Gunpreet Coudert Oberoi, Ph.D., is no stranger to drills.

As a dentist, researcher, and creator of simulation models emergency medical training, Dr. Coudert Oberoi is intimately familiar with the strengths and limitations of medical drills. She knows, for example, the risks associated with bulky, adult-oriented drills (overshoots, punctures, organ or tissue injuries) and the challenges in using these products on newborns.

Dr. Coudert Oberoi’s experience with dental drills and her doctorate-level background in 3D printing inspired her to found a company to improve medical drill safety for newborns. That entity, SVAN—a spin-out from the Medical University of Vienna—is developing an autonomous bone-drilling device designed to provide safe, rapid, and precise intraosseous access in premature and full-term infants.

With integrated variable-depth control sensor, SVAN (Safe Vascular Access Needle) enhances procedural safety by preventing over-penetration during bone access—a critical advancement in neonatal care where precision is paramount, according to the fledgling firm’s LinkedIn page. The SVAN bone-drilling system is billed as the world’s first to feature patented auto-stop technology that senses bone depth in real time and halts precisely in the marrow, preventing surgeons from overdrilling during a procedure and potentially piercing an organ.

Additionally, the SVAN system’s ergonomic design features a pinch grip that enables to access the very small, delicate, softer bones of babies and small animals. This specific characteristic aims to address the specific needs of newborn patients and enhances patient safety and efficacy of intraosseous access.
The patent-protected SVAN also provides a comprehensive training solution for healthcare professionals through high-fidelity 3D printed newborn and animal simulation models (JIO trainers).

“No more failures,” Dr. Coudert Oberoi said, emphasizing her company’s mission, “no more overshoots.”

While still a relatively young startup, Dr. Coudert Oberoi’s vision of eliminating overdrill mishaps in healthcare’s youngest patients received a significant boost last week upon winning the top prize in the 14th Medica Startup Competition in Düsseldorf, Germany.

More than 230 startups from 45-plus countries submitted proposals for the competition. The contest’s organizers narrowed that total to 15 finalists in five categories: AI in Healthcare, Health Apps, Lab Diagnostics, Robotics, and Other. A nine-judge panel chose the top three based on innovation, go-to market strategy, commercial potential, and sustainability.

Organizers added a new feature to the Startup contest this year—a public vote, which was held during jury deliberations. Both the public and judges chose SVAN as the overall top prize winner. Runner up to SVAN was AcroCyte Therapeutics Inc., a Taiwanese cell-based precision medicine firm whose core technology—Rapid Reproducible Rare Cell 3D Expansion (R³CE)—is a 3D cell culture tool that can help researchers gain insight into cancer research, clinical treatments, and drug discovery. R³CE’s scaffold-free single-cell proliferation 3D cell culture platform can quickly and reliably culture spheroids from CTC, biopsy, and cell line samples with a high yield and proliferation rate. CEO/Co-Founder Ying Chih Chang told jury members the company’s “potential is just enormous.”

Completing the top three Startup Competition winners was new Swiss venture Virtuosis AI, whose artificial intelligence (AI) technology analyzes voice biomarkers such as tone, pitch, and pace to assess health. Users receive personalized insights with actionable recommendations for improvement. The company was founded as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and was recognized as Startup of the Year by Microsoft Switzerland in 2023.

The dozen other Startup Competition finalists were:

AI in Healthcare

• Aisthesis Medical: This U.K. company founded in 2022 is developing hospital-grade AI software to predict and prevent life-threatening conditions. Its flagship platform, VIOSync, is an end-to-end sepsis care solution that predicts deterioration up to 48 hours in advance, guides treatment through protocol-based decision support, and integrates directly into EHR workflows. The company was awarded a EUREKA Innowwide Grant in May for its international collaboration project, “Next-Generation AI Screening Tool for Sepsis Detection and Prevention,” and raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding in October.
• Prometheus Medtech.AI: Based in Poland, the company has created developed two easy-to-use AI algorithm systems for automatically detecting congenital heart defects in defined diagnostic ultrasound recordings during routine screening examinations. Its Ultra Echo Scan is built to detect congenital heart defects in newborns, with future applications for children and adults, while the Ultra Prega Scan’s cloud-based AI algorithm system analyzes 2D fetal heart function clips recorded by any ultrasound device in a standardized way between the 17th and 28th week of pregnancy.

