Alblooms, HepaVue and NovoViz supported by the Startup Launchpad

Alblooms

The EPFL Startup Launchpad has awarded a CHF 30,000 Ignition grant to Alblooms – a new startup project that will be incubated in the Image and Visual Representation Laboratory of Prof. Sabine Süsstrunk.

With most of us carrying high-performing cameras in our pockets, it’s no surprise to hear that more photos were taken in the last few years than in the entire history of photography before that. Yet, there is today no easy way to pull together and organize your own photos with those received from your friends and family to keep all your invaluable memories in one place.

Alblooms hopes to solve this problem by offering a platform organized in repositories for sharing and selecting pictures, harnessing the power of collaboration in the gathering process while still leaving complete control to each individual.

The grant will be used to enhance encryption and stability of the app and investigate data and privacy compliance. By the end of the grant period, the team hopes to have an Android app in open beta and ready for the next step.

Contact:
Patrick Schönmann - Founder

HepaVue

HepaVue, a disruptive technology which aims to make the diagnosis of liver disease easier, safer, and more accurate, has just been awarded an Innogrant of CHF 100,000.

Over 2b people around the world are affected by liver disease caused by metabolic dysfunction and a build-up of fat in the liver - Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). Approximately 10-30% of those with MASLD, equating to hundreds of millions worldwide, suffer from its progressive form - steatohepatitis. The disease often advances undetected, lacking distinctive symptoms or reliable biomarkers. At present, the only way to diagnose steatohepatitis is through a liver biopsy. These are expensive, painful, and come with additional risks. The method isn’t always accurate and can’t be used on all patients. This means MASLD is often discovered late, increasing the risk of liver cancer and/or the need for a liver transplant.

HepaVue has developed a virtual liver biopsy technology which aims to make diagnosis easier and safer. The team believe that changes in muscle tissue composition can be an indicator of early-stage MASLD. These changes can be detected through existing non-invasive technologies such as CT scans and MRIs. The team will use advanced algorithms to analyse images and identify the subtle changes – changes which are difficult to pick up with the human eye but possible through AI.

Hosted in the Signal Processing Laboratory (LTS2), the team will use their Innogrant to develop their software further, file patents, and secure regulatory approval. They hope to move to human clinical trials by 2027.

Contacts:
Maxime Nachit - Co-Founder & CEO
Gaby El Alam - Co-founder

NovoViz

The EPFL Startup Launchpad has awarded a CHF 100,000 Innogrant to NovoViz – an EPFL-based technology from the Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory which looks to improve the functionality, capability, and scope of drone imaging.

Drones have changed the way many people work. Farmers monitoring their crops, to engineers inspecting bridges; environmental groups monitoring pollution, to directors creating the next blockbuster – drones are a versatile tool. How long and how far a drone can fly depends on a number of factors but, importantly, on how much additional weight or equipment it has to carry (such as cameras)

The development of SPAD – Single-Photon Avalanche Diode – cameras has opened up many new possibilities for drone work. The cameras can work in extremely low-light conditions, offering images with higher clarity (even when faced with fast-moving objects). SPAD cameras allow drones to capture and process images in real-time. However, all this detail comes with a cost – a large amount of data, increased power consumption, and demands on hardware.

The team at NovoViz have designed a new camera which uses SPAD technology but is designed to only send out relevant information and essential data – reducing the power consumption tenfold. This means a drone with all the benefits of a SPAD camera, but one that’s energy efficient and lighter.

NovoViz will use the grant to complete their initial prototypes and testing. Once the technology has been validated, the team will run pilots as they work towards commercialisation.

Contacts:
Andrada Muntean - Founder & CEO
Andrei Ardelean - Postdoctoral Researcher, PhD