DCB newsletter #4/25: Voices of the community – meet the DCB Lived Experience Panel (Part 3)

DCB newsletter #4/25: Voices of the community – meet the DCB Lived Experience Panel (Part 3)

We are thrilled to present you with the next episode of our series!

Dear readers,

As part of Diabetes Awareness Month, we are delighted to introduce to more inspiring members of our Lived Experience Panel (LEP)! At DCB, we are dedicated to driving innovation in diabetes technology. Our vision is to improve the lives of people with diabetes, also transforming the way diabetes is understood and treated. To do this, we actively listen to those who live with diabetes and ensure their voices help guide our work.

Find part 1 here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dcb-newsletter-5-voices-community-meet-patient-leaders-part-1-/

And part 2: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dcb-newsletter-6-voices-community-meet-patient-leaders-part-2–1e/

Now, let’s shine a spotlight on our wonderful LEP Experts: Nadine Schenk , Vivien Glocker , and Laura Magnabosco !

Nadine was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2011. After completing two vocational trainings as an ornamental plant and landscape gardener, she went on to study social pedagogy. Nadine is committed to ensuring that people with diabetes who also live with physical, cognitive, or psychological impairments receive more targeted support and guidance. She is also dedicated to promoting the development of new technologies and tools that make everyday life easier for people with diabetes and disabilities. In addition, Nadine serves on the board of Diabetes Bern. Her personal experiences with diabetes, as well as more insights into her interests and goals for the community, can also be heard in episode 3 of the Club D podcast by Diabetes Switzerland.

Vivien is a physician and doctoral candidate with a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Management of Clinical Trials. With international experience in clinical care and research across the U.S., Germany, and Switzerland, she has focused particularly on type 1 diabetes and its multifaceted challenges. Her scientific work includes publications in national and international journals, with a special emphasis on psychosocial aspects and precision medicine in type 1 diabetes. Driven by a strong commitment to the diabetes community, Vivien is passionate about advancing both patient care and research in order to improve outcomes and foster innovation in the field of type 1 diabetes.

Laura is originally from Italy, but currently residing in Switzerland as she pursues her PhD in the field of diabetes research. Laura’s journey with diabetes began at the age of 14 when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Her diagnosis ignited a spark within her for scientific exploration and a deep fascination with the intricate workings of the human body. Driven by this passion, she embarked on a path of academic excellence, majoring in Medical Biotechnology at university. Her thirst for knowledge led her to pursue a doctoral degree, specializing in diabetes research. Laura is profoundly committed to her work in the lab, where she engages in cutting-edgepre-clinical research. Her ultimate goal is to make a substantial and positive impact on thelives of those affected by diabetes. Recently she has recognized the immense value in sharing experiences and insights with others who face the same challenges. This newfound awareness has inspired her to extend her knowledge and experiences beyond the laboratory. She believes in the transformative power of shared experiences and hopes to harness it for the betterment of individuals living with diabetes.

Thank you Nadine, Vivien and Laura for being on board and for all the important work you do!

And you, dear followers, see you for the next edition of our DCB newsletter!

 

This post was previously published in Linkedin. Click here to see the original publication.

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DCB Newsletter #3/25: Menstrual cycle and insulin requirements

DCB Newsletter #3/25: Menstrual cycle and insulin requirements

We are thrilled to present you with the next episode of our series “INSIDE DCB”!

Research at the Diabetes Centre Berne: Focus on the menstrual cycle and insulin requirements

The Diabetes Centre Berne (DCB) is investigating the influence of hormonal fluctuations, particularly the menstrual cycle, on diabetes management. Martina Rothenbühler and Stefanie Hossmann explain how they are working with the community to collect data and gain new insights to help those affected.

Martina Rothenbühler (MR) and Stefanie Hossmann (SH), what are your roles at the Diabetes Centre Berne (DCB)?

MR: My focus is on data analysis and developing research questions. I draw on my background in biostatistics and investigate, for example, how hormonal fluctuations influence insulin requirements.

SH: I am responsible for coordinating studies at the DCB and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. My background as a biologist enables me to tailor these studies to the specific needs of the participants.

