Master Buddy Program: Register!

The Master Buddy Program links starting entrepreneurs to a team of master students. They are the buddy whose principal mission is to make an entrepreneur happy.  The program starts in September and is open for registration.

Collaboration for six months

The design of the Master Buddy Program is straight forward: an entrepreneur has a question and the Buddies act as a support to get to a solution. This can be about deceptively  simple questions such as: ‘What is an appropriate strategy for my company?’, ‘What opportunities are there within my market?’ or ‘What do I really have to offer to my customers?’. But simple questions are not always the easiest to solve. The Master Buddies spar, provide support, ask critical questions, have an analytical view and help retrieve relevant information. They spend half a day a week on this. The students come from the master’s program Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) at Radboud University. The program is organized in collaboration with local partners such as Startup Nijmegen and Mercator Launch.

Growth opportunities

From November onwards, students will be asked by the curriculum to investigate the opportunities for scaling and how this can be achieved profitably. The program concludes with a pitch event in February where students defend their ideas before an expert jury. The coordination of the Master Buddy Program is in the hands of dr. ir. Nanne Migchels. Registrations, questions and queries can be directed at nanne.migchels@ru.nl. Deadline is September 1st, 2024.

Inschrijving KVK Top100 geopend!

Wil jij je bedrijf laten groeien? Meer zichtbaarheid en omzet voor jouw innovatieve product of dienst? Schrijf je dan nu in voor de 19e editie van de KVK Innovatie Top 100. 

Wat is de KVK Innovatie Top 100? 

Jaarlijks kiezen we de 100 meest innovatieve Nederlandse mkb’ers. KVK zet hen in de etalage om andere ondernemers te inspireren. Nieuw dit jaar is dat bedrijven in vijf categorieën worden ingedeeld, die elk door een onafhankelijke vakjury worden beoordeeld. Ook brengt het publiek dit jaar haar stem uit.

Wanneer wordt de winnaar bekend?

 De uitreiking van de KVK Innovatie Top 100 is in november. Dit gratis evenement draait om wat nodig is voor de verdere groei van je bedrijf. Zoals het uitbreiden van je netwerk en het vinden van nieuwe partners of investeerders. Heb jij met succes een innovatief product of dienst op de markt gebracht? Schrijf je dan nu in voor de KVK Innovatie Top 100.

Meer over de wedstrijd

• Lees alles over de categorieën binnen de wedstrijd 

• Veelgestelde vragen over de wedstrijd 

• Laat je inspireren door deelnemers uit voorgaande jaren 

Synthesis a better future!

Within Radboud University/FNWI, a group of students have registered for the international student competition (https://igem.org) with a project in which they want to design/synthesise FVIII mRNA and ‘package’ it in a nanovesicle. 


To participate, they have to raise funding themselves. Frits Matthijsen, Knowledge Transfer Officer of Radboud University is supporting them. Would you like to help? Click here for the pdf for the funding options.

“Online contact is great, but nothing beats human interaction” – Desiree van Maasakker, Let’s Zoip

The idea for Let’s Zoip was born during the COVID pandemic. It was an opportunity to go back online, according to co-founder Desiree van Maasakker. “Video calls became highly relevant again, and we saw that the market hadn’t evolved since Skype. It was time for a change!”

Let’s Zoip’s platform is more than a video conferencing program. It’s a tool for businesses and organisations to host virtual guided tours during video conferences without having people visit their location. Let’s Zoip wants to help people connect with others in as many ways as possible. It was a necessity during the lockdowns, but many companies still value the possibilities.

Desiree focused on retaining human interaction in a digital world. “You want to ensure that something like a video call doesn’t get impersonal because you’d miss your point. Compare it to a conversation in the real world: it’s nicer to sit beside someone than across from them. That’s why ‘Create Human Connections’ is our slogan.”

