Twiice's extremely agile exoskeleton
According to the WHO, 65 million people worldwide require a wheelchair to get around. Depending on the type of injury, using an exoskeleton to restore patients' mobility is a possibility, although one that is still largely untapped.
Since 2016, Twiice has been developing an exoskeleton that has established itself over the years as the most integrated, slimmest and lightest of all the exoskeletons currently available on the market. This feat is made possible by a unique production technique based on digital manufacturing, which enables high-performance structures (light and compact) to be produced in small batches at an affordable price.
Twiice exoskeletons are designed for mobility assistance and rehabilitation for people suffering from spinal cord injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis and locomotor deficiencies. And because each patient requires individualised assistance, adapted to their stage of rehabilitation or level of injury, the Twiice exoskeleton incorporates intelligent assistance that naturally ‘guides’ the patient in a perfectly measured way according to their needs
The first generation of exoskeletons currently under development will be designed for use both in clinics as a therapeutic tool (which is the current practice) and in patients' homes under the supervision of a coach, which would be completely new.
The CHF 400,000 Tech Growth loan provided by FIT will enable Twiice to continue developing its 2nd and 3rd generation exoskeletons. These future generations will be adapted to the activities of daily life and will provide greater independence for people with reduced mobility.
Nexco Analytics streamlines genomic analysis research processes with digital technology
The global life sciences industry is undergoing a rapid digital transformation. Genomic analysis (which is based on a biological sample) is an increasingly important player in this segment, yet it lacks the rapid, standardised solutions needed to grow as fast as demand would like.
And while this so-called ‘personalised’ medicine (based on the genomes of each individual) is developing, it is intrinsically dependent on next-generation sequencing. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D relies on this sequencing to discover biomarkers for drug targets and to rapidly characterise samples. The problem is that sequencing is currently time-consuming, costly and requires a great deal of human expertise, some of which is hard to find.
The software (Saas) developed by Nexco Analytics, called ONex, aims to make the genomic analysis process simpler, more efficient and faster by using advanced and optimised digital techniques. ONex works directly on the raw data collected (biological material) after it has been sequenced, and then processes it using artificial intelligence to rapidly deliver interpretable results and visualisations that will help researchers learn from their experiments and answer their scientific questions.
Designed to be used by a wide audience, ONex is very easy to use, requiring no prior skills in IT or data analysis.
With the CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan from the Foundation for Technological Innovation, Nexco Analytics will complete the development of its ONex SaaS, in particular by optimising its graphical interface, but also by increasing the number of sequencing technologies that the tool can support. This will be followed by the market launch of the tool.