How did you come up with the idea to research this topic?

SH: We learned from the diabetes community, from various people living with diabetes, that there are fluctuations in diabetes management in relation to the menstrual cycle. We then began to look into the topic in more detail. We found very little on this in the mainstream scientific journals, so we decided to investigate the topic more thoroughly. There are different phases in the menstrual cycle during which hormones increase or decrease. These include, for example, the follicular phase and, at the end, the luteal phase. Ovulation takes place in between. Since all of this is closely linked to hormones, we assumed that insulin requirements are also affected.

MR: I previously worked at Ava, a femtech start-up. There, we conducted research projects that showed that the menstrual cycle has many different effects, for example in the areas of sport and osteoporosis. This sparked my interest, as insulin sensitivity may also be related to this.

Why has this topic been largely unexplored until now?

MR: One of the reasons is the so-called gender health data gap, i.e. the lack of health data on women. For a long time, women were excluded from clinical studies to avoid risks, for example in the event of pregnancy. In addition, hormonal fluctuations were considered potential confounding factors that could make general statements difficult. These aspects are not yet sufficiently anchored in research.

SH: That’s really surprising. With almost every new research topic, you realise that this is not a given.

How does the diabetes community view your efforts to investigate the link between diabetes and the menstrual cycle?

MR: We have mainly received feedback from people who already considered the topic important or saw it as a personal problem. However, we do not know how many women did not feel affected by it. For some, enthusiasm for our research was greater than their willingness to actually participate in the study. Nevertheless, many found the topic interesting and important, even if participating in a study is a hurdle.

SH: We also often received feedback that this issue is seen as a relatively minor problem and that more important issues should be addressed first. However, we take a different view. Especially when diabetes management is already at a high level, a small improvement, such as five per cent more time in the target range (time in range), can bring about a noticeable improvement. This has also been confirmed by the community.

What further goals are you pursuing with your research in this area?

MR: Our aim is to bring more data from women and non-binary people into medical research and to raise awareness of these issues. The focus is not only on time-in-range, but also on how technology should be designed in this context. For example, more is already known about the influence of gender on sport and nutrition in relation to diabetes.

SH: However, less research has been done on hormonal transition phases such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or gender reassignment.

MR: Or even the entire puberty phase. All these gender-specific phases are related to diabetes, but they are still largely unexplored. We are currently working on an editorial that highlights precisely these areas.

Why is this topic particularly relevant to the Diabetes Centre Berne?

MR: What is special about diabetes and the menstrual cycle is that there is no specific industry behind it and therefore hardly any commercial interests at stake. Our research covers the entire field of diabetes technology and is not limited to a single manufacturer. However, this also means that there is often little research funding available and we are dependent on third-party funding. As a foundation, we are therefore in a good position to conduct this research together with people with diabetes.

What specific projects are you currently working on, and what are your main goals?

MR: What I find exciting is the fact that, although there are restrictions for certain groups, many of those affected have nevertheless found their own solutions to deal with the challenges. They have developed strategies that work for them personally.

SH: We are currently working closely with the community to understand exactly where the problems lie and what needs exist. We are collecting data on the extent of the burden and the strategies that those affected have developed to cope with it. So far, we have evaluated data from the past. In the future, we would like to collect data in a targeted and forward-looking manner to get even better answers to our questions.

Thanks so much for reading, and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

This edition was authored by Sunjoy Mathieu, Communication Manager at DCB.

 

This post was previously published in Linkedin. Click here to see the original publication.

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DCB Newsletter #2/25: DID YOU KNOW… that staying active with Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t have to be complicated?

DCB Newsletter #2/25: DID YOU KNOW… that staying active with Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t have to be complicated?

Dear Community,

For many people living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), physical activity can bring unique challenges. Balancing glucose levels, managing insulin, and planning meals around exercise often require extra care and consideration.

The new book “Empowered: The Science of Exercise with Type 1 Diabetes”, authored by Dr. Sam Scott, CEO and Co-Founder of Enhance-d, and Dr. Simon Helleputte, offers clear and accessible guidance to help you safely and effectively integrate physical activity into your life. Grounded in the latest research, this resource is designed to empower you, no matter your activity level or goals.

