Bringing together fluid mechanical and cardiovascular engineering research, Medtech startup ValTech Lifesciences received the final £1300 kick from Venture Kick to advance its development of a non-thrombogenic, durable heart valve prosthesis.

Valvular heart disease affects over 70 million individuals worldwide, with its prevalence increasing with age. Patients who undergo prosthetic heart valve implantation face significant challenges, including limited valve durability and the lifelong burden of anticoagulation therapy, which is further compounded in regions with limited access to medical resources.

ValTech is advancing cardiovascular health with its patented heart valve features that improve the performance of mechanical and biological prostheses, alleviating the risk of coagulation and extending their lifespan.

The global market for heart valve prostheses was valued at $11B in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 25 billion by 2030 with the US, China, and the EU as the largest markets. 

As a spin-off project from the University of Bern, the team includes Co-Founders Dr. Shaokai Zheng and Prof. Dr. Dominik Obrist from the Cardiovascular Engineering Lab with more than 30 years of combined experience in fluid mechanics and cardiovascular technology.

“Venture Kick has been a critical source of support to boost our business development,” says Shaokai Zheng, co-founder and CEO of ValTech Lifesciences. “We are now more motivated than ever to bring the next generation heart valve prosthesis to patients.”

The Venture Kick philanthropic initiative provides up to CHF 150,000 in seed funding to Swiss startups and offers a well-structured entrepreneurial path toward building a winning business. Startups pitch to expert juries in three stages to obtain financing, gain direct feedback, and access an international network of 200 successful entrepreneurs and investors. Winners of Venture Kick are eligible for an InnoBooster grant of CHF 150,000 and an additional CHF 850,000 investment from the Kickfund.

Since its launch in 2007, Venture Kick has supported 1,074 Swiss startup projects with CHF 80 million. Thanks to financial support, coaching, and networking with investors, this initiative has led to the emergence of 783 thriving startups and the creation of 13,305 jobs.