Revolutionizing Wound Care: an Interview with cureVision

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"The biggest single most valuable piece of advice: build your network of support!” - cureVision

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cureVision is transforming the analysis, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic wounds. Funded by AI+MUNICH, this startup has thrived in Munich’s vibrant ecosystem, developing their idea for the benefit of both patients and medical staff. Discover how the founders, Kerstin von Diemar, Richard Fobo, and Johannes Ruopp, conceived and developed their idea, their ambitions for the future of cureVision, and their intrinsic belief in the value of improving lives over winning awards.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: As a start, can you give us a brief description of what cureVision is about?  

cureVision: cureVisionis revolutionizing the analysis, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic wounds by combining cutting-edge optical sensors with computer vision technology. In 2 minutes, the system prepares a rapid, automatic wound assessment, which is 90% faster than the current state and provides 98% accuracy. Tissue analysis, 3D measurements, and photo documentation are part of the solution which is utilized by hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory, and care homes.

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Building a Health-Tech Startup

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: What inspired you to enter the healthcare sector, particularly in medical technology?

cureVision: We became aware that to this very day, measuring chronic wounds with a paper ruler is the primary basis for determining the therapy. That is one of the problems why it takes on average 12 months for a chronic wound to heal. Modern medical technologies are a chance to make a real impact for patients and healthcare professionals alike. That purpose is what drove all of us to found cureVision. Plus: this is an era of major disruption in the healthcare sector. And times of disruption are times for entrepreneurs and startups. This is what keeps us going.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: What was the biggest challenge you faced in developing the initial prototype of the cureVision system?

cureVision: In order to get the job done, we knew the solution had to combine (1) high end imaging-based hardware and (2) computer vision software. This is not an easy task per se. Doing the product development during the 2 years of the pandemic made it even more challenging. While nurses and doctors were very innovative and helpful in directing us to what the product has to be like, it was really challenging to perform the real life testing when all health care facilities were operating under strict quarantine regulations.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: How does the integration of Artificial Intelligence enhance the product?

cureVision: Several aspects of our solution are actually based on artificial intelligence. One example is the recognition of the tissue types. In order to determine the healing phase and treatment of the wound, healthcare professionals need to understand the tissue composition in the wound bed. We originally tried to identify the tissue types by means of color, but the results were unsatisfactory. Necrotic tissue, or dead tissue, is often dark/black, but it can also be bright. However, bright colors are typically associated with other tissue types, for example fibrin. Color coding did not meet our quality expectations – so we switched to artificial intelligence, which works much better.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: What are the primary barriers to adopting new medical technologies in healthcare, and how can startups over come them?

cureVision: Customer Adoption is the holy grail of innovation. We were aware that our solution ultimately had to be something that solved a real problem for our customers – and become a tool that they wouldn’t want to miss in their daily life. That is why we went out of our way to test every iteration in real life and with real customers. Even at the super early prototype stage. It is a hard thing to do, especially when you don’t have a big network in the field, which is what applies to most startups. But without that– you are destined to fail.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: What advice would you offer to aspiring entrepreneurs in the medical technology field?

cureVision: The biggest single most valuable piece of advice: build your network of support! In Bavaria, and specifically in Munich, there are so many helpful organizations: the MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM, AI+MUNICH, the ecosystem around the universities like the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship, the TUM Venture Labs, just to name a few. And there is BayStartup, BioM, BayFor, Bayern Innovativ and so many others who always have an open ear for startups and can make the right connections at the right time. Reaching out to them is really essential.

cureVision’s Entrepreneurial Journey

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: Who has been your most influential mentor or inspiration throughout your career, and why?

cureVision: Over the past four years, we had the privilege of encountering numerous inspiring personalities, including university professors and several of our business angels. However, one person stands out: Stefan Vilsmeier, the founder of Brainlab. Driven by a vision to revolutionize image-guided surgery, he has built a globally renowned company. We were fortunate to meet with Mr. Vilsmeieron several occasions, and his sharp intellect, grounded analytical approach, and approachable personality have been truly inspirational for us. His unwavering commitment to innovation and his ability to transform a groundbreaking idea into a world-class enterprise serve as a powerful example of entrepreneurial success for us.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: What are your next major milestones for cureVision in the coming years?

cureVision: Technology enables us to assess what the eye cannot see – and to use that information for the benefit of healthcare professionals and patients. We are committed to improving not only the analysis, but also the diagnosis and treatment of chronic wounds. Stay tuned!

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: What has been the most rewarding part of your journey with cureVision so far?

cureVision: We were honored to receive several prestigious awards in 2023, including the Health-I Award from Techniker Krankenkasse and Handelsblatt, the Novartis Digitaler Gesundheitspreis, and "Best startup in healthcare" from the Rhön-Foundation. While we celebrated these achievements with our team, our true motivation comes from knowing our work positively impacts patients daily. During development, we encountered a patient with a deep, complex wound who experienced significant pain during traditional documentation methods (as they involve inserting a ruler into the wound). Our solution not only accelerates the process by 90% but also eliminates the need for physical contact, greatly improving patient comfort.

MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: Is there anything else you would like to add?

cureVision: We would like to thank MUNICH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM and the AI+MUNICH team for the great platform and the ongoing support we receive. The community for deep tech, biotech, and tech startups has made remarkable progress over the last few years. As the saying goes: It takes a village to raise a startup. Thanks to the excellent team behind AI+MUNICH, this collaborative environment is clearly evident in Munich.

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