Nia Health, a spin-off of Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin that offers digital solutions for the treatment and support of sufferers of chronic skin conditions, secured €3.5 million in a Seed funding round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds. Other investors include adesso Ventures, and Ventura BioMed Investors, the fund of pharmaceutical industry expert Dr. Kurt Schwarz.
The startup’s products include digital therapeutics, such as the leading atopic dermatitis app Nia, and technologies for monitoring patients and conducting clinical trials.
The fresh capital will be used for expansion in German-speaking countries, as well as launching in other EU countries in the next 24 months and preparing for the US market entry. The funding will also be used to further develop the innovative, AI-based technology that integrates machine vision, natural language processing and teledermatology.
Oliver Welter, co-founder and CTO of Nia Health, says: “Our expertise in the area of real-world evidence is particularly promising for the future. In contrast to clinical trials, the data shows how therapies are actually used. Pharmaceutical companies and other providers of therapeutic services can use this data to significantly improve care.”
The company’s technology is currently being used in a total of five clinical studies, including one at the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin to investigate the therapy-accompanying effectiveness of the Nia App with success. The Nia Health solution used in the randomised controlled study shows positive effects on the patients’ quality of life.
According to Welter, the growing importance of real-world evidence is reflected in Nia Health’s figures: last year alone, the start-up more than doubled its revenue compared to 2021. Its partners include Sanofi, Pfizer, LEO Pharma as well as large statutory health insurers such as the Kaufmännische Krankenkasse KKH or AOK PLUS.
“The seed funding allows us to massively expand our AI and development capabilities to best address the individual needs of patients with chronic skin conditions. In addition, we benefit from the cross-sector expertise of our strong consortium of investors. With Ventura BioMed Investors, we have a partner with many years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry on board, while in parallel we can draw on adesso’s expertise to scale our IT landscape”, adds Welter.
Niels Sharman, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds: “We have been following the development of Nia Health since its establishment and have been convinced by the venture’s capital-efficient growth in recent years. In the market for real world evidence, we see massive potential – especially in dermatology, where Nia Health addresses an acute gap in care.”
