5 Estonian startups disrupting predictive and preventive medicine

April 26, 2023

by Blessing Oyetunde

Healthcare is transforming before our eyes. Let us introduce you to the most exciting startups and companies operating in Estonia’s healthtech sector, focusing on predictive and preventive medicine. These companies are reimagining health and well-being, from predicting chronic diseases and neurological disorders risk to enabling early diagnosis to personalise treatment plans and supporting long-term health management. With them, healthcare is no longer reactionary but becoming proactive, personalised and precision-focused.

The once-unshakeable medical and healthcare industry is slowly but surely embracing digital transformation. Advancements in AI, machine learning, and other technologies enable predictive, preventive and personalised medicine on an unprecedented mainstream scale. And Estonia, with its digital-first mindset and startup-friendly ecosystem, is at the forefront of this healthcare revolution.

Antegenes

A member of the Estonian HealthTech Cluster, Antegenes is a medical technology startup tackling cancer with genomics. They use high-tech polygenic risk score technology to assess an individual’s genetic risk of developing cancer by analysing thousands of genetic variants and personal background information. Antegenes offers tests for breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and melanoma. 

With their personalised and unique results, people can take proactive steps towards cancer prevention and early detection. Notably, one of the company’s outstanding points is that they offer an easy and convenient way to perform the required tests without leaving home. In 2022, Antegenes raised €2.3 million in funding through investors and grants to bring its novel solution into broader use in healthcare and expand to new foreign markets. 

Transformative AI

Founded in 2016, Transformative AI is an AI-driven healthcare company focused on the early detection and prevention of life-threatening conditions. They are transforming patient monitoring through predictive analytics and deep learning. Their flagship product, an AI-powered model, predicts the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and detects subtle changes indicating patient deterioration, enabling earlier intervention and improved outcomes.

A member of the Health Founders accelerator, Transformative AI has raised well over $2 million in funding to advance its technology and scale its operations worldwide. As they note, “Our technology offers new hope for the 299,000 patients who experience cardiac arrest in US hospitals each year—of whom only 25% survive—and for the 6 million people around the world who die from sudden cardiac arrest annually.”

Geneto

Through a partnership with the Estonian Genome Center (University of Tartu) and an app supported by Elisa Eesti AS, Geneto provides the world’s first-ever nutrition and fitness service based on genetic insights. By utilising an intuitive app and easy-to-use at-home genetic testing kits, Geneto empowers individuals with knowledge of their genetics to make informed lifestyle choices, proactively address potential health risks, and optimise their overall health and well-being.

The platform evaluates potential disease risks, such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, to determine users’ most suitable diet, exercise, and wellness plans. Additionally, it tracks progress over time to ensure success. Following its success in Estonia, Geneto entered the UK market in June 2022 and has plans for further international expansion. The company is also a member of the Estonian HealthTech Cluster. 

Neurosalience

Founded in 2020, Neurosalience is a groundbreaking startup dedicated to developing tools that aid in the early detection of dementia through structural MRI scans to improve patient outcomes. Their novel solution Neurosalience® is a pioneering tool capable of assessing the risk of dementia even on low-resolution MRI data from older scanners. 

Furthermore, the solution has potential extensions to include CT scans, which are widely available and cost-effective. Neurosalience’s technology predicts brain age from MRI/CT data as a biomarker of neurodegenerative conditions. And with its accuracy already proven, Neurosalience’s innovative technology can detect dementia long before the first symptoms occur, making it a significant breakthrough in medical research.

Activate Health

Activate Health is a digital clinic that provides fully remote preventive care for managing and monitoring heart health, especially for patients with elevated health risks. Their evidence-based prescriptive software, combined with unique digital health audits and ready-made lifestyle programs, gives patients the tools they need to manage their cardiovascular health, reduce their risks, prevent disease, and optimise their overall well-being.

In addition, Activate Health is developing a digital therapeutics (DTx) platform that will be the first of its kind in the world. This platform aims to prevent and intervene early in metabolic syndrome, a pervasive yet overlooked cluster of conditions that often occur together and increase the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. In 2022, the digital clinic received a €1 million grant to develop further its platform with the Estonian Genome Centre, the University of Tartu and SYNLAB. 

