SmartSelect, Alivion’s proprietary technology developed over 10 years at the ETH Zurich, uses nanostructured gas sensors, filter technology and smart algorithms to identify substances in body’s breath and liquids. This offers near real-time, laboratory-level analysis of substances. Initially developed for the real-time analysis of liquid substances, the technology has proved successful in analyzing toxic methanol in the beverages industry, demonstrated by the continuous demand for its flagship product – methanol detectors, SPARK M-20/M-30 – globally. To continue serving this segment, the company has signed a distribution agreement with Gerber Instruments AG for the beverage industry for Americas, Europe and Africa with the global LLG network of 100 distributors.
With the successful validation of their technology through methanol testing applications, Alivion has strategically repositioned itself to tap into the burgeoning market for digital weight monitoring, fitness/health, and longevity solutions. This market, valued at over $70 billion and experiencing double-digit growth, presents a substantial opportunity for Alivion's cutting-edge technology.
The startup is leveraging its SmartSelect technology to measure biomarkers in breath and analyze individual fat-burn rates. With Nutrion, the company is developing a portable device for individuals seeking to optimize their diet and lifestyle. To advance the device’s capabilities, Alivion is taking various measures to enrich its knowledge base, including joining the Garmin-Connect community, which allows for health and performance data exchange with a wider ecosystem of devices. It has forged development partnerships in Poland and Germany. Additionally, Alivion collaborates with the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) in a diet monitoring study in September 2024 and a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) study prepared for 2025, both supported by Innosuisse grants totaling CHF 3 million to validate the technology.
The device along with the cloud platform, and app are slated for launch in Q1 2025, first accessible to a community of 100 members. The company plans to sell its solutions primarily through B2B channels, targeting nutrition experts and endocrinologists who will provide the instruments to individuals for home use.
Angel investor and first commitments made
The company has also embarked on its third financing round, aiming to raise CHF 1 million by the end of 2024 and close with a total of CHF 4 million by Q1 2025. This round has already attracted investors, including serial investor Thomas Schulz, known for his involvement in various startups, as a founder and investor. With decades of experience in the healthcare industry, Thomas brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Alivion’s team. Having held key sales executive positions at IBM, Thomas has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. He will support Alivion in identifying and connecting with new investors and customers within the healthcare sector, leveraging his extensive network and deep understanding of the industry.
The company’s new orientation follows its leadership changes in June 2024, with Christian Zwicky as the CEO. Christian brings 25 years of experience in life sciences, diagnostics, healthtech, and biotech to support the company in its new focus area and lead a team of nine people at its headquarters in Glattbrugg, near Zurich Airport.
(RAN)