In this week’s post, we would like to introduce to you the third team in our accelerator program, Ghost.
Ghost was founded by Laura Bücheler and Bella Hillmer. The two are developing a non-invasive smart glove combined with a training app solution. Their aim is to enable patients that have lost a hand to regain feeling in their extremities, something that is currently only possible through complex and costly surgery.
As a matter of fact, this is not Laura and Bella’s first entrepreneurial endeavor. Growing up in an idyllic little village in southern Germany, the two friends’ first business idea was to sell handicrafts that they made themselves during school holidays. Since then, both their academic interests and personal skills have evolved, as did their interest in medical technology and healthcare 4.0.
Laura has a background in Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering. She studied at the Munich Technical University and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, and has been working at First Sensor AG, a high tech company developing a variety of standardized and customized sensors and modules, for two years. There, she was responsible for the technical and commercial evaluation of new customized projects, for product management, and for business process establishment and optimization.
Bella has a background in Communication Design, Psychology and Philosophy, and studied at the Université de Fribourg in Switzerland. She then worked as a research intern in Bern and Berlin, where she developed a keen interest in the human brain and decided to shift her focus from clinical to cognitive and neuroscientific psychology. Her new-found interest prompted her decision to enroll in a Research Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience, and to work as a research assistant at the University of Zurich. She also has a masters’ degree in Industrial Design from the Munich Technology University.
Jakob recently joined the Ghost team. He has background in International Media and Computing. Computer vision is his main interest, but he has also worked in linguistics, web development and even virtual reality gaming.
We sat down with the Ghost team to talk about their development, achievements and plans for the future, and this is what they had to say:
What inspired you to launch Ghost?
The initial idea emerged in 2015, when Bella was working in neuroscientific research and Laura had just finished her degree in Biomedical Engineering. Since then, not only did we grow on a personal, academic and professional level, but the idea matured and grew as well. In 2017, we finally found the courage to pursue our dream and started to work on the project full-time.
What have you been working on this year and what has changed?
In August, we joined Collider Camp, a high-tech accelerator at AtomLeap, where we turned our vision into a feasible product concept. Moreover, we have found a great partner in the Munich Technical University. A third team member, Jakob, also joined us and has been providing valuable support in areas like web presence. We are currently working on a prototype suitable for a clinical trial that we are planning to start in 2018.
Where do you see yourself in half a year?
In six months, we see ourselves in the clinical trial phase, during which we are going to scientifically prove the benefits of our product. In two years, we want to launch our product, which we dubbed the Doppelgänger, and consequently we will start working on the next amazing product idea.
What do you like the most about the Berlin startup scene?
Everything that is great about Berlin itself. It’s a lively, open, diverse and energetic environment that inspires people to go pursue their dreams and push through with their business ideas.