© Kamedi GmbH

Helping life science startups to establish and get running

Steinbeis and BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg form a successful partnership in the EXI startup voucher funding program

The EXI startup vouchers were launched by the European Social Fund and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism in 2012 to provide support for business startups. Now in its fourth funding period, this successful program is aimed at founders wishing to bring an innovative business concept to fruition. The Steinbeis Consulting Center Business Start-up acts a consulting service for the program. In the fields of medical technology, biotech and pharma, it works with experienced coaches from BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH. The partners helped the team from Karlsruhe-based startup Kamedi GmbH to get their business up and running.

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Developed by medtech startup Kamedi GmbH, heat it® is a treatment for itching and pain caused by insect bites and stings. Weighing in at just four grams, this compact device is easily connected to a smartphone. It is based on the medically proven principle that applying concentrated heat to the site of a bite or sting provides effective, completely chemical-free itch and pain relief. The smart insect bite healer simply plugs into your smartphone port. The included app for Android and iPhone allows you to adjust the heat setting to your own personal preference so that the device can be used on sensitive children’s skin as well as by adults. The battery-free device can provide up to 1,000 treatments when connected to a fully charged smartphone.

Since 2019, Kamedi has been a certified medical device manufacturer with its own development and production facility at the Technologiefabrik Karlsruhe. The team now comprises over 25 specialist staff working across the medtech startup’s different departments. From procurement to production and shipping, the company handles everything itself.

Using heat to relieve itching

The heat it® concept came about in 2017 in a student competition at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. In their quest for a treatment for mosquito bites, Kamedi’s founders experimented with concentrated heat, finding it to be an effective solution. However, the products available at the time were too clunky and inflexible. So they decided to take matters into their own hands and develop an alternative.

Once they had established the business, the team found the ideal location to continue developing heat it® in the Karlsruhe startup accelerator Cyberlab. Having recruited almost 2,000 crowdfunding supporters on Startnext, by summer 2019 the founders were able to obtain TÜV-Süd certification as a medical device manufacturer. heat it® was launched in the company’s online store and selected pharmacies and specialist stores. The new product generation won the ISPO Brandnew Award and was featured on several TV programs.

heat it® is unique in being adjustable to the customer’s individual preferences, with twelve treatment settings for different types of insect bite or personal sensitivity to heat. An integrated child mode and chemical-free mode of action set this medical device apart from clunky traditional battery-powered products. By 2023, heat it® had already been sold in 15 countries across Europe, North America and Asia. Over 500,000 customers have carried out more than 20 million treatments with the device. Partnerships with well-known companies like mosquito® helped with market penetration and are increasing the product’s reach.

The founders also received support from the state of Baden-Württemberg and its well-connected startup ecosystem. The team was able to avail itself of various services and participate in programs like the Life Science Accelerator.

EXI program helps the business get up and running

Back in 2018, when they were beginning to think about starting a business, the Kamedi team took advantage of the EXI startup voucher program. In the first, “initial consultation” step, the multi-stage pre-startup consulting program provided the founders with valuable information about funding and finance programs. A specialist coach then helped them with regulatory questions and getting the product certified as a medical device.

Steinbeis Entrepreneur Ralf Lauterwasser explains how the funding program works: “Since the EXI startup vouchers were launched in 2012, our Steinbeis team has supported over 7,000 startups. After the initial consultation, we offer intensive startup coaching to founder teams with promising business ideas”. During the initial consultation, the best consulting package for the startup is identified through discussion with the entrepreneurs.

This offers teams of aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to acquire the relevant entrepreneurial skills and apply them directly to the development and establishment of a growth-oriented business. It allowed the Kamedi team to discuss their business model with the specialist coaches from BIOPRO and devise a robust business plan. BIOPRO also helps life science founders to find finance and develop a sales and marketing strategy. Startups can choose from a range of consulting packages, depending on their individual needs.  The teams are subsequently offered specialist consultations of up to four days where they can work closely on their priorities with accredited specialist consultants. In the healthcare sector, the issues tend to be similar, centering on matters such as regulation, reimbursement from health insurance companies, and product validation, financing and marketing.

The EXI startup vouchers helped the team at Kamedi GmbH to get their business up and running. And the company’s subsequent success is a testament to an excellent partnership.


Are you planning to establish your own life science start-up in Baden-Württemberg and looking for a helping hand? We’ll support you through every stage of setting up your business, with professional, personalized advice on everything from submitting applications to training. Feel free to contact us.

www.steinbeis-exi.de

www.bio-pro.de

Contact

Ralf Lauterwasser
Steinbeis Entrepreneur
Steinbeis Consulting Center Business Start-Up (Stuttgart)
www.steinbeis-exi.de

Özgül Boztepe (author)
BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH (Stuttgart)

Lukas Liedtke (author)
CEO
Kamedi GmbH (Karlsruhe)

227256-09