Arbrea Labs: The Venture Leader Medtech helping patients make informed decisions regarding surgery

07.06.2022 10:00, Tracy Woodley

For the second consecutive year, the Venture Leaders Medtech will represent Swiss innovation in the United States. To select the 10 featured startups, a jury of professional investors and medtech experts reviewed 60 applications. These startups improve diagnostics, treatments, and well-being with innovative solutions that cover artificial intelligence, sensors, smart devices, and robotics. Allow us to introduce you to each of the Venture Leaders Medtech 2022 ahead of the June 2022 roadshow in Boston and Cambridge: Meet Endri Dibra, the CEO and co-founder of Arbrea Labs.

Arbrea Labs develops cutting edge technology, based on visual computing and AI, to create digital human avatars on mobile devices. The primary business vertical is cosmetic surgery pre-visualization, in which surgeons utilize our Real-Time Body AR consultation tool to help their patients make informed decisions regarding potential surgery outcomes, thus greatly improving the consultation experience. This directly helps patients to reduce pre-op anxiety and post-op retouches.

Name: Endri Dibra
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Nationality: Albanian
Graduated from: ETH Zürich, PhD in Visual Computing (2018)
Job title: CEO and co-founder of Arbrea Labs AG
Number of employees: 20
Money raised: CHF 2 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: Participating in the Business Creation and Business Growth courses in 2018


Explain in one or two short sentences what your startup does and why.
Arbrea Labs develops AI-based augmented reality and 3D simulators for plastic surgery and aesthetic medicine. We play a valuable educational role, bridging the visual communication gap between doctors and patients in order to increase patients’ comfort and reduce preoperative stress.

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup? 
I came up with Arbrea and developed the first prototype during the third year of my PhD at ETH Zürich in 2017. It was connected to the topic of my PhD (which focused on digital human avatar creation from images) and a breast cancer case in my family. Technology, medicine, and aesthetics have always been three of my main topics of interest, so I decided to combine them in service of women who have experienced the trauma of breast cancer. I got in touch with reconstructive and plastic surgeons who gave me their blessing and support, and with a fantastic technical team backed up by day-one supporters (our investors), we built the first breast simulator that could support the decision-making process of patients who will undergo surgery— in less than a year. That was how Arbrea Labs was born!

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders Medtech roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
After Arbrea Labs’ successful entry in the Brazilian market (the second largest globally), I believe that the Venture Leaders Medtech roadshow in Boston will facilitate the entry and penetration of Arbrea Labs in the U.S. market, which is the largest in the world. Furthermore, it will foster partnerships and introductions to financial institutions that will enable our international growth and expansion.

What is one thing not many people know about you?
I’ve played the violin for 27 years. The study of classical music was an essential part of my education. Now that I'm older, I enjoy experimenting with electronic sounds.

What was your dream job when you were a child?
I wanted to become a doctor, influenced by my father a bit. Then in high school I had to make the tough choice between computer science and medicine.

What would be the title of your biography and why?
It’s hard to stay, especially since I have only lived roughly one third of my life (in Albania, we wish people 100 years for their birthday). The title would probably be The Yin and Yang of Entrepreneurship: How to Optimize for Chaos and Order on the Path of Entrepreneurship. This would link everything I have done in my life so far and, naturally, would apply to entrepreneurship.

What is the one talent you wish you had?
I am content with my limited talents, but if I could pick another, I would choose the ability to replicate and place myself in various scenarios and locations simultaneously worldwide. Bringing it more down to earth: The ability to create a perfect digital replica of myself (and of other people), not only in 3D appearance but also in intelligence. I am working on it.

What is a topic you would like to learn more about and why?
That’s a tough one. I am a genuinely curious person and I have trouble choosing here. Probably philosophy and the Meaning of Life.

What is your favorite podcast and why?
I would pick The Twenty Minute VC and Finimize (this one I listen to more regularly and subscribe to). I am teaching myself about finance and VCs.

What is your favorite book and why?
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I think it teaches successful people how to be and/or stay humble and encourages “less successful” but diligent people not to give up. It also teaches about investing behavior.

What is always in your fridge?
I always try to eat vegetables and good, fresh fish when I can. I was born in Durres, near the sea, and I miss the flavors of the Mediterranean.

What are you most proud of?
Today, I lead an international team that includes people from all over the world. Arbrea Labs is, without a doubt, my hidden gem.

What advice would you give your teenage self?
Travel the world, learn new things, and never be afraid to change your mind.

What was your favorite subject in school and why?
I inherited my love of math from my mother. Logic and problem-solving have always intrigued me since childhood.

How did you come up with the name of your startup?
Arbrea Labs has had two meanings since its genesis. It is the coinage of “AR-Brea” (Augmented Reality for Breasts) and Arbëria, the historic name of what is today Albania (Arbrea is pronounced ‘Arbria’ in English). My roots are extremely important to me!

What is your favorite productivity hack/tool and why?
Music and Sports. Both put you in a meditative and productive state.

Where and when are you most productive?
Whenever I am not getting frequent calls, e-mails, and requests. This is either early in the morning or late at night.

How and where do you clear your mind?
I play the violin, try to produce music with my DJ friends, play volleyball and beach volleyball with my teammates, and go dancing quite often.

Who inspires you?
My grandfather. He is almost 90 and never stops learning.

Which startup do you wish you had founded and why?
I am super happy to have founded Arbrea!

What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?
The responsibility one has towards employees, shareholders, investors, partners, and clients.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder?
You get to make the decisions and drive the venture forward.

What is something you wish you had known about being a founder?
Responsibility only grows as the startup grows.

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
You can only succeed if you surround yourself with people who complement and inspire you, and who are better than you (at least in their respective roles).

What is the best advice you have ever received and from whom?
When a decision is made and the result is not what was desired or expected, do not ponder “what would have happened if…” Move on. I was taught this by my grandfather.

What is your greatest professional failure, and what did you learn from it?
I do not have any professional failures so far, and hope it stays that way.

For more information and updates on Arbrea Labs and the Venture Leaders Medtech 2022, follow #VLeadersMedtech on Twitter or on www.venture-leaders.ch/medtech.

The Venture Leaders Medtech program is organized by Venturelab and supported by EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Helbling Technik, Kellerhals Carrard, Paul Scherrer Institut, Swissnex Boston, Canton of Vaud, Canton of Zurich, and Venture Leader alumnus Dominik Lysek.