neuroClues

Company Overview

neuroClues is a healthcare technology company developing an innovative eye-tracking solution to help identify and monitor neurological disorders. The company was co-founded in 2020 by Pierre Daye, Pierre Pouget and Antoine Pouppez, leveraging their combined 35+ years of research experience in eye movement analysis and neuroscience.

Headquartered in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, with an additional office in Paris, France, neuroClues aims to empower clinicians with biomarkers that can detect neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis years before visible symptoms appear. Their goal is to support 10 million patients by 2030.

Products Overview

neuroClues’ flagship product is an all-in-one portable eye tracking solution called neuroClues®. It combines innovative hardware with user-friendly software to enable quick and easy eye movement examinations. Key features include:

• Compact recording device placed over the patient’s eyes
• Screen, illuminators and infrared cameras controlled by embedded software
• Presents visual stimuli and records eye movements in a normalized environment
• Patented design allows research-grade temporal and spatial resolution
• Portable and adaptable to patient needs
• User-friendly software app for protocol selection, live feedback, and result analysis
• Designed to provide results in just 5 steps

The system aims to provide non-invasive, quick, and robust biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders. It is currently under development and pending regulatory approvals.

Founding Team

• Antoine Pouppez - CEO & Co-founder
• Pierre Daye - CTO & Co-founder
• Pierre Pouget - Scientific Advisor & Co-founder

Problem and Market Fit

neuroClues is addressing the need for better tools to diagnose and monitor neurological disorders, which affect millions of people worldwide. Key problems they aim to solve include:

• Early detection of conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s before visible symptoms
• Objective quantification of disease progression and treatment efficacy
• Lack of accurate, non-invasive biomarkers for neurological conditions
• Difficulty in differentiating between similar neurological disorders

Their eye-tracking solution fits into the clinical workflow by providing a quick, 5-minute exam that can offer more insights than traditional assessments. This technology could potentially improve diagnosis accuracy, enable earlier interventions, and enhance patient monitoring.

Business Model

While specific details are not provided, neuroClues appears to be developing a medical device (neuroClues®) for sale to healthcare providers and researchers. They are likely pursuing a B2B model, selling their eye-tracking hardware and software system to hospitals, neurology clinics, and research institutions.

Funding and Runway

neuroClues has secured significant funding to develop their technology:

• November 2021: €4.7 million seed round
• 2022: €2.5 million grant and up to €9 million in equity from the EIC Accelerator
• 2024: €5 million pre-Series A round

This funding is being used to achieve regulatory approvals in Europe and the US, and begin commercial deployment in the US market.

Competitive Landscape

While specific competitors are not mentioned, neuroClues is entering a space that likely includes other medical device and diagnostic companies focused on neurological disorders. Their differentiation appears to be in the combination of easy-to-use portable hardware with specialized software for neurological assessments.

Customers

The company does not list specific customers, but their target market includes:

• Neurologists and other healthcare practitioners specializing in neurological disorders
• Hospitals and neurology clinics
• Medical researchers studying conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis

Relevant News

• March 2024: Held a “Clinical Get Together” scientific evening in conjunction with the JNLF 2024 congress.
• April 2024: Announced securing €5 million in pre-Series A funding to launch their technology and support early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.

The company is actively engaging with the scientific and medical community through events, newsletters, and collaborations as they work towards bringing their product to market.