Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Kranus Health: Kranus Health is led by Jens (34), Thilo (34), and Nikolay (28). We are an experienced founding team and previously held various management positions at McKinsey, Palantir, Tourlane, Celonis, and Amazon. Together, we have set ourselves the goal of taking the previously under-researched topic of men's health to a new level using digital therapies.
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Kranus Health: Erectile dysfunction is still highly taboo today; affected men suffer from significant psychological pressure and receive little support from those around them. Unfortunately, this taboo is precisely why many people are unaware of how widespread the condition is. In Germany alone, 6 million men, and one in three men over the age of 50, are affected.
Although guidelines recommend treating the underlying cause of the disease, purely symptomatic treatment with medications such as sildenafil (e.g., Viagra) is now the de facto standard treatment. Furthermore, medications can cause side effects such as headaches and are not reimbursed for many patients.
With Kranus Edera, we are closing a critical healthcare gap and offering digital coaching for the causal treatment of erectile dysfunction as a CE-certified medical device. This digital health application provides affected men with a sustainable solution to this widespread condition for the first time through multimodal therapy with elements such as physiotherapeutic pelvic floor training, cardio training, and mindfulness and sex therapy exercises.
Kranus Health aims to raise awareness of men's health
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Kranus Health: Unfortunately, there is still far too little innovation and dedicated companies in the field of men's health. With Kranus Health, we aim to break taboo topics and raise awareness of the important topic of men's health.
Our digital health application for erectile dysfunction is just the starting point. Although there are numerous scientific publications on individual elements, such as physiotherapeutic pelvic floor exercises, doctors simply don't have the time in their daily routine to treat the root causes of erectile dysfunction with holistic therapy. This is precisely where our digital health application comes in.
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Kranus Health: Regulatory requirements, such as approval as a certified medical device, are certainly a major challenge for healthcare startups. The transition to new European standards (MDR), in particular, is already placing very high demands on companies.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Kranus Health: This year, Kranus Edera will be the first reimbursable medical device to offer a causal treatment alternative for the widespread condition of erectile dysfunction, and we aim to reach as many patients in Germany as possible. In five years, Kranus will have a global presence and offer numerous, vertically integrated solutions in the field of men's health.
Strong healthtech network in Munich
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Kranus Health: We founded Kranus Health during the coronavirus pandemic and have relied on a remote approach from the start. Our hubs are located in both Munich and Berlin, giving us access to a large talent pool.
A lot has happened in the startup location Munich in recent years and especially in the healthtech sector there is now a good network with strong startups such as Kaia Health, Temedica or Avi MedicalIn addition to many investors, the offices of major tech players such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are also represented at the Munich location.
Munich Startup: Quick exit or long breath?
Kranus Health: Our most important goal is to realize our vision, which is to reach as many men as possible worldwide and enable them to live longer and better lives through access to the latest medical care. Therefore, exit is not currently our primary consideration.
