Akina wins CHF 150,000 to integrate gamified at-home physical therapy with the world’s best musculoskeletal care
Akina’s digital therapy service for patients with musculoskeletal conditions turns physical therapy at home into an immersive experience. With an AI-driven motion coach and unique entertainment integration, Akina addresses the lack of clinical feedback and motivation that causes four out of five patients to fail during self-care at home today. At an estimated additional cost of CHF 7 billion per year, failing musculoskeletal patient self-care is a key cost driver in the Swiss healthcare system.
Akina will use the CHF 150,000 Venture Kick award to hire key team members in the areas of business development, product management, and regulatory affairs for their product launch in 2023.
As an ETH Zürich spin-off, Akina’s growing team of seven brings vast experience in movement science, AI, software development, and rehabilitation technology. Akina was founded by Dr. Florian Haufe and Dr. Michele Xiloyannis in 2021 after several years of research in the areas of rehabilitation technology and robotics.
“Venture Kick offers two of the most essential resources that founders need at an early stage: venture financing and expert guidance on how to use it. For Akina, support from Venture Kick has been extremely valuable,” said Florian Haufe, Co-Founder and CEO of Akina.
Michele Xiloyannis, Co-Founder and CTO, added: “Venture Kick has been a stimulating experience for Akina’s founding team. Starting from our background in deep tech and science, we were increasingly challenged to adopt a product mindset and validate our business model with first customers.”