Press Release
NightBalance wins the NGI Venture Challenge Fall 2010
Intelligent sensor for healthy sleeping grasps €25,000 prize money
The Hague, 9 December 2010
Start-up company NightBalance is the winner of the Venture Challenge
Fall 2010, as announced during the Dutch Life Sciences & Health
conference in Amsterdam on 8 December 2010.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has severe health consequences. Snoring is
a light form of this breathing disorder. Positional Therapy is found to
be a highly effective method in nearly 60% of the cases. As current means of
Positional Therapy have low compliance, doctors are requesting better
ones. NightBalance has developed an intelligent sensor system to help patients to sleep in
healthy positions comfortably.
The
system measures several parameters and based on those, it stimulates
patients to sleep in healthy positions. The concept shows high effectiveness
and compliance in empirical research and - based on prior research -
doctors expect positive results from clinical research.
Key reasons for the jury to select NightBalance as a winner of the NGI
Venture Challenge Fall 2010 are that NightBalance offers a clear, simple and
elegant solution to a clear medical need, the market opportunity is very
well thought–out, and the team shows the right entrepreneurial spirit.
About the Venture Challenge
The NGI Venture Challenge is one of the Netherlands Genomics
Initiative’s activities aimed at stimulating and supporting Life
Sciences researchers in translating their inventions into viable
business ideas. The Venture Challenge is a ‘must-do’ opportunity for all
aspiring Life Sciences entrepreneurs.
It offers access to coaching and advice on various elements of setting
up a business, thereby paving
the way for their future success.
www.venturechallenge.nl
About NightBalance
Sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by periods of cessation and
reduction of airflow during sleep with oxygen desaturation. Clinical
symptoms are snoring, unquiet sleep, daytime fatigue and diminished
intellectual ability. OSA has severe health consequences including
burnouts, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and cholesterol
levels, as well as an increased chance of a heart attack. Of apnea
patients, 56% has positional OSA, for whom positional therapy can be
very effective. Because current means for positional therapy have low
compliance however, requests for better ones are made. NightBalance, a
start-up company of Yes!Delft, the Incubator of the Delft University of
Technology in
the Netherlands is developing a solution to solve this problem in form
of an intelligent sensor system.
For more information:
Chrétien Herben | Netherlands Genomics Initiative |
herben@lifesciencesatwork.nl
Eline van Beest | NightBalance |
eline@NightBalance.com
LifeSciences@work brings together seven
existing start-up support activities, including the
Venture Challenge,
Pre-Seed Grant, and the
Masterclass Biobusiness, and offers
training
and education, coaching, financing and networking opportunities.
www.lifesciencesatwork.nl
Contact: Netherlands Genomics Initiative | t +31 70 344 0850 | info@lifesciencesatwork.nl