This book is not just about exercise – it’s about empowering you to lead a more active, confident, and fulfilling life while managing your condition. Whether it’s adapting insulin for a morning walk or managing glucose during endurance events, the complexity of physical activity with T1D can feel overwhelming. Empowered bridges the gap between research and everyday life, providing tools and strategies to help you navigate exercise with confidence.

Who is this book for?

The e-book is designed to meet the diverse needs of:

  1. People living with Type 1 Diabetes: Whether you’re starting your fitness journey or are an experienced athlete, this guide is tailored to your needs.

  2. Healthcare professionals: Gain insights to better support people with Type 1 Diabetes in their physical activity goals.

  3. Caregivers and coaches: Learn how to provide practical support and encouragement.

What’s Inside?

Here’s a glimpse into the book’s ten chapters, crafted to address every key aspect of Type 1 Diabetes and exercise:

1. Understanding Type 1 Diabetes and exercise: Gain a foundational understanding of how Type 1 Diabetes affects glucose levels during different types of physical activity, including aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

2. The benefits of physical activity: Discover how regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity, supports cardiovascular health, and enhances overall wellbeing. Learn why even small steps, like reducing sedentary time, can make a big difference.

3. Hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise: Explore how your body’s natural responses differ with Type 1 Diabetes and how to anticipate and manage fluctuations in glucose levels during and after activity.

4. Practical exercise management Learn step-by-step approaches to:

  • Adjust insulin doses for various activities
  • Prepare for workouts with tailored nutrition strategies
  • Manage glucose levels during exercise with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).

5. Sports science management: For those pursuing endurance sports, delve into advanced topics like low-carbohydrate diets, post-workout recovery, and adaptations for extreme environments.

And more about Metabolism and management, Sports science principles, Low-carbohydrate diets and Athletic performance in Type 1 Diabetes. Simon and Sam have meticulously compiled the most relevant research to help readers better understand and navigate exercise with Type 1 Diabetes.

Why this book might be for you?

  1. Research Made Practical: The book translates decades of scientific studies into simple, actionable steps for your daily life.

  2. Real-Life Relevance: It was developed with input from people living with Type 1 Diabetes, ensuring the advice is applicable to real-world scenarios.

  3. Empowering Language: Written in an inclusive and uplifting tone, the book celebrates your strengths and provides solutions for overcoming challenges.

Ready to Get Started?

Exclusively for you, dear newsletter readers, we are happy to provide you with a free online version here:

➡️ https://book.enhance-d.com/5/empowered

If you prefer a paperback version, you can get it here:

➡️ https://amazon.enhance-d.com/?asin=1068431717

Join the Empowered Movement

Connect with a community of people living with Type 1 Diabetes, healthcare professionals, and researchers dedicated to advancing understanding and support for exercise in Type 1 Diabetes management.

Follow the authors and Enhance-d for updates:

Key Takeaway

Managing Type 1 Diabetes doesn’t mean giving up on your fitness goals – it means redefining them with knowledge, preparation, and the right tools. “Empowered” equips you with everything you need to move forward confidently, one step at a time.

Thanks so much for reading!

This post was previously published in Linkedin. Click here to see the original publication.

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DCB Newsletter #1/25: INSIDE DCB – Interview with Lisa Koch

DCB Newsletter #1/25: INSIDE DCB – Interview with Lisa Koch

Dear Community,

We are thrilled to present you with the next episode of our series “INSIDE DCB” – this time, with an interview with Lisa Koch. Enjoy the read!

Since April 2024, Lisa Koch has been an assistant professor at the University and University Hospital of Bern as well as the DCB (Diabetes Center Berne). Using artificial intelligence, she and her team are dedicated to developing demonstrably safe, reliable, and effective data-driven tools to shape the future of diabetes care.

Prof Dr Koch, what is your research about?

My research is concerned with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) methods for medicine. I am particularly interested in how artificial intelligence can be used safely and reliably. For example: How can we explain in an understandable way how an AI makes important decisions? How do we ensure that AI performs just as well for real people as it does in studies? And could it be that the AI is penalising certain groups? If so, how can we recognise and improve this?

