With Claudiu Leverenz, founder of the health startup MunevoWe last spoke with him when his company was still called Glasschair. That was two years ago—so it's time for an update on current challenges. Approval is a tricky issue, but the founders plan to launch their product in Germany at the end of 2018. Their vision: to use an innovative smartglass app to help people with disabilities achieve independent mobility and greater self-determination. It's a solution that's in demand.
Claudiu, a lot has happened with you since our last interview.
Right, we founded Munevo GmbH in March 2018 and are in the middle of the clinical study to munevo DRIVE (formerly Glasschair). We also changed the name at the same time, as we no longer want to continue Glasschair for several reasons.
Vision: Helping people with new technologies
How did the name change to Munevo come about?
Glasschair was our previous project name, and it wasn't always very clear. We also had some issues with our logo. So we had to think about what we wanted to call our company and where we were headed.
Munevo's vision is to help people with physical disabilities using innovative technologies.
There have also been changes in the team's lineup. Two years ago, there were three of you – what's the situation like today?
Currently, there are four of us. Konstantin studied mechanical engineering and now focuses on hardware components and regulatory approval. Aashish and Deepesh are also helping with the further development of the software. We are currently also looking for additional support in the areas of software, marketing, and sales.
First financing round completed
And what has happened on the financing side?
With the new team, we received the EXIST grant, which was primarily used for admission and further development. We also receive support from several foundations.
We have recently completed our first round of financing. This will help us enter the market and obtain further approval, such as from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for the US.
What has been the trickiest topic recently?
The approval of a medical device is very complex, even if we're in a low-level product class. The current study has taken a lot of time and planning. Recruitment of the right test subjects is ongoing. We're currently looking for wheelchair users with special control devices (chin control, occipital control, suction-blow control).
“The requests for our solution motivate us”
Did you ever have doubts about whether you wanted to continue on this path?
No, we always had a clear goal in mind. And the inquiries we continue to receive about the solution motivate us even further.
You plan to enter the German market by the end of this year. Where are you with your startup today? Where do you want to be in five years? Is there still a plan to develop an "everyday assistant"?
We're currently nearing completion of the clinical trial. Through constant communication, we've generated a wealth of ideas on how to improve and expand our solution. The everyday assistant remains our primary goal. We're also developing ideas for new products. We're looking for support and new talent to expand our team. In five years, we want to have helped as many people as possible with munevo DRIVE.
What advice do you give to other founders?
Hold on!
