Munich Startup: What motivated you to start the company?
Veronika Schweighart: My friends met Co-founders Dragan, Sascha and I us at Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) in Munich, where we worked together on various projects. We had all founded startups before, and unfortunately, we had also had negative experiences with inefficient healthcare treatments in our close family circles, some of which had serious consequences. Our motivation was therefore to fundamentally improve the healthcare system and put the patient at the center. Through intensive discussions with various doctors, we realized that clinical trials have enormous potential, both in research and in industry. From the very beginning, we directly involved doctors from a number of leading German university hospitals in our product development. This enabled us, among other things, to gain a fantastic and renowned doctor from the Charité in Berlin as a medical advisor, who continues to support us today.
“Build, Measure, Learn”
Munich Startup: What would you have liked to have known before starting your first business?
Veronika Schweighart: That concepts like the always preached “Build, Measure, Learn” by Eric Ries, which numerous successful founders refer to, should really be implemented.
Munich Startup: How has your company been financed so far?
Veronika Schweighart: In addition to various start-up grants (EXIST, EIT Health), we have had several renowned business angels from the healthcare industry on board as investors since the beginning. With them, we launched our Pre-Seed Round in the amount of 1 million euros. At the beginning of 2022, we will then have a Seed round with the VC firm Nauta Capital in the amount of 5 million euros.
Munich Startup: When and where do you get the best ideas?
Veronika Schweighart: Listening to podcasts, exercising, and having inspiring conversations with people in my network.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Veronika Schweighart: Google Keep (notes), Notion (wiki) and Hubspot (CRM).
Munich Startup: Your top tip on pitching?
Veronika Schweighart: With every pitch, aim to ensure that at least one message sticks with your audience. This will ensure that you, as a person, and your company, leave a lasting impression.
“There is more capital on the market than ever before”
Munich Startup: Does this seem like a good time to start a business? Why?
Veronika Schweighart: Definitely! There's more capital on the market than ever before, and entrepreneurship is stronger and more socially recognized than ever before. If you consistently pursue the early ideation process step by step, protect yourself against potential risks and worst-case scenarios early on, and remain flexible, you can't lose much. Quite the opposite: Even if all else fails, you'll always have learned something, gained exciting new insights, and can take the experience with you into your next job.
Munich Startup: Which technology or industry would you focus on for your next startup?
Veronika Schweighart: Continuing digitalization in healthcare: There's still a huge amount of work to be done to sustainably improve people's health and quality of life. In my opinion, this depends on a sensible combination of various technologies such as AI, big data, and blockchain.
Rents too high in Munich
Munich Startup: In your opinion, what could be improved at the Munich startup location?
Veronika Schweighart: What immediately comes to mind is the high rents, which unfortunately are becoming an increasingly significant barrier to attracting workers. Thanks to the possibility of remote work, this problem may be somewhat alleviated in the future, but many still see the value of being close to a physical workplace to engage in direct, personal interaction with colleagues.
Munich Startup: Which founder would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask them?
Veronika Schweighart: I would like to share the numerous successful founders from the CDTM network We meet more often to discuss topics such as marketing, sales, human resources, leadership, etc. Unfortunately, due to a lack of time, this happens far too rarely, even though it always provides such valuable input.