What motivates you to work in the field of diabetes?

Diabetes research offers enormous potential to improve the lives of millions of people. The use of artificial intelligence in diabetes technology makes it possible to develop personalised therapies that respond to individual needs. The field of diabetes is also of scientific interest to me because there are many different applications for artificial intelligence. These range, for example, from blood glucose management using wearable devices (wearables) to the detection of secondary diseases of diabetes, such as the early detection of diabetic retinopathy based on images of the back of the eye. There are still many unanswered questions in each of these areas.

What is your greatest challenge as a professor?

My daily life as a professor is very diverse. Even the actual research itself involves a variety of different tasks: I continuously develop my short-, medium- and long-term research vision, supervise students, read and write a lot, and exchange ideas in my international environment. This also includes responsibilities in academic self-governance and teaching. In addition, there are countless other exciting tasks that are important to me: I help organise scientific conferences and am regularly invited as an expert to review the work of other professionals (peer review), participate in panel discussions, or give lectures. I would say my biggest challenge is prioritising and managing my limited time. Fortunately, since I have a great deal of independence in organising my time, the responsibility lies entirely with me: I need to learn to occasionally say no to exciting opportunities.

What goals do you aim to achieve with your team and your lab, the MLM-Lab (Machine Learning in Medicine Lab)?

I have several goals that I would like to pursue with my team. On one hand, my core research objectives are close to my heart: I aim to make artificial intelligence effective and safe for use in medicine. Ultimately, I want to contribute to improved patient care, both generally and specifically for people with diabetes. It’s important to me that, within this domain, my team and I work on projects that we find personally exciting and that we are methodologically passionate about. Apart from the research content itself, I aim to promote skills in my team and thus offer my team members good prospects for a successful career in research or the private sector. For example, we invest a lot of time in scientific communication. It is also very important to me to create a healthy and positive environment in which all team members can also prioritise their private lives.

What projects are you currently researching and how can they make life easier for people with diabetes?

We are working on various methods to automatically analyse medical images and data from wearable devices such as blood glucose meters and fitness trackers. For example, we use machine learning to tailor physiological glucose models to individuals, and investigate how we can recognise and correct inaccuracies in AI models. These technologies are designed to support people with diabetes by enabling safe, personalised treatment.

How do you work with the DCB? 

Our offices are located at the DCB, which leads to regular dialogue. In particular, my team benefits from the interdisciplinary research environment that the DCB and the University of Bern have created with their endowed professorships. The DCB also offers us active access to the network in the field of diabetes technology.

Where do you hope your field of research will be in five to ten years’ time? What is your vision? 

Artificial intelligence will have a fundamental impact on many areas of our society in the coming years. My vision is that this change in medicine will be positive. With my research, I want to provide trustworthy technologies to facilitate this.

About Lisa Koch

Lisa Koch is an assistant professor and research group leader at the University and Inselspital Bern. Together with her team at the DCB, she researches and develops trustworthy diabetes care supported by artificial intelligence that brings real benefits to patients and the medical profession.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering (BSc) and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering (MSc) at ETH Zurich, Lisa Koch completed a PhD in machine learning for medical image analysis at Imperial College London. After a postdoctoral position at ETH Zurich, she joined the Swiss wearable medical device start-up Ava, where she eventually became head of the data science team. In this position, she recognised the need for demonstrably secure machine learning in healthcare. In 2021, she returned to academic research to conduct research on this topic as a group leader for machine learning in medical diagnostics in the Berens Lab at the Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Research at the University of Tübingen, Germany.

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

This edition was authored by Sunjoy Mathieu , Communication Manager at DCB, and originally published on https://www.d-journal.ch in German and French.

This post was previously published in Linkedin. Click here to see the original publication.

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DCB Newsletter #5/24: INSIDE DCB – Our Milestones in 2024

DCB Newsletter #5/24: INSIDE DCB – Our Milestones in 2024

Dear DCB community – as we approach the end of this year, we want to take the opportunity to look back on our team’s achievements in 2024 – the seventh year of the existence of DCB.

