Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kynan Eng and I am co-founder and CEO of YouRehab AG. We are a leading provider of interactive therapy systems for patients with motor disorders..

How did you come about your idea?

The idea came from our work at the Institute of Neuroinformatics at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. We have conducted a number of experiments looking at physiological and neural effects of interactions in virtual reality, the results of which are applied in our products.

What is your USP and what do you make different from the others?

There are many startup companies using commodity hardware for computer-interactive rehabilitation. Our specialized patented hardware is the only product on the market which patients can use to train both arm and finger movements which are required for achieving independent living. 

Our products provide enhanced patient motivation and rehabilitation experience, up to 3x higher training intensity compared to conventional therapy, improved therapy outcomes and reduced therapist supervision needs.

What is your biggest challenge?

Operating as a new medical device manufacturer involves many important challenges, including building access to the market, ensuring product quality, dealing with regulatory bodies and accumulating clinical evidence for the product.

The most important thing to know for start-up founders

Choosing correctly what to do in-house and what to outsource is critical. Technology startups should quickly identify what is not their main business, and avoid doing those things as much as possible.

To implement an idea costs money, how do you fund yourself?

As with many technology startups, we have been funded by a mix of investors, Swiss funding bodies (SNF, KTI/CTI), foundations, founders and (best of all) customers.

Further information: www.yourehab.com

Thank you for the interview and all the best for YouRehab.