Estonia puts the tech in healthtech

Estonia’s healthtech scene is a testament to the country’s thriving startup culture and collaborative hubs. Moreover, these five startups, among others, showcase the ingenuity and innovation driving the industry forward. As healthcare challenges persist globally, Estonia’s healthtech pioneers offer a beacon of hope for improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and ultimately saving lives.

Through a commitment to digital transformation and staying at the forefront of medical advancement, Estonia’s healthtech sector is making a significant impact on people’s lives at home and abroad. Furthermore, it sets an example for the rest of the world to follow by showing how technology can be leveraged to address critical healthcare issues.

Resouce: e-estonia

India under attack: how CybExer excecuted its biggest cybersecurity exercise

April 26, 2023

by Justin Petrone

For every entrepreneur, India is a country of almost unending possibilities. With 1.4 billion inhabitants, it might almost seem a daunting challenge to hold a national cybersecurity exercise there, especially when the leading partner, CybExer, hails from Estonia, a country with the population of one of India’s smaller cities. Yet this took place last year and was a real success.

Strong e-Estonia brand

According to Lauri Almann, cofounder of CybExer, Estonia’s positive international reputation in cybersecurity led to the partnership with the Indian government.

“We have to start with the brand of Estonia,” he said in a recent interview. “If you say you are a cybersecurity company from Estonia, that puts you as a company in another league compared to others.”

Almann also credited Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, the country’s national foundation tasked with developing its economy, with assisting the collaboration with the Indian government. “They are extremely good,” he said. “We have created a narrative backed up by real capabilities.”

The Indian government contacted CybExer because the seven-year-old company has experience providing cyber ranges and virtual environments where security experts can simulate attacks and monitor responses. CybExer offers its Cyber Range in various formats to partners, such as a wholly owned hardware solution or via a software-as-a-service model. According to the company, it has provided cyber range experiences to more than 100,000 users.

“We deliver to our customers the experience of what it feels like to be under a massive cyber attack.”

These experiences are tailored to the needs of the user, he noted. “We talk to our customers about their infrastructure, their systems, what kinds of tools they are using,” he said. “The whole experience is very lifelike.”

CybExer’s platform also enables users to visualise what transpires on any of the systems being probed during an exercise, providing back information on their status, how well they are defended, and how successful the attackers were. “This allows good situational awareness in technical exercises,” he said.

While CybExer’s Cyber Range was designed from its inception to be delivered globally and remotely, the vastness of India was still a new experience for the company. “Just the sheer largeness” of India made the cybersecurity exercise unique, Almann acknowledged.

The most extensive exercise so far

The exercise, which took place last year, involved more than 1,500 people from many teams, with the goal to encompass all of the major federal sectors involved in cybersecurity in India. The exercise lasted for five days, meaning that CybExer had to build a complex infrastructure that simulated India’s cybersecurity infrastructure, and put those systems under constant attack.

“We haven’t had an exercise of this size, and to have it one-on-one at the national level with one of the largest countries in the world, with one of the largest sets of problems, is certainly a huge and humbling experience,” remarked Almann.

Almann said that the outcome of the national cybersecurity exercise was positive for the Indian government. It helped to reinforce and build the country’s cybersecurity community. He noted that, in general, there tends to be a lack of exchange between technical teams and strategic decision making teams in the event of cyberattacks, and that people who have no training in cybersecurity are often the ones making decisions, rather than those with technical knowhow.

India’s digital revolution

Almann also said he was impressed by the firm’s Indian partners. “We liked the engagement of the clients and the level of seniority of people who helped to plan, customise, and offer ideas to improve the scenario.”

The government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in their press statement that participants were trained in various cybersecurity areas, including intrusion detection techniques, malware information sharing platforms, vulnerability handling and penetration testing, network protocols and data flows, and digital forensics.

According to the PIB, the exercise helped inform strategic leaders how to understand cyber threats better, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation.

Shri Ajit Doval, the country’s national security advisor, was quoted as saying that India was undergoing a “digital revolution,” and that the government had launched a large number of digital services.

