High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in Desino

HTGF was joined by business angel Dieter Lorenzen, closing the company's initial financing round.

The capital will enable Desino to accelerate the development of its lever system and dynamic seat/backrest, and enter the market in the first half of 2015.

Previous funding
Desino previously received funding from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology's start-up grant Exist.

Company
Founded in November 2012 by designer Thyl Junker, engineer Daniel Levedag and sport scientist Roman Pagano, Desino spent 2013 adapting its design for a dynamic seating system as found in the office furniture industry. Operating out of Cologne, Desino works in cooperation with Köln International School of Design, RWTH Aachen and the German Sport University Cologne.

The team wanted to create a wheelchair that adapts to the customer, rather than the customer adapting to the product. A seating system has therefore been developed that maintains the continuous motion of the spine and back muscles, based on the movement of a walking person. The product is supported by a lever propulsion system designed to increase freedom of movement and preserve the wheelchair's folding mechanism.

People
Thyl Junker, Daniel Levedag and Roman Pagano are co-founders of Desino. Kay Balster is an investment manager at HTGF.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Early-stage
• DACH
• Healthcare
• Germany
• High-Tech Gründerfonds
• seed