Through the world of education

Desiree isn’t a stranger to the world of online conference calls. She started her first business in 1999, an internet platform to connect people. It was kind of a precursor to social media. Desiree founded a couple more internet businesses: in web hosting, RSS feeds, and, more creatively, 3D animations. “I had a lot of knowledge and experience with online businesses. For me, the global pandemic felt like a chance to renew a market.”

Let’s Zoip’s starting point was a high school asking Desiree and her business partner Tom Peters, whether they offered their VR services online. The school was looking for ways to stay visible during the lockdowns and had upcoming open days. “We were working on a comparable plan for fairs. That high school’s idea made us immediately change course. That is how the online guided tours came to be. Education is a great market to work in. Imagine you’re in primary school and having to choose a high school without ever setting foot in the building. Then such an online tour can really help you get started! Solving that issue makes for rewarding work.”

Working hard during start-up

Desiree explains that they had to work hard during the start-up phase. Because besides the platform for digital guided tours for schools and businesses, Let’s Zoip didn’t want to drop their idea for fairs. They were building a tool enabling users to share and look at 3D models. They decided to work on both projects simultaneously.

When the platform was finished, the labour didn’t end. “We were helping dozens of schools host guided tours. It all went great until they all had open days through our platform simultaneously. Hundreds of people per school walked around the buildings digitally. Our servers were working overtime and were eventually overloaded. You cannot prepare for everything; sometimes, you just have to experience it. Now we can say that our platform can handle a lot, and we know its limits exactly.”

Never done

Since that enormous open day, Let’s Zoip has learned a lot. “We now have a market-ready product. But to be honest, in my eyes, the platform will never be finished. We provide software as a service (SaaS), and these products need constant updating. However, we have moved on from the growing pains. The next step might be even more important: making choices.”

Entrepreneurship is all about making choices, like excluding target groups. Let’s Zoip is now in the middle of this process. It was one of the biggest learning points from Briskr’s Business Angels Network Nijmegen (BANN). “We have a solid story but we lack a clear target audience. Which sector, which country? What kind of solution are we truly delivering?”

Two conclusions came from the preparations for BANN, says Desiree. “We already have a lot of traction in the education sector. Schools are happy with our solution and also see the opportunities. It is also a great market: you get to help children. The second focus is towards recruitment. It is a nationwide challenge for employers to find staff, and our software can be excellently combined with a vacancy. We see the opportunities here!”

“Before you are allowed to pitch at BANN, there is an introductory period. I think that’s an excellent idea: you get help from coaches via Briskr to prepare as well as you can. This way, you get everything into focus, which doesn’t hurt. It was also a nice confirmation for me as a spokesperson that I enjoyed being in front of a group and convince people!”

Pharma Delta is launched!

On May 30 was the launch of a new alliance: Pharma Delta. The Pharma Delta alliance aims to set a new standard for pharmaceutical excellence and collective progress. Representatives from small and large pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, educational organizations and local governments work together to focus on accelerating innovation, strengthening careers, and creating shared sustainable facilities.

Pharma Delta intends to create an ecosystem that enhances and accelerates the entire pharmaceutical chain. Pharma Delta aims not just for an increase in jobs, but for full careers and it believes in the development and retention of staff, which is vital for the growth and prosperity of our region.

The launch took place during the From Molecule to Business network event on May 30 at Pivot Park. The official launch was performed by chair Rob Nelissen, Organon Central Northern Europe and Frank den Brok, Gemeente Oss and Harmen Neidig, HAN University of Applied Sciences.

Together we boost pharma and empower careers!

Terugblik BANN bijeenkomst 27 mei

Op de mooiste trouwlocatie van Gelderland en de 3e mooiste van Nederland deden we opnieuw een poging om een goed ‘huwelijk’ tussen de aanwezige angels en de pitchende ondernemers te sluiten. Of dat gelukt is weten we nog niet.

