Bearmind reaches CHF 2 million funding
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The start-up develops sensors and algorithms to provide a real-time assessment of the risk of concussion for professional athletes.
The round was led by H.Hentsch Asset Management, and included participation from AVANTECA Partners AG, NP Consulting, Swisspreneur, several business angels. LangLeven Group a Montreal-based Sports tech VC with a remarkable track record in the Sports industry, recently joined and allowed the start-up to reach CHF 2 Million in funding.
Passionate about hockey – a sport he played for fifteen years – Mathieu Falbriard was very early made aware of the cranial shocks that occur in this type of sport. After a doctorate in movement analysis at EPFL, he founded the start-up Bearmind in November 2021 with Tom Bertrand, an EPFL engineer with experience in project management in Switzerland and the United States.
Their objective: to develop sensors and algorithms to provide a real-time assessment of the risk of concussion. According to several estimates, 40% of concussions go undetected and around 9% of athletes who play contact sports at university show signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease.
The Lausanne-based startup received 800,000 francs in funding from Innosuisse, as well as a 100,000 franc Tech Seed loan from the Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT). It is also being supported by a renowned designer, Christophe Guberan, thanks to the Enabled by Design platform co-created by the EPFL and the ECAL and supported by the canton of Vaud.
This fundraising will allow the team to continue its scientific and clinical research efforts with École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CHUV | Lausanne university hospital, and product development with professional hockey teams in the Swiss National League
📸 FIT (Fondation pour l’Innovation technologique)