Pathmate: The startup that empowers people with chronic conditions to live happier and healthier lives

01.02.2022 15:55, Isabelle Mitchell

A jury of experts and investors went through 90 applications and selected Pathmate to participate in the Venture Leaders Mobile 2022 roadshow. In February, the medtech startup and the Swiss National Startup Team members will attend the Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona. Before the 10 entrepreneurs meet with top-notch investors and industry leaders to strengthen their business network and advance their globalization, we want to introduce you to Pathmate co-founder and CCO Michelle Heppler.

Pathmate has developed Manoa, a digital therapeutic (DTx) supporting people in managing high blood pressure and other modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Manoa is a data-driven digital coach that combines behavioral science, data from smart devices, and the latest medical research to provide highly personalized and scalable support to improve people’s heart health.

Name: Michelle Heppler 
Location: Zurich, Switzerland 
Nationality: Swiss/American 
Graduated from: University of St. Gallen, Master in Business Management, 2014 
Job title: Co-founder and CCO of Pathmate
Number of employees: 8 
Money raised: EUR 1.6 million 
First touchpoint with Venturelab: We participated in the one-week Business Growth MEDTECH Start-up Training in Lugano in 2019. 
 
Michelle, can you summarize what Pathmate does?
We empower people to live happier and healthier lives. Our AI-based digital coach called Manoa combines the power of data, behavioral science, and smart devices to provide highly personalized and scalable support for the over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with high blood pressure. 
 
How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup? 
As a spin-off from the Center for Digital Health Interventions, a joint initiative of ETH Zurich and the University of St. Gallen, we combine behavioral science, cutting-edge technology, and the power of data to support people in managing their chronic diseases in everyday life.  
 
Hypertension is the leading cause of premature death and one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. One out of three adults suffers from hypertension. Nevertheless, only about one-third of the people with diagnosed hypertension have their blood pressure under control. The reason for this is that today, there is no scalable yet personalized support for people with hypertension in everyday life. After leaving the doctor’s office, patients often struggle with their daily self-management jobs, such as measuring blood pressure, taking daily medication, and adapting to a healthy diet. This lack of support and empowerment leads to poor blood pressure control and therapy adherence. Therefore, we at Pathmate have developed Manoa, an AI-based digital coach supporting people in managing their hypertension at home. 
 
What do you expect from the Venture Leaders Mobile roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
Our goal is to close a Series A financing round in Q4 2022, and we are looking forward to getting introduced to potential investors. Moreover, we are currently looking into additional geographical markets to expand to, such as France or the UK. The Venture Leaders roadshow is a great opportunity to get connected to valuable business development contacts. Finally, we like sharing experiences with other startups and learning from the other nine participating startups how they tackle certain challenges. 
 
What is one thing not many people know about you?  
I love wine; unfortunately, I often struggle to open a wine bottle. 
 
What would be the title of your biography?  
Do what you love because I strongly believe that you are best at things that you love to do. 
 
What is the one talent you wish you had? 
I would like to have a musical talent like playing an instrument or singing. 
  
What is your favorite movie or TV show? 
I like different genres—from comedy to thriller to sci-fi movies and tv series. One of my favorite series is Black Mirror. I find it exciting that the producers use technology to comment on contemporary social issues.  
 
What is your favorite podcast?  
I like the podcast Freakonomics. It analyzes different topics from a behavioral science perspective in a very comprehensible and entertaining way. So, if you want to know why monetary incentives are sometimes counter-productive or what Uber can teach us about the gender pay gap, Freakonomics might be a good choice for you. 
 
What is always in your fridge?  
Soy sauce because I really like sushi and Japanese food. 
 
How did you come up with the name of your startup?  
Our company name, Pathmate, combines the word path and mate (meaning companion) because our digital coaches are like friends who personally guide people on their care path. 
 
Our product name for the avatar Manoa comes from the Italian expression Mano, meaning hand. Because we want to take people with high blood pressure by their hand and guide them in everyday life. We empower them to get their blood pressure under control and to live happier and healthier lives. 
 
Where and when are you most productive? 
I am an early bird; my most productive time is usually in the morning, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. 
 
How and where do you clear your mind?  
I love to play table tennis during breaks because you only focus on the game, you get some exercise, and you can really clear your mind for 15 to 20 minutes.  
 
What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?  
To handle ambiguity. As a founder, you will most definitely get into situations where you must choose between different options without having all the information or being an expert in the field. That can sometimes be challenging because you don’t have the resources to have experts on all topics like in a corporate environment.  
  
What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?  
There is a solution to every problem; don’t waste too much time on the problem. 


For more information and updates on Pathmate and the Venture Leaders Mobile, follow the Venture Leaders Mobile 2022 team with #VleadersMobile on social media or subscribe to our newsletter. 
 
This year’s Venture Leaders Mobile program is supported by Huawei, Swisscom, and VISCHER.