In 2015, for instance, the Indian government launched Digital India, a campaign to develop secure and stable digital infrastructure within India, to deliver government services digitally, and to achieve universal digital literacy. With increased digitalisation, however, comes increased vulnerability to cybersecurity threats.

“Cybersecurity remains the foundation of any successful digital transformation,” Doval noted. “Any cyber threats directly impact our social, economic and national security, and therefore we must safeguard our cyberspace.”

Cooperation with universities

CybExer’s relationship with the Indian government led to a separate contract with Rashtriya Raksha University. Administered under the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs, RRU is India’s national security and police university based in Gujarat in northwestern India.

“This is the central police academy responsible for training a large part of security personnel in India,” said Almann. “This is an exciting project for us,” he said.

Nidhish Bhatnagar, director of the School of information technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity at RRU, said in a statement made when the partnership was announced in February that the university intends to use CybExer’s Cyber Range product to expand the scope of its cybersecurity studies.

It was also noted that the Cyber Range will continue to be used in the country’s annual Cybersecurity Exercise.

“What makes CybExer’s Cyber Range especially appealing to us is the ability to customise and create our content without restrictions,” Bhatnagar said. “We want to make full use of the cyber range and not be limited by artificial barriers,” he said.

Recouce: e-estonia

Estonia pioneers next-gen pharmacy tech with self-service vending station

April 21, 2023

by Invest in Estonia

Estonia’s thriving technology sector has produced another innovative solution, with Grab2Go‘s self-service pharmacy vending station being tested by Benu pharmacy chain in the city of Rapla, North Estonia. The technology has the potential to alleviate the shortage of 24-hour pharmacies, once regulatory changes are made. Benu operates over 1,400 pharmacies in 10 countries.

Combining innovations and security

The unmanned vending station is able to provide a high-quality pharmacy service thanks to Grab2Go’s software that enables a pharmacist to advise customers via telebridge on a screen located at the self-service pharmacy. The device also has cameras that ensure the right product is issued, adding extra security for customers.

Because pharma is a highly regulated industry, Grab2Go’s self-service vending station still faces limitations. As Benu franchise manager Rainer Kasevali explained, the self-service vending station would not improve the availability of medicines and pharmacy goods under current regulations, as it must be located on the premises of an existing pharmacy. It can also only operate during its opening hours.

The pilot project is time-limited, and the vending station may need to be closed if regulations do not change. In addition, prescription medicines cannot be sold without amendments to valid regulations. The pilot project, however, has the opportunity to be a case that triggers regulatory change – this has happened with several other smart automation technologies, such as autonomous delivery vehicles.

“A high-quality pharmacy service requires advice, and in order to ensure a safe and high-quality pharmacy service for customers, a real pharmacist must be available via telebridge to advise the client,” added Mart Viilipus, CEO of Grab2Go.

Going forward and public

Grab2Go, which specialises in autonomous store technologies based on artificial intelligence, was founded by Mart Viilipus, Reio Orasmäe, Ago Mõlder and Lauri Kiivit. The company raised €1M from Madis Müür, Jaak Roosaare and Estban. Besides pharmacies, it also targets convenience stores and petrol stations.

Following the latest launch, the company applied to Nasdaq Tallinn on April 6th to start admitting the company’s shares to trading on Nasdaq Baltic Alternative Market First North. According to Mart Viilipus, the company had planned to file last year but then postponed it until it opened its first robotic pharmacy.

While current regulations limit the pilot project, it’s hoped that the necessary changes can be made in the near future to allow the vending station to be rolled out nationwide. The technology could provide a convenient and accessible solution for people who struggle to access traditional pharmacies, especially those in remote areas.

Resouce: e-estonia

Estonia to launch world’s first fully digital vehicle registration system

March 23, 2023

Estonia becomes the first country to create a fully digital vehicle registration service with the help of tech company DriveX.

“Transport Administration has a great opportunity to create Europe’s first fully digital registration system in cooperation with DriveX, considerably simplifying the first registration of Estonian citizens’ and companies’ vehicles,” Joel Jesse, the Director of Mobility Management Services at Transport Administration, said. “Thanks to this, we will definitely save money and customers’ time and will be able to make operations faster and more efficient, as customers will not need to come to one of our service offices any more physically.”

