Startup Launchpad supports three health and biotech ventures

NourishAI

NourishAI – an EPFL-based startup out of Prof. Johan Auwerx’s Integrative Systems Physiology lab – has been awarded an EPFL Startup Launchpad Ignition grant of CHF 30,000.

Nutrition influences nearly every aspect of our health, yet most advice remains one-size-fits-all. For patients living with diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the right nutritional strategy can significantly impact disease progression and quality of life. NourishAI is building a precision nutrition platform that combines multiomics insights and lifestyle data to predict each individual’s nutrient requirements and responses. By analyzing large-scale datasets, the team aims to uncover how our biology shapes the way we process nutrients and adapt to disease.

The Ignition grant will support a pilot study in ALS, where NourishAI will validate its predictive models and demonstrate how personalized nutrition can complement clinical care. In the long term, the platform will expand beyond ALS to address other neuromuscular, metabolic, and aging-related conditions, paving the way toward data-driven, personalized nutrition for various lifestyles.

Contact: Asya Dolgikh

GenoRobotics

Accurate species identification is essential for everything from food safety to understanding biodiversity. Yet, traditional DNA sequencing methods are slow, costly, and limited to specialized labs. Processing a single sample can take weeks and cost hundreds of francs.

GenoRobotics, born from EPFL’s MAKE initiative and hosted in Professor Sebastian Maerkl’s LBNC lab, is changing that. The team has developed a portable DNA sequencing platform that extracts and amplifies DNA on-site, eliminating the need for a lab. This makes species identification fast, affordable, and accessible.

With Innogrant support, the team will finalize its prototype and validate the technology in the field through pilot projects in agriculture, customs, and biodiversity research.

Contact: Nicolas Adam

Infera Neuro

Millions of people worldwide have lost their ability to speak due to ALS, stroke, or spinal cord injuries. Current devices – such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication – are slow, only delivering 5-10 words a minute (in comparison to 150 words for natural speech). Implantable Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) chips can restore communication but they, too, are limited.

Infera Neuro – a spin-off from the Integrated Neurotechnologies Laboratory (INL), and that will be incubated within the REHASSIST lab – has developed ultra-low-power neural chips with the potential to transform lives. Their approach integrates AI directly onto the implant allowing it to decode brain signals in real time, quickly and securely.

With Innogrant support, the team will finalize their prototype, using this to validate their approach and scale to larger clinical trials.

Contacts: Masoud Farivar and Raphael Berner