Health Apps

• Moxie Health Group LLC: This Hallandale Beach, Fla.-based firm created the Lung Monitor App, a specialized wellness application developed by Dr. Ferrer BioPharma for use in nursing homes and rehab facilities. It is designed to help caregivers track daily health trends and connect with compatible accessories such as rings or bracelets, to monitor key wellness metrics, including oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, heart rate, steps, sleep cycle, temperature, and blood sugar level. The app pairs with a smart ring or faceless watch for continuous physiologic monitoring and syncs data in real time.
• Oska Health: The Meerbusch, Germany-based company has combined an app and personal counseling to create a hybrid care model designed to improve care for the chronically ill, reduce complications and hospital stays, and lower healthcare costs. “People with chronic illnesses need care that goes beyond doctor’s visits. It’s time to move from sporadic treatment to continuous support. That’s what Oska is for,” Co-Founder/CEO Niklas Best says on the company’s website.
• PINK!: The app from this German venture supports breast cancer patients through treatment and long-term after care. The platform features evidence-based information that patients can easily understand and is designed to create measurable value across the breast cancer care journey.

Lab Diagnostics

• ADmit Therapeutics S.L.: Founded in 2017 in Barcelona, this Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute spinout is aiming to help detect and manage neurodegenerative diseases. Its CE Marked MAP-AD Test for Alzheimer’s dementia prognosis uses software to securely process and integrate data from the new mitochondrial biomarkers obtained in a blood sample analysis using MAP-AD Oligos. The company has raised €10 million since its inception from public and private investments.
• NADMED Ltd.: The Finland-based firm’s proprietary technology measures glutathiones and NADs—nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is an essential molecule for all living cells that plays a vital role in energy production and cellular repair. The technology is based on the novel nondestructive extraction of all metabolites and an accurate colorimetric quantification of NADs and glutathione. The technology has been used to study research samples of cells, liver, brain, muscle, and blood of human or animal origin.

Robotics

• Healthtech Innovations SL: Spawned from the Institut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP) in Spain and founded in February 2024, this startup is focused on improving surgical and hospital workflows using AI, big data, and connectivity. Its HealthPro VR offers highly customizable virtual reality (VR) solutions for the healthcare sector, while its AI-powered surgical instrument counter—MedVision Pro—improves surgical accuracy, reduces risks, and optimizes the operating room and sterilization units.
• MicroSteer Ltd.: Based in Israel, this company is developing a semi-automated technology for complex polypectomies associated with Endoscopic Mucosal Resection and Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection. MicroSteer’s device is touted as the first steered polypectomy product that offers endoscopists a safer and faster procedure, currently executed only by highly experienced interventional gastroenterologists. The technology facilitates a range of adjustable cutting devices moving along a pre-defined, programmed exact track.
• Rovex: Hailing from Gainesville, Fla., this firm develops autonomous robotics to streamline hospital logistics, thereby getting providers, nurses, and staff back to the bedside for patient care delivery. Alleviating the burden of patient transport can help hospitals improve efficiency, minimize staff strain, and enhance the patient experience, according to executives, who claim the solution will “revolutionize patient transport.”

Other

• Aghetto srl: The syringe developed by this Italian startup allows the user to remove both the needle cap and the needle itself with just one hand. The free hand can be used to hold a medication vial, a cotton ball, a venous cannula, an ultrasound probe, or other instruments. Ideal for self-administration and those with limited hand mobility, the Aghetto syringe also helps reduce needlestick injury risk.
• GO-Pen Aps: GO-PEN is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared and CE certified reusable insulin pen with user-filled reservoir, built for the more than 20 million people worldwide still using syringes for daily injections. One pen lasts three years, delivering precise dosing at comparable syringe cost. The Danish firm is currently raising new growth capital to scale production and global market entry and has already secured commitments from its first investors, including European institutional support.