Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Muniqo: Around 60,000 premature babies are born in Germany every year. These babies are usually taken to a specialist clinic by ambulance and in a transport incubator. Around one in three premature babies suffers a brain haemorrhage, which can lead to disability or death. One of the causes of cerebral haemorrhage is the shocks and vibrations that occur during transport. Current solutions cannot sufficiently prevent these harmful shocks that cause brain haemorrhages.
This is where we come in: Muniqo Perfomante. We offer an innovative solution for the vibration-free storage of transport incubators, which enables the safe transportation of premature and critically ill newborns. This significantly reduces the risk of transport damage such as brain haemorrhages. This technology not only potentially saves babies’ lives, but can also save up to 200,000 euros in costs and numerous nursing and medical expenses per prevented brain haemorrhage. In addition, we offer the possibility of continuously monitoring the shocks. In addition, conclusions can be drawn about the risk of cerebral haemorrhage and preventive measures can be taken.
Muniqo Performante: Vibration sensor can do more than just transport incubators
Munich Startup: But that already exists!
Muniqo: Our product is based on an innovative platform technology that enables optimum damping and suspension. Technically, it covers more spectrums than comparable solutions.
Our system is also a vibration sensor. High-precision work and processes not only play a role in the transportation of incubators, but also in numerous economic sectors. For example, the technology can also be used in battery production or in quantum technology applications.
Efforts have been made to find solutions for vibration-free storage for the transportation of babies. The most important approaches to preventing shocks currently include reducing driving speed, using cushioning materials such as gel mattresses, wrapping babies tightly and using rubber shock absorbers. These approaches, and in particular the rubber shock absorbers, cannot cover the spring, shock absorber or sensor functions optimally or at all. By installing our product in transport incubators, the babies lie on an application surface and can therefore be transported almost vibration-free. Another point is that the exact influence of the journeys or the effects of the vibrations on the newborn are not precisely researched, but only estimated. Our sensor functionality can make an important contribution here.
Best buddies become a founding team
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Muniqo: We, the co-founders Luca Fabiano and Sebastian Wann, have known each other since elementary school and have been best buddies ever since. We did our A-levels together and also exchanged a lot of ideas. Sebastian already had the idea for our product at school. We both studied at the TU Munich. There we learned how to describe the idea mathematically and physically and developed an initial prototype. With a master’s thesis and winning the TUM IdeAward 2023, we decided to use the technology for real-world problems. Muniqo Performante has been a member of the TUM Venture Labs Additive Manufacturing and Mobility since December 2023. At the end of May, we also completed the UnternehmerTUM Xplore program.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Muniqo: Aspecific challenge for a project in its early stages, as we are now, is the recruitment of highly qualified personnel. Such an undertaking is an extreme risk and it is therefore difficult to find people who want to join us in this respect. In addition, there are the usual problems, i.e. work-life balance or work-work-life balance, where we have to juggle our startup, studies and part-time job, the uncertainty and, of course, the money.
Plans for further development
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where would you like to be in five years?
Muniqo: In one year, we want to have completed the pilot projects, developed functional and potentially usable prototypes and be EXIST-funded so that we can then officially found the company. In five years, we want to have established ourselves on the market and run a stable company with a six-figure turnover, while at the same time pushing ahead with research and development and thus opening up further market segments.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Muniqo: We received a great deal of support and were able to build up a large network in a very short time, especially through UnternehmerTUM. The Venture Labs have also contributed to this. They also provide us with a great deal of technical support. There are also often great and helpful events. And if you then need something or someone who is not in the network, there is always someone who can quickly put you in touch. It’s also extremely helpful that we have so many universities and sometimes people who are really interested in helping you. This accelerates the development of Techsolutions immensely.
Munich Startup: Outsource or do it yourself?
Muniqo: We will not outsource.