A lot has been going on and the list keeps getting longer! But see for yourself:

Operations

👥 Inside DCB: We welcomed the fourth professorship, Lisa Koch, to our premises. In two retreats, we refined our vision, defined our goals, and worked on team effectiveness and collaboration.

Fully certified: We further developed our Management System according to ISO 9001, defined and integrated clinical processes and passed the SQS recertification audit with flying colours.

⛑️ Safety first: Several studies were successfully initiated and conducted at the facility. There were no safety-related incidents.

Innovation & Business Development

🌐 Global Impact: Our team evaluated over 300 ideas, proposals, and applications, propelling the global innovation ecosystem forward. We identified and supported several dozen projects and startups, providing them with unparalleled expertise, access to our extensive network, cutting-edge facilities, and crucial funding.

🏆 DCB Open Innovation Challenge 2024: The DCB Open Innovation Challenge once again emerged as a beacon of success. We are very proud of the number of start-ups this year and of our collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society from the U.S. We are particularly pleased to have received a total of 100 new and innovative ideas from 40 different countries. Six exceptional projects from USA, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and the UK took center stage, culminating in a thrilling Award Night attended by 240 enthusiasts from around the globe.  This year’s winner, IMS, impressed the jury with a revolutionary, particularly small, and minimally invasive device for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The world’s first fully integrated single-chip device monitors blood glucose using multiple sensors simultaneously and can also record other physiological parameters such as tissue temperature. It is also able to measure various physiological parameters such as glucose and ketones – all with just one device.

The other amazing finalists were:

Genomelink – Yuta Matsuda
Beep Insights – Christine Brännvall
Innodose – Sufyan Hussain
Neuria – Frédérik Plourde
Amic Health – Jorge Bondia

🚀Tailored Workshops for Start-ups: Multiple workshops were organised for various start-ups, covering different key topics. They ranged from a few hours virtually to multiple days in person. The workshops addressed everything from clinical insights, data management, project management, communication, to branding. A key point noticed was that investor decks were often too detailed and overloaded with content. Top tip: Investors typically spend only 2.5 to 3 minutes reading them!

📊DT-report: Together with diabetesschweiz, the Swiss Society for Endocrinology and Diabetology (SGED | SSED), and partners in Germany and Austria, we are conducting a representative survey on the topic of diabetes technology for the DT-Report. About 200 people with diabetes and 100 healthcare professionals have already filled out the questionnaire.

🎉 DCB project Beyond Diagnostics receives Innosuisse grant: Dr. Maren Schinz has secured an innovation grant from Innosuisse to advance her research on insulin inactivity with Beyond Diagnostics, a DCB spin-off. Congratulations!

📚Diabetes Training for Pharmacists: The Amavita pharmacies from Galenicare in Switzerland organized 5 half-day workshops focused on everything related to diabetes. In these sessions, we provided a comprehensive training for pharmacists to enhance their knowledge and skills in managing diabetes care.

👥Conferences: EASD conference, hosted the Innovation Zone in Madrid and brought almost 20 startups who had the chance to present their ideas to the audience. Our booth was well visited, and we were happy with the results.

Communications

👋 Growing our community: We’ve reached 4,800 (almost 5000!) followers on LinkedIn and more than 700 followers on Instagram in 2025. We’re so excited our community is ever-growing and appreciate every single one of you, joining us on our journey of making life better for people with diabetes!

🔍 Visibility boost: DCB hosted the speech of Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, on occasion of the 85th anniversary of the oldest Swiss disease awareness day, ‘Tag der Kranken’, on 3 March 2024, which resulted in strong media coverage for DCB.

💻 Website updates: Our website is now enriched with additional content in various sections and is running even faster than before. We want to thank HYVE for the valued and long-lasting collaboration!

🗣️ Valuing Lived Experience: People living with diabetes are at the core of all that we do at DCB. We are so grateful for our continually growing community of Lived Experience Experts – currently 18 people in 14 different countries all over the world!

Clinical & Data

🔬 Innosuisse: We are recognised by Innosuisse as a Research Partner and submissions in collaboration with industry partners are on-going.

🩸 Menstrual cycle project: We are about to complete the menstrual cycle project which was conducted in close collaboration with Tidepool. The aim of this research project is to collect data on diabetes management among menstruating people living with type 1 diabetes to evaluate changes in insulin sensitivity across the menstrual cycle. We have received data from 435 cycles of 76 women and look forward to presenting the first results soon. 

🔎 Clinical Study FibreGum on-going: Under the supervision of our assistant professor Maria Luisa Balmer, the FibreGum study is running at the Children Clinic Berne, assessing the effect of an additive in a chewing gum on body weight loss. 64 adolescents and young adults have been included so far. The participation of the Eastern Swiss children’s hospital in St. Gallen is under evaluation at the competent Ethics Committee. The study will be conducted also there starting 1st quarter 2025. An equivalent study in adults -FaibaGo – is under preparation.

🔎 Clinical Study GlucoSet: The DCB is contributing to the first-in-human study where a novel intravascular glucose sensor in an intensive care unit setting is tested. Results are intended to supplement data obtained from laboratory studies, animal studies and an earlier first-in-man study.

🔎 Clinical Study AID-JUNCT will soon recruit participants: the supervision of our assistant professor José Garcia Tirado, the AID-JUNCT will be conducted at the Cantonal Hospital in Olten. It will evaluate the efficacy of tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) as adjunctive therapy to automated insulin delivery on percent time in range . 42 T1D adults will be included.

📥 Clinical Study SPN-005 successfully conducted: At the University Clinic for Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine & Metabolism (UDEM) in Berne, the study aims to assess the feasibility of a noninvasive medical device, developed by the company Liom, to detect, and track glucose changes transcutaneously in defined and dynamic states of glycemia. 20 T1D adults were included over 6 months and the study results will be available at the beginning of 2025.

🤝 First participant recruited for the Evo Study (Study Sponsor: BODYSense SAS): The study will examine associations between glycaemic states such as stable (hypoglycaemia, euglycemia, and hyperglycaemia), increasing, and decreasing blood glucose, and the VOC (volatile organic compound) spectra in the breath measured with a Gas Chromatograph-Ion Mobility Spectrometer (GC-IMS) device as a reference and a portable device prototype to measure VOCs. The device prototype has been developed by BODYSense with the purpose to allow blood glucose monitoring through non-invasive breath analyses.

👥 Study conduct network extension: The Eastern Swiss children’s hospital in St. Gallen, the Cantonal Hospital in Olten and the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology of the Medical University of Graz (Austria) are now qualified as study sites and are allowed to conduct studies under our support / responsibility.

📖 Contribution to publications: Using data from our previous VAARA study, the publication led by Prof. Lilian Witthauer titled “Detection of Hypoglycaemia in Type 1 Diabetes Through Breath Volatile Organic Compound Profiling Using Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry” was featured in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

A preprint authored by Liom titled “A Prospective Pilot Study Demonstrating Non-Invasive Calibration-Free Glucose Measurement” was published on medRxiv.

DCB also featured numerous abstracts presented at major diabetes conferences, including EASD and ATTD.

📊 Electronic Data Capture System: REDCap® has undergone significant upgrades and enhancements through the integration of external modules and services. These improvements ensure the platform continues to provide a secure environment, uphold strict quality control standards, and offer user-friendly interfaces. Additionally, REDCap® promotes participant engagement and supports efficient operational management.

Thank you, dear readers for your loyalty and interest throughout the year! We will continue to provide you with new series, inside stories and regular updates in 2025. All the best and happy holidays!🎄 🎆

This post was previously published in Linkedin. Click here to see the original publication.

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DCB Newsletter #4/24: IT’S A WRAP! A Recap of the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge

DCB Newsletter #4/24: IT’S A WRAP! A Recap of the 2024 DCB Open Innovation Challenge

Dear community – long time no see! At the height of Diabetes Awareness Month Novemver, we are happy to now provide you with a new episode of our newsletter series and give you some insights into this year’s  DCB Innovation Challenge.

Enjoy the read!

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for anyone with an innovative solution to change diabetes management. It only takes an idea to participate for anyone – whether a healthcare professional, a start-up, a person living with diabetes or others. Those who share their ideas receive sparring and feedback from experts. It all culminates in the DCB Start-Up night, where we award the winners for both categories. The DCB Open Innovation Challenge award is one of the world’s most generous and renowned diabetes-related awards.

This year, incredible 100 ideas were submitted to the challenge from all over the world, and we rang in a new collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society from the US. Because of this, we had 2 finalists from the US and 4 finalists from the rest of the world. They pitched their projects live on stage in Bern in front of 300 guests and an international jury, who then chose the winner of each category.

But how exactly did we get there and what did the DCB Open Innovation Challenge look like?

Read all about the entire journey below!

Our Top 20

Before we were able to select our top six finalists to travel to our bootcamp and the much-anticipated DCB Start-Up Night, we selected our Top 20.

The Top 20 of received mentoring from chosen experts of our network on various topics, ranging from co-creation experts to regulatory specialists. Additionally, we hosted a Pitch Training session before their big Pitch Day, where they could network and learn from our experts as well as their peers about how to improve their pitch and convince our jury.

The Innovation Bootcamp – 4 intense days of learning and networking in the Swiss Alps

To get ready for the DCB Start-Up Night with pitches and winners’ celebrations, we took all six finalists to a bootcamp in the Swiss Alps. Over the course of four days, we spent our time with a stunning view and mentoring, pitch training, 1:1 coaching, and of course, with many fruitful discussions and lots of networking.

But see for yourself! Our team on-site documented their journey and experience in a short video.

The Winners of 2024

On October 3, this year’s DCB Start-Up Night and Award Ceremony of the Open Innovation Challenge 2023 took place. After an exciting evening of pitching, an international jury chose the winners of the fourth edition of the Open Innovation Challenge. The first place and with it 100k CHF in funding and in-kind support went to Muhammad Mujeeb-U-Rahman and his company IMS, for their product CGM+!

IMS (Integrated Medical Sensors) impressed the expert jury with a revolutionary, particularly small, and minimally invasive device for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The world’s first fully integrated single-chip device monitors blood glucose using multiple sensors simultaneously and can also record other physiological parameters such as tissue temperature. It is also able to measure various physiological parameters such as glucose and ketones – all with just one device.

“The DCB team did an outstanding job. This achievement will provide us with the resources and network needed to gain traction towards our goals, making a significant impact on our company’s journey”,

shares Muhammad Mujeeb-U-Rahman, CEO of Integrated Medical Sensors.

The start-up Beep Insights was honoured with the Public Choice Award by the audience thanks to its Beep app, which estimates insulin resistance using lactate measurement and other data such as activity and nutrition.

 

We thank all finalists for bringing their innovative ideas to our big stage – AMIC Health, Innodose, Genomelink and Neuria also did an amazing job and we are excitied to continue working with all of them. Diabetes technology thrives on innovation, and we are very grateful to be working alongside brilliant innovators to make life better for people with diabetes.

“We are very proud of the number of start-ups this year and of our collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society from the US. We are particularly pleased to have received a total of 100 new and innovative ideas from start-ups. Together with the top six start-ups, we look forward to working on our shared mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes,”

says Ema Grabenweger, Innovation Manager DCB and responsible for the Open Innovation Challenge 2024.

 

Sad you missed out and couldn’t be in Bern for the big night? No need to worry! Watch our highlight video now to get a glimpse behind the scenes:

DCB Start-Up Night 2024

“The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is our annual highlight where we promote the best start-ups in diabetes technology. With a wide range of services from DCB and sustainable networks, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with all finalists and achieving great things together.”

concludes Hanne Ballhausen, Project Manager Innovation and organiser of the DCB Bootcamp.

It’s been a wonderful few months with the cohort of this year’s DCB Open Innovation Challenge and we are already eagerly awaiting next year’s! 

Now it’s your turn – it’s never too early to start brainstorming ideas for the next challenge. We’re excited to see what you come up with fort he Innovation Challenge 2025!

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

This post was previously published in Linkedin. Click here to see the original publication.

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Switzerland