NeoPrediX: Meet the Venture Leader Medtech developing decision support tools with maternal, neonatal and perinatal screening platforms

24.08.2023 15:50, Rita Longobardi

Meet Thorsten Waloschek, CEO of NeoPrediX. The Medtech startup evaluates, optimizes and personalizes medical strategies in paediatrics. It utilizes intelligent algorithms and digital health solutions for neonatal and perinatal care based on deep medical data and science, developed by experienced scientists, pediatricians, and neonatologists.

Name: Thorsten Waloschek
Location: Basel, Regensburg, Ft. Lauderdale
Nationality: German, American
Graduated from: University of Bradford, UK
Job title: CEO
Number of employees: 10
Money raised: CHF 9 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: April 2021, we have been contacted by email
 

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Can you tell us who your product or solution helps, and how?
NeoPrediX develops decision support tools with maternal, neonatal and perinatal screening platforms to evaluate, optimize and personalize medical strategies in early life. We can help clinicians to identify patients today who will be in a critical situation tomorrow. With that long-term medical and financial consequences can be avoided.

What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
NeoPrediX is addressing initially the North American and European professional clinical decision support software market with the potential of becoming the first and thus market leader with a focus on the first 1,000 days of life. The total available market value (globally) is about USD 5 billion.

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
The company is a spin-off of the University Children's Hospital of Basel (UKBB) where the Department of Pharmacometrics under the leadership of Prof. Marc Pfister has developed its first algorithms. A friendship between Marc and a German neonatologist who worked in Switzerland sparked the idea of a company. I came on board as the CEO based on a common network (EFCNI – the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants).

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders Medtech roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
I expect to learn from other entrepreneurs to set up a successful start-up and overcome the challenges we are all facing. Critical feedback from investors who are willing to listen and understand will create new opportunities and show the path ahead.

What are your team’s key achievements to date?
Setting up two subsidiaries (Germany, USA), ISO 13485 certification, FDA registration, MDR audits, a recommendation for CE certification, IP protection, first commercial traction, and participation in the Mayo Clinic Platform: Accelerate program.

What is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of being a founder?
The constant back and forth between long-term strategy and short-term operations, without losing sight of the vision.

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
Never stop exploring and constantly leaving your comfort zone while following through – in one word: persistence.

What is your favourite productivity hack/tool and why?
Writing everything down and having all notes available at all times. For that, I use a reMarkable 2.

What was your dream job when you were a child?
I dreamed of becoming a politician.

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Venture Leaders Medtech 2023 were chosen from over 80 applications by an expert jury. The roadshow in Boston provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to accelerate their startups' expansion in the US while expanding their professional network and profiting from workshops with investors and industry leaders. This year's Venture Leaders Medtech program is organized by Venturelab in collaboration with Swissnex Boston and is supported by EPFL Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard, Swissnex Boston, and the Canton of Vaud.