- MindSens wins the III Global Graphene Call with a breakthrough dementia diagnostic device: a portable, accurate, and affordable home-use diagnostic tool that could bring early dementia detection into homes and clinics around the world.
- The international call launched by CIC nanoGUNE, BerriUp, Graphenea, Fomento de San Sebastián, and BIC Gipuzkoa, seeks revolutionary ideas that tackles the potential of graphene in industrial and technological applications.
The London-based MindSens is one of the winners of the III Global Graphene Call. This start-up project is developing a portable and low-cost device for the early detection of dementia—before symptoms appear- at University College London (UCL). The international call launched by CIC nanoGUNE, BerriUp, Graphenea, Fomento de San Sebastián, and BIC Gipuzkoa, seeks revolutionary ideas that tackles the potential of graphene in industrial and technological applications.
MindSens, is a UK-based HealthTech startup project that is developing a device for the early detection of Alzheimer’s using just a single drop of blood. The device integrates graphene in its sensors, leveraging a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) where functionalized graphene surfaces interact with target analytes, altering conductivity for precise detection.
With a strong interdisciplinary and transnational team, composed of six professionals expanded in different nations covering the UK, Sweden, and Indonesia and, with established roles such as executive, business development, product design, software development, and R&D, the spin-off project is now seeking the right place to found the company. At the moment, Rica Asrosa a scientific researcher from Indonesia who is completing her PhD in Material Science at University College London (UCL), is based in Donostia-Sebastián developing the product in nanoGUNE under the III Global Graphene Call award. The team´s goal is to launch a spin-off company focused on accessible brain health diagnostics, beginning with dementia and expanding into other neurodegenerative conditions.
“There is no cure for dementia yet, but early detection can delay the onset of symptoms and help people to plan for the future. Our device makes that possible, even in low-resource settings where access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or laboratory testing is limited”, says Rica Asrosa.
With tests already validated in plasma and clinical human blood samples, the team is preparing for clinical trials and product design and standardization, with the aim of launching the product on the market soon afterwards.
"Being selected as the winner of the Global Graphene Call is an incredible opportunity. Easy access to state-of-the-art facilities and the collaborative environment enable me to advance my research considerably faster. I’m deeply grateful for the support and advanced infrastructure that are helping me push our project forward", says the young Indonesian researcher.
According to Rica Asrosa, “what makes this device stand out is its special sensing system, which uses modified graphene. While the basic graphene was supplied by Graphenea, all the chemical modifications were done independently at nanoGUNE using their in-house equipment. These tools were crucial for analyzing how the structure of the graphene changed and how those changes affected its sensing abilities”.
“Unlike traditional lab tests—which can be slow, expensive, and need centralized lab facilities—the technology we are developing gives results in just minutes from a small drop of blood on a strip. It doesn’t need any costly lab equipment or trained technicians to operate”, adds the researcher.
CIC nanoGUNE
The Nanoscience Co-operative Research Center CIC nanoGUNE, located in Donostia/San Sebastian, Basque Country, is a research center set up with the mission to conduct research excellence in nanoscience and nanotechnology, thus contributing toward increasing the Basque Country’s business competitiveness and economic development. NanoGUNE is recognized by the Spanish Research Agency as a “María de Maeztu” Unit of Excellence. www.nanogune.eu
BerriUp
Founded in 2015, BerriUp is the leading private accelerator in northern Spain. Thanks to the backing of the Easo Ventures SCR fund, it has promoted more than 40 start-ups that have accessed its training programme. According to the annual report of the Funcas Foundation, BerriUp has been at the top of the national ranking of accelerators since 2021, with a network of more than 50 mentors. BerriUp also promotes open innovation by connecting technology start-ups with large companies through customised programmes that identify real strategic challenges and link them with disruptive solutions. In this way, BerriUp fosters collaboration between key players in the entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem, acting as a bridge between emerging talent and the needs of businesses.www.berriup.com
Graphenea
Founded in 2010, Graphenea is a leader in the production of CVD graphene and graphene oxide. The company supplies graphene to more than 800 customers in 50 countries and operates a production and R&D laboratory in Donostia–San Sebastián, as well as a commercial office in Boston, USA. Graphenea's team includes 40 professionals from various fields such as science, engineering, finance, and business development. In addition to standard CVD graphene and Graphene Oxide products, Graphenea offers tailored formulations for industrial applications and a Graphene Foundry service for custom graphene chip fabrication. www.graphenea.com
Fomento de San Sebastián
Fomento de San Sebastián is the City Council’s agency for economic development and innovation. Its mission is to promote innovative projects that drive the city’s economy and employment, with a people-centered approach and collaborative model. As part of its strategy to position San Sebastián as an innovation and entrepreneurship hub, Fomento operates EKINN, the city’s innovation centre, and offers programs like EKINN+ to support the creation, growth, and consolidation of innovative business projects. EKINN+ assists entrepreneurs in validating, launching, financing, and maturing their initiatives while fostering a high-performance innovation community and creating meeting points between startups and local anchor companies. www.fomentosansebastian.eus
BIC Gipuzkoa
BIC Gipuzkoa is a Business Innovation Centre that acts as a catalyst for the creation of new innovative and technological companies in Gipuzkoa. Its mission is to support entrepreneurs and startups during the most critical phases of their projects, from idea validation to growth and consolidation. Through programs like Ekintzaile- Txekintek, BIC Gipuzkoa provides funding, strategic advice, and access to a network of experts and anchor companies. It also promotes an entrepreneurial culture in the region, fostering disruptive solutions and enhancing the competitiveness of the local business ecosystem.Informazio www.bicgipuzkoa.eus