AI-assisted digital customer service

Until now, first vehicle registration – meaning the registration right after a vehicle has been imported to Estonia in most cases – has only been possible by visiting one of the offices of the Transport Administration. This year, a new self-service environment will be launched, allowing fresh passenger car owners to take photos of their vehicles and upload them without leaving home or work. The vehicle has to be taken to a Transport Administration’s office only if any additional checks are needed.

The DriveX system helps to create good quality photos, supplemented by trustworthy metadata, allowing the employees of the Transport Administration to evaluate if the vehicle complies with all the regulations. For the customer, the system is intuitive and easy to use. Interactive instructions and AI technologies, such as computer vision, are used to ensure the quality of the result.

As the need for digitalisation across Europe grows, there has been interest in DriveX’s innovative system from other countries.

 DriveX’ founders

A significant step in e-state solutions

“About 116,000 vehicles are registered in Estonia every year,” Rauno Sigur, CEO of DriveX, commented. “In all of Europe, the figure is around 32 million. Therefore, the market potential is immense, and the demand for a digital vehicle registration solution is growing. Implementing our imaging technology at Transport Administration, Estonia will once again take a significant step forward in developing the e-government and make the vehicle registration process many times more efficient.”

DriveX is an Estonian startup founded in 2019. Its vehicle inspection systems are already in use at several international insurance companies. This far, the company has raised 1.2 million euros of investment.

Resouce: e-estonia

Digital Gateway will bring all business services to one place

April 3, 2023

by Justin Petrone

Estonia is known as a digital nation, and for a good reason, as almost all of its state services are available to entrepreneurs at their fingertips. However, using these services can be challenging as they are spread out across different ministries and institutions and seem fragmented to users.

“Many people don’t know just how many state services there are,” said Tiina Kruusimägi.

Kruusamägi is leading the Digital Gateway project of the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to make all state services relevant to entrepreneurs accessible via one portal.

One place for all

According to Kruusimägi, the ministry started the project in 2020 to address the fragmentation issue and the amount of time it takes users to find relevant information and learn about potential funding opportunities.

Kruusimägi said that the ministry is also developing a solution for fixed-term obligations to enable entrepreneurs to get an overview of the obligations set by the public sector, like submissions of annual reports and related information, including deadlines, activities necessary for the fulfilment of obligations and the current status of them. Therefore, the platform will allow all entrepreneurs to align with all state obligations within one environment.

The envisioned Digital Gateway platform will include a company data card, including all data contained in national registries. There will also be a national mailbox that will consolidate all communication with the state in one place.

Also planned are a centralised authorisation, role, access management system, and a means to make information on financing opportunities available to companies, including information regarding deadlines or the status of applications.

According to Kruusimägi, the Digital Gateway will also provide access to services related to company employees, enabling entrepreneurs to obtain aggregate information and to access service environments from a single window, where the information and service offer is structured.

All previously mentioned projects are included in the portal development roadmap, the implementation of which began last year and will continue through 2025.

Millions of euros saved

According to Ulvi Tallo, founder and partner at Grow Finance, one of Estonia’s largest accounting firms, such a Digital Gateway is a welcome addition to Estonia’s digital ecosystem. Tallo said that managing authorisations within a single environment would be helpful to all company representatives who need to share rights and all offices representing companies that need to delegate them. In the current situation, she noted, new authorisations are often required each time a representative needs to access a new environment.

“There are a lot of instances where such permissions are necessary,” said Tallo, “such as the Tax and Customs Board, Statistics Estonia, the Social Insurance Board, the Centre of Registers and Information Systems (RIK), and other places,” she said. “Currently, when you have an accountant, she has to go through each one of those websites and gain authorisation, so this is complicated and takes a lot of time.”

Tallo noted that the Association of Estonian Accountants, of which she is an active member, has calculated that the labour cost required to manage access “can be measured in millions of euros per year today.”

Therefore, for accounting firms like Grow Finance, the ability to manage authorisations via the Digital Gateway will be an improvement. She added that for Grow Finance’s foreign clients, being reminded of their obligations to various state authorities in one environment will also be helpful. “All of these changes they are making are important,” Tallo said.

Recouce: e-estonia