Arjan Stuij van BANN partner Poelmann van den Broek leidde ons soepel door het plenaire programma. Sven Bakkes van LUMO Labs informeerde ons over de mogelijkheden, do’s en don’ts van het investeren in AI proposities. En ondanks de regen konden we fijn netwerken en heerlijk eten onder de stretchtent op de binnenplaats van het slot.

Pitches
De volgende ondernemers hebben gepitcht tijdens deze bijeenkomst:

  • Milo Kleijnjan, Aidyn
  • Mischa Masthoff, wijcontrolerenjedata.nl
  • Bob Klein Lankhorst, HAL24K-Agri
  • Yama Akbari, Medivox

Met groot verdriet delen wij het nieuws dat Martijn Kriens op 27 mei is overleden aan de gevolgen van zijn ziekte.

Martijn stond midden in het leven, altijd vol energie en passie voor zijn werk. De laatste jaren van zijn werkzame leven was hij enorm betrokken bij Briskr. Hij was niet alleen een toegewijde professional, maar ook iemand met een hart vol dromen en een hoofd vol ideeën die hij graag wilde verwezenlijken, zowel zakelijk als privé. Zijn gedrevenheid en enthousiasme waren inspirerend voor velen om hem heen.

Martijn zal herinnerd worden om de sprankeling in zijn ogen, zijn warme glimlach en onvermoeibare inzet voor alles wat hij deed. Om het goede glas wijn in zijn hand, zijn liefde voor zijn Saab cabrio, zijn bourgondische levenswijze. Om de paradijsvogel die hij was. We missen hem enorm.

Zie de kaart als een uitnodiging om aanwezig te zijn bij de afscheidsdienst van Martijn. En voel je vrij deze te delen met je collega’s die Martijn ook hebben gekend.

Klik op deze link voor de kaart.

Rust zacht, Martijn. Je leeft voort in onze herinneringen en in ons hart.

Bas, Floor, Linda, Marieke, Marion & Martijn S.

EnginX: Smart software for complex engineering

In manufacturing, quality is essential and projects need to be done right the first time. The engineering component in such projects is both complex and time-consuming. According to the founders of EnginX, there are more efficient ways of working. CEO Saskia Eijkelhof talks about their innovative software to tackle technical design struggles.

No matter how complex an engineering project, it always starts with a technical drawing. It is also where the challenges arise that EnginX solves. Saskia tells: “The first technical drawing is incredibly complex. It has to be absolutely right in terms of physics and mathematics. Because obviously, you don’t want to develop and deliver a hydrogen system and then discover it doesn’t work, or worse: it explodes. It’s a process with many mandatory checks and iterations and it’s very time-consuming. It is necessary to be meticulous, but we are sure we can improve the process.”

Design, populate and simulate

EnginX’s software allows engineers to make technical designs that are responsive. And instead of solely using industry icons and then searching for the right part, you can create drawings and populate them with real components. “It allows you to simulate and calculate directly from the drawing, making finding suitable components much quicker and easier. There is no search engine for a pump with a specific diameter and flow rate. So until now, engineers have had to call manufacturers and suppliers for details. Or they had to flip through paper catalogues and compare and convert metrics and compare data —an incredibly tedious and time-consuming process.”

Saskia first heard about EnginX through Mercator Launch. “I was immediately drawn to the technical challenge they were wanting to solve. I have never engineered myself, but having worked in manufacturing environments, I recognize the struggles. Especially when customers come up with additional requirements during a project, I could see engineers implode as they knew they had to recalculate every component in the whole system.”

In 2016, EnginX was established by three founders from different engineering backgrounds: aviation, the oil and gas industry and astrophysics. They all had one thing in common: they wanted to improve and modernize the outdated and time-consuming way of working in engineering. The first step was to update the design process itself.

“This resulted in a powerful product and the next step was to write a conclusive business plan”, explains Saskia. “Thomas Bronzwaer participated in two Mercator Launch IMPROVE programs to get the necessary support. And this is where we got to know each other. I joined EnginX not long after. After two years, the board asked me if I wanted to take over as CEO, allowing Thomas to focus fully on the technical side as CTO.”

