soft brush electrodes (no shaving needed) and a neckpiece containing the electronics. With this setup, affected brain regions are stimulated externally and the resulting 3D-PET (positron emission tomography) data provides important information on the areas that are particularly affected.

The company will start its clinical studies in 2023 in Switzerland, with plans to gain regulatory approval by 2025. Besides multiple patents filed, Bottneuro is also building up know-how on mass customization of cap design and stimulation patterns for individual patients, making their solution truly unique and difficult to replicate by competition. Thanks to the capital increase, the startup is now in a stable position to accelerate its developments in the coming year.

(RAN)