A wearable tech Imperial startup were finalists of Science Startup of the Year at the Falling Walls conference in Germany.

GyroGear, which was founded by Imperial alumnus Dr Faii Ong, is developing wearable technology that can improve quality of life for people who suffer from hand tremors – such as those with Parkinson’s disease and Essential Tremor.

They recently received €1.8M from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme to develop the GyroGlove, a device that helps stabilise the hands of people with tremors.

The company was a finalist at the Falling Walls Venture in Berlin, Germany, a global competition for innovative science-based start-ups.

Dr Ong said: "GyroGear is working hard always to bring down the often invisible barriers presented by disability.

"Given the global context of increasing isolation, it is imperative GyrogGlove takes the initiative to firmly but humbly push to reach out to those around us, and to make credible inroads not just for the 200 million people with hand tremors.

"GyroGear’s own volunteers highlight the cost of their disability - they are forgotten, misdiagnosed, ashamed to be in public, and unable to carry basic activities of daily living.

"It means a tremendous amount for our team to present gumption and enterprise in the face of these invisible walls of disability, to over 700 Nobel prize winners and global leaders in science, business, politics, the arts and society."

Leading scientific discoveries

Falling Walls is an annual global gathering of industry and science leaders from more than 80 countries.

It is one of Europe's most significant scientific conferences and is attended by Nobel Prize winners, government science ministers, chief scientists, business leaders and entrepreneurs. 

The annual conference is in its tenth year and takes place on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Every year it invites 20 of the world's leading scientists to present their latest research.

Professor David Gann, Imperial’s Vice President (Innovation), was a member of the jury panel, responsible for selecting this year’s winner of Falling Walls Venture.

Speaking from Berlin, Professor Gann said: "Falling Walls has become an important global gathering of the world's most eminent scientists.

It’s a considerable achievement for GyroGear to be recognised as a leading science start-up. Professor David Gann Vice President (Innovation)

"It provides challenging debate on leading scientific discoveries, new ideas for research and celebrates new ventures flowing from labs - from all over the world.

"It promotes public engagement, fostering a culture ambitious for the future of science and respectful of the doubt that is necessary to challenge the veracity of results from science.

"It’s a considerable achievement for GyroGear to be recognised as a leading science start-up.

"GyroGear was forged in Imperial’s entrepreneurial environment where exploration and experimentation results in the formulation of ideas that have potential commercial value and social impact.

"Through our Enterprise Lab we support students coming from all areas of science, engineering, medicine and business and we have built the infrastructure for them to test their ideas and support their development."

The competition was won by Swiss team T3 Pharmaceuticals who have developed an innovative cancer treatment therapy involving the use of live bacteria

Other finalists at the event included a robotic system for automated inventory management, a high-resolution 3D printer, a waterless body bath, a blood testing platform for prostate cancer, a project for breeding insects and a sensor for fresh food.

Enterprise Lab

Imperial’s Enterprise Lab offers state-of-the-art digital tools, techniques and training to help students build better business plans and improve their performance at pitching to potential clients, partners or investors.

It also give students the knowledge, skills and experience to compete for the best jobs and make a real impact in companies that hire them.

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Picture credits: Falling Walls and GyroGear