Steps in growth

The product worked well, so the next step was figuring out how to market it. It takes more than showing off your self-written code to convince potential buyers. However, when pitching, EnginX noticed a growing interest in the product. “When I became CEO, I immediately started looking for financing instruments, such as the Startup Fonds Gelderland, OostNL and the Business Angels Network Nijmegen. We were able to join through Briskr. Having money at hand makes life a lot easier! We can start planning for the future.”

Twelve people now work at EnginX. “I wouldn’t call us a scale-up just yet, but we are getting there! Our growth has taken off. We are happy we can count on support from Mercator Launch, OostNL and Briskr for their network, knowledge and partners. The ecosystem these organizations have built up in Nijmegen and beyond is amazing.”

A household name

Having taken the first steps, EnginX can now look forward. “We want to be a household name for engineers. In fact, with our software, we could do even more to tackle early-phase engineering problems. From energy efficiency and 3D geometry to maintenance and project planning; we want to contribute to it all.”

The company focuses on storming the Dutch market. “We joined the Verenigde Maakindustrie Oost-Nederland (VMO), with 200 affiliated manufacturers in the east of the Netherlands and the GMV with affiliated manufacturers in the food production industry to both understand our market and be able to converse with potential users. And why look abroad for customers when there is still so much to solve in the Netherlands?” According to Saskia.

Great news for MindAffect: aims to provide a new hearing diagnostics solution for hard-to-test patients

MindAffect, a Netherlands-based healthtech startup, has raised €1.1mn to bring its hearing diagnostics technology to market.

A spinout from Radboud University, MindAffect has developed a patented brain computer interface (BCI) technology, which enables diagnosis of hearing impairments using brain signals.

MindAffect aims to provide a more equitable testing solution that specifically caters for hard-to-test patients, such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Current methods, such as pure-tone or speech testing, depend on the constant responses of patients. But this can be challenging or ineffective for individuals who are unable to communicate due to age or disability — resulting in underdiagnosis.

Unaddressed hearing impairments can have serious consequences for both patients and the society, from mental health issues to high healthcare costs

“Hearing loss profoundly impacts every facet of life,” MindAffect’s CEO Jennifer Goodall said in a statement.

“For children, this means risks of poor educational and social development; for the elderly, increased isolation and a greater risk of early dementia; and the disabled, fewer opportunities for social inclusion.”

A new hearing diagnostics system

To tackle this issue, MindAffect has combined neuroscience, BCI technology, and AI to develop Aurora, a response-free hearing diagnostics system, which relies on brain stimuli and signals.

Aurora uses a headband that patients wear while listening to soft chirps and watching a silent video for less than 10 minutes. The system reads the brain signals and combines the information with air conduction and bone conduction audiometric threshold tests to make the diagnosis.

MindAffect expects to launch Aurora next year. The company is also working on vision diagnostics for children as well as a solution to monitor work-related stress in demanding visual or auditory environments.

Existing and new investors backed the funding round, including the NLC Health Impact Fund, Barco Limpo, and Wasteland Investments.

Source: Dutch startup to test hearing via brain-computer interface (thenextweb.com)

Look back: The value of diagnostics in Urology: Beyond diagnostic accuracy

Diagnostic accuracy is at the basis of determining the value of a diagnostic test. However, the value of a test depends on many factors such as the exact population and the workflow of the hospital in which it is used. These factors differ between contexts in which the test is used.

Look back this webinar “The value of diagnostics in Urology: Beyond diagnostic accuracy”. In this webinar, Medip Analytics will discuss the latest views on value assessments in diagnostics with a focus on cost-effectiveness analyses. You can find the recording on the website of Medip Analytics.

Speakers: Tim Govers, PhD & Maarten de Rooij, MD PhD