Startup story #5 - InkVivo

This year, InkVivo was listed among the Top 100 Swiss Startups for the second time in a row. Its advanced polymer platform enables the combination of multiple active ingredients into a single solution, providing pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies with an effective way to reformulate and extend the lifecycle of existing molecules. In this interview, USI EMBA alumnus Elia Guzzi, Co-founder and CEO, shares insights from his startup journey.

What is the advantage of combining different active ingredients in one solution?
The advantage is in leveraging the synergistic effect of ingredients to increase therapeutic efficacy. The concept of combining different therapies is not new and is currently implemented through different systems like simultaneous injections, for example. However, it is still a burden both from the clinician’s and from the patient's perspective. With our solution, we can provide safer and easier administration of medications, increase patient adherence, and simplify the work for the clinicians. The key thing is that thanks to our technology, we can 3design new medications in a way that ensures the temporally controlled and localised release of bioactive compounds for oral, injectable, and implantable administration.

The project started in mid-2021. How did it evolve since then?
Yes, we started InkVivo in 2021 and won the 1st prize at the Boldbrain Startup Challenge the same year. Many things changed since then, mainly in terms of business strategy. We completely changed our focus and target customer, moving from a B2C to a B2B solution.  We advanced our technology with some more in vitro and in vivo testing. In 2023 we incorporated a company in Lugano and received the ETH spin-off label. We are expanding our team and have built a strong Advisory Board composed of industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs in the Biotech sector. 

What are your next milestones?
At the moment we are focusing on applying our solution in the nutraceutical space, which is a low-regulated environment and allows us to quickly validate the technology in humans. We are also closing a financing round to help us reach tis milestone. We will then move to pharmaceutical products focusing on cancer therapy and diabetes to solve unmet clinical challenges. 

You started this project during your PhD at ETH. Looking back, when is the right time to start?
I can only talk about the Biotech space, but if you do want to launch a startup in this sector, start day zero of your PhD. It will give you time to learn, explore and build a relevant network. You also often receive a lot of support from your university and your professor. 

3 quick questions to wrap it up:

• What advice would you give other founders? – Always have a Plan B and Plan C, in case things do not work out as expected
• How do you deal with setbacks? – Focusing on our vision and supporting each other within the team
• What does success look like to you? – Setting your milestones and achieving them, one